The Challenge
In admissions parlance, Tom is a member of a very competitive demographic group and applying as an international student. He also came across with little confidence and had unrealistic plans of attending only an Ivy League college.
Without considering anything else in his background, this was already a steep mountain to climb. Add to this, Tom has a very dry, boring, ho-hum writing style. It lacked a viewpoint and pizzazz to wow a college admissions committee. It took multiple Skype conversations and writing drafts to get his essays to ring with excitement and energy.
Possible Approaches
We decided to focus on one of the following potential scenarios to enhance Tom’s admissions profile:
- Future aspiration of working in the high-tech industry that leverages his accomplished computer science skills.
- His singular focus on community service and how this has shaped his outlook.
- The intersection of computer science and psychology, two of his academic passions.
The Admissionado Approach
We ultimately decided to focus on Tom’s interest in computer science and psychology and his ambition to combine these two areas into developing dynamic computer interfaces for users. Through this approach, we were able to explore and present his past experiences and accomplishments, showcasing who he really is as a young adult, and how these two academic areas have influenced his future aspirations. We also knew that other aspects of his achievