<p>
[quote]
Multimedia supplements connect applicants and admissions professionals by enabling candidates to personally express their full potential and highlight qualities relevant to admissions decisions through an online video supplement. The resource also levels the playing field for financially, physically or geographically disadvantaged applicants who cant present themselves on campuses. Using equipment available in most high schools, students can record and upload three different videos, from 45 seconds to three minutes. Students then include their personal passcode in their college applications, giving colleges access to their supplement. </p>
<p>I think CollegeSupplement.com can really help students who are applying to the more selective colleges. Some of our students dont have an academic record that matches his or her abilities and life stories, says Jennifer Cardoso, Program Director for Philadelphia Academies. Selective colleges want to know what the applicant is all about and CollegeSupplement.com helps get that message out.
<p>Sounds like something that will just irritate admissions officers and highlight that the applicant is paying to get help to package themselves for admission.</p>
<p>Indeed, I suspect it will lead to rejections.</p>
<p>Yuck. Just someone else trying to jump into the amazing profits game of university admissions.</p>
<p>I could see why this might get popular but I also can see how it would hurt the applicant. </p>
<p>No one would make the time to look at it and it will be seen as an irritant (did anyone ASK for it? no).</p>
<p>Moreover, the unopened video will scream: "I'm a really coached and packaged product of my affluent family team who have stopped at nothing to give me a competitive edge."</p>
<p>I don't think the sample video I watched would sway me.</p>
<p>If this was being used by future performing arts majors, I think it'd be interesting. Instead of admission offices receiving packages of art supplements, shipping them off to faculty, and then waiting for notes to come back, students could just fill out a form with the URL of the video that shows them performing. Faculty reviewers could watch online and submit their notes to the admission office.</p>
<p>Good idea for dance or perhaps music majors. Beyond that, I can't imagine top schools watching without giggling. Large state schools won't even open the link, I'll bet.</p>
<p>I don't imagine adcoms have the time for that. I know my S won't have any interest in it ... his videos are all goofy music videos, and he knows enough not to send any of those to colleges! ;)</p>
<p>Hmm... I think it will be an especially risky venture for students lacking stage appeal or presence. It could easily backfire for most. I do think some adcoms would look at it though.</p>
<p>I feel sorry for the kids today, another piece of their innocence gone. Where does it end?
IMO The college application process - exploitation of our kids.</p>
<p>I agree with jsmall, the example videos were horrible. I thought the first one was bad until I saw the other two, which had me cringing the whole way through. In my opinion, they sound fake and unintelligent.</p>
<p>I recall, there was a lot of talk about VIDEO RESUMES a few months ago. Can you imagine submitting one of THOSE next time you are job hunting?!</p>
<p>I agree, an athlete or a drama kid can benefit from those, and as Dean J suggested, a link to a web-posted video should suffice. A friend with a video camera and YouTube will go a long way :)</p>
<p>I looked at one of the videos and found the kid and the presentation to be obnoxious. Other than the fact that the kid has the big ego and presumably the bucks to have a video made, I didn't learn anything about the student that I couldn't have learned from a quick review of the student's app. </p>
<p>Blech!</p>
<p>I also read one of that student's recommendation letters. It was filled with generalities, not impressive at all. I think that the student's parents wasted their money.</p>
<p>Kids have been sending videos to colleges for years. They're usually destroyed after the admission cycle is over except in a few cases. There was one video that was hilarious - a student acting out what he thought went on in committee meetings. There were a few times that we put the video in just to brighten our day. </p>
<p>S has a friend who has a website with videos of his athletic accomplishments and says it's standard for kids good enough to be recruited athletes (didn't hurt this kid at all! Was heavily recruited). I can imagine that someday music and MT applicants may do the same. Makes me tired just thinking about it.</p>