It's a rite of passage every year - students from across the world power up their computers and begin to research the colleges of their dreams. With thousands of prospective students starting to think about preparing their applications, colleges and universities in the United States are realizing that, while simple Web sites and information packets worked well enough in the past, the new generation needs new ways of access.
Enter YouTube, the world's second-largest search engine. Since 2008, searches on YouTube for “admissions†have risen sharply, said Anni e Baxter, a spokeswoman for YouTube. More than 400 universities across the United States and Canada already have a presence on YouTube, with sample lectures, student speakers and campus tours posted on their personalized channels, she said.
We've looked at several ways American colleges and universities are using YouTube to reach prospective students. For this week's installment of The Choice on India Ink, we are providing ways in which prospective international students - who are still learning about universities in the United States but don't have the luxury to make campus visits throughout the year, if at all - could use YouTube to improve their college search and strengthen their applications.
Discover What Admissions Officers Are Looking ForWhen it's 4 a.m., and you've been writing essays and filling out appli cations for hours, it's easy to panic and begin to tear yourself down.
It's important to remember that admissions officers are not out to get you. As hard as it may be to imagine, they were once students, too. They know that one bad grade doesn't make you a terrible student, and equally, that even perfect SAT scores don't make you the perfect candidate.
In this video, Tufts freshmen speak to admissions officers and attempt to dispel some of the myths surrounding the admissions process. As you're putting together your application, be sure to think about some questions like:
- Does my application show a good balance of academics, extracurricular activities and my personality?
- Have I put an equal amount of effort into all (and all parts of) my applications?
The college application process is usually the first taste students get of a challenge that will crop up constantly in life - how to sell yourself… in 500 words or fewer.
While the bulk of a regular application packet consists of numbers and figures, the personal essay is an opportunity for students to grab hold of the admissions officer, shake them and say, “Here I am, this is what I have to say, this is what I value and what makes me tick.â€
In this video, college students talk about their strategies and what they learned about writing The Essay. Some questions to improve your own essay might be:
- What can I contribute to this college that no one else can?
- How can I tell a story in a way that is unique to me alone?
- Who are people I trust to proofread my essays? (The more, the better!)
Watching a university archivist walk through thousands of theses at Princeton gives great insight into the academic expectations of the university. To find out if a potential school's expectations match your own learning goals, ask:
- Are seniors required to write a thesis? Does each major have a capstone experience?
- What types of senior theses and projects have been done in the past?
- What are some opportunities for individual and collaborative research?
Perhaps one of the best things you can do during your college search is sit in on one of the classes. Watching a video of the lecture can make you feel as though you're already in college, and help you get a sense of whether the classroom environment at a particular school is a good fit. As you continue your research, ask college representatives about the learning experience:
- What percentage of freshman-level classes are taught by faculty members ?
- Are most classes discussion based or lecture based?
- How much access do freshmen have to labs and lab equipment?
Online videos can give you a glimpse of the fraternities, sororities, eating clubs, intramural sports and other social organizations on campus. Look for videos that were uploaded by these organizations and their members, or by the university itself. Throughout your college search, consider asking these questions about campus life:
- What percentage of students belong to social clubs, like fraternities and sororities, eating clubs and student unions?
- What are some of the university's biggest social events throughout the year?
P.S. - If you'd rather watch college raps, YouTube has videos for that, too.
Have you used YouTube during your college admissions process? Please share your experience and advice with other readers of The Choice on India Ink, using the comments box below.
