<p>So everyone knows that a good GPA, lots of top EC's, superb essays, and great teacher recs are the basic components of any transfer application, but what are those few extra things you can do to really make your app. stand out from the rest? For example, I was suspended in HS for a day for a really ridiculous class-cutting incident, so instead of merely explaining the incident in the disciplinary explanation portion of the common app, I wrote a satirical essay on the whole incident. From what I have been told, really personalizing your application is a huge turn-on for admissions. Any one else have any ideas on how to really make an application stand out from others? I think this thread could be very useful if enough people give their input.</p>
<p>I think one of the most important things to take advantage of is the essay. One of those, “oh i really wanna go to this school because of this this and that” is so repetitious and in my personal view boring. I wrote about how my passion for soccer and how it fueled my ambitions in class. GPA, extra currics and etc, are fine, but its what makes you not a number that their looking for. Try to be something out of the ordinary. I liked USC’s application the most because it gave a brief part to talk about your favorite hobbies, your favorite artist/composer and etc. Make your application on a more personable level and you’ll be fine. :)</p>
<p>A family friend who is an admissions officer at a Top 15 college gave me this advice:</p>
<p>To best increase your chances of getting into a good college (besides the obvious gpa, extra curric, recs) print your application on pink paper and carefully spray a captivating perfume on each page. At the end of the application, be sure to include a flattering picture of yourself (only if you’re attractive; if not, send a picture of an attractive C-list movie star). Also, if you are one of the few who has not been affected by the current economic crisis, try donating a library- that should definitely augment your chances. Good luck sport.</p>
<p>Haha, ckm88. When I read the title of this thread I immediately thought “print it on pink paper.” You beat me to it.</p>
<p>or this could be an absolutely worthless thread if sarcastic *******s clutter it with useless drivel…</p>
<p>I don’t know that trivializing a rule infringement is the sort of extra attention that one ought to seek when preparing a college application. I’m sure all of the institutions to which one would apply have rules, and as such, I believe that the admissions committee tries to select students who are likely to abide by those rules.</p>
<p>I’m quite positive insitutions such as UChicago, Penn, and Stanford will appreciate the humor of bellittling an incident as did occur to me. And, I believe you are greatly mistaken; schools love students who are skeptical of the existing rules, with a willingness to press their bounderies.</p>
<p>Fair enough. I’m applying to the same three schools and opted not to display my self as an anarchist. I suppose in a few months we’ll have pseudo-empirical evidence as to which is the better approach.</p>
<p>Anyway, best of luck, and sorry for hijacking the thread.</p>
<p>brahnema, at the same time I doubt any colleges want a student that can’t take a joke. On a more serious note, I think what you did is extremely risky; since you are pretty much downplaying the suspension. By no means am I an admission officer, but they might be looking for people who learn from their “mistakes”, rather than turn potential learning experiences into satirical anecdotes. I do understand the positioning strategy that you are trying to portray, but you should also take into consideration the downside.</p>
<p>Are the benefits greater than the costs? That’s up to you. But I do recommend reevaluating your strategy in which you take all interpretations into consideration. Because there is a fine line between being unique and being a rebel.</p>
<p>I’m merely attempting to portray my self as best I can through my application. According to my experience, that is the best way to get accepted to the institution that fits you best. If you try to much to appeal to admissions you might end up getting accepted somewhere that seems attractive, but ends up to be a wrong fit for you. Also, it is my understanding that Chicago would love something like this. Am I right?</p>
<p>Okay, if you guys know of anyone who has tried anything like that, I’m definitely willing to try it. I’m just not sure whether Penn would appreciate something like that…</p>
<p>Anyone willing to read my disciplinary explanation essay, either to crtique it for me or to get a better idea of what I’m talking about? Honestly, I see any intellectual effort to seperate yourself from the bulk of applications as a positive in regards to admissions. This is just my opionion, but I think it is apparent when you note how many students get accepted to top schools with sub-par GPA/test scores in competition with perfect grades and scores. Those students obviously had some sort of desirable attributes that the school found more important than numbers. Thus, if you have the numbers, adding something extra to your app. will give you that bump to get you into places like Stanford, even with such a discouraging transfer rate (about 2%).</p>
