Are You Using All the Tools in Your Arsenal?
Students have many tools in their arsenal to show they will be successful in college and that a school is a good fit for them. The most important tool is the completion of a rigorous high school curriculum. However, students often bypass other opportunities on the common application to create the best impression; locating these opportunities is difficult. Here are a few:
Resume Upload - The common application offers students space to complete an activities list. However, that space is limited by the number of activities and characters in the description. About 35% of the schools on our student lists also allow students to upload a resume. Look at the activities section of each college separately. Examples of schools that allow for resume uploads:
State Schools - University of Maryland - College Park, Clemson, Miami University, University of Delaware
Highly Selective Schools - Claremont McKenna; Northeastern, Northwestern, Brown, Boston College
Moderately Sized and Traditional Private Schools - Elon, Texas Christian, Duquesne, Rhodes
Activities Interest - Show schools that you will be an active participant on campus. Some but not all schools ask what activities within their school you will consider? Don't pass up the chance to show your engagement on campus. If a school asks this question, it is also found in the activities section of each college separately. Examples of some schools that want to know more about your interests:
State Schools - Purdue, University of Connecticut, University of Maryland Baltimore County
Highly Selective Schools - Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, Occidental