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<p>“many”??? How do you come to the conclusion that “many” students with sub-par basics (gpa, rigorous courses, test scores) have transferred into very selective schools because of a “great” essay. I’ve been around CC quite a while and I haven’t seen anything even close to “many”. I have a kid who transferred to a highly selective college and she sure hasn’t known “many” in the group of transfers she knows. Here’s some data, please show us the “many”:</p>
<p><a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/503123-2008-official-transfer-results.html?highlight=2008+transfer+results[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/transfer-students/503123-2008-official-transfer-results.html?highlight=2008+transfer+results</a></p>
<p>Yeah, brahnema i have no idea what you’re talking about. Seems like you might be a victim of the availability heuristic. In your opinion, what holds more merit…getting straight A’s while taking a rigorous course load for the past three semesters or submitting a 400 word essay. I guarantee you 99 times out of 100 the former proves to be a better indicator of academic success. If admission officers were to base decisions primarily on an essay in which the applicant might have not even written, they will see an exuberant amount of Type II errors. </p>
<p>However, I do agree with your statement mentioning that your “unique” essay will make you stand out. But after reading several of your posts, I doubt it would be in a good way. Your brash comments just reinforce your initial point of view and come off as arrogance, which few have truly mastered as you apparently have. Good luck getting into your set of ivies and reach schools.</p>
<p>Brahnema, I’ll look over your disciplinary essay. I appreciate satire/humor. :D</p>
<p>I believe I have been misunderstood. What I meant was that students with still top-notch grades and scores are selected over students with 4.0’s and 1600’s at institutions such as Yale, Harvard, etc. I personally know 3 different people who had a 4.0 and a 1600 (this was a few years ago) who were rejected from some of their schools, one at Harvard. My point is that there is a great amount of stellar students with top stats, thus the most selective of schools look to other aspects of that student’s application to make the final cut. I am certainly not saying grades don’t matter, but I know for a fact that low grades (relatively) can be compensated for with a strong essay and sense of purpose, as well as a unique portrayal of one’s strengths. It then seems logical to assume that one who does have strong stats can further strengthen his/her app. by applying this same idea.</p>
<p>As for you Mr. Psychology, re-read your last post and then tell me who sounds arrogant. Or see below:</p>
<p>Thanks for the good intentions, but you have committed the fatal post hoc, ergo propter hoc fallacy in assuming that my acceptance will be a result of “luck”.</p>
<p>Good thing we won’t have to resort to that argument.</p>
<p>It was meant to be ironic since (given your essay) you will have none (im just kidding…and am not being sarcastic haha). Anyway, lets put aside the bickering for a second.</p>
<p>You should really send out your essay to some peers (if you haven’t already done so) and see how they perceive your essay. If it appears that the general consensus is that you perhaps have gone too far with it, consider revising your strategy. It just seemed that you had your heart set on a particular strategy to differentiate yourself from the competition without rationally thinking about other alternatives that aren’t so inherently risky. NOW best of LUCK to you haha.</p>
<p>Genuinely good advice. Thanks, and best of luck to you as well.</p>
<p>brahnema, i dont think a lot of these other guys are right 100%. yeah maybe a 4.0 in every class with a rigorous load might be good, but i think if you spill your soul, and that essay is fantastic, they will def. bend the rules and admit you. i know many cases, and by many, i’ll refer you to a few books i’ve read about this topic incase anyone wants to judge my words, where colleges will first read an essay and see if you have the caliber and dedication to get into the school you’re applying for. </p>
<p>i talked to admissions at stanford, yale and upenn, and the first thing they told me was that they read the essay. now i’m not saying the essay is what gets you in, but i can bet some money on saying they reject the 4.0 great score kids the first round when they right a dull, generic essay. </p>
<p>as for everyone to quickly judge you, i apologize on behalf of them to jump on you like they did. </p>
<p>moral of the story: get good grades AND write an awesome essay. but then again thats not something you guys don’t already know.</p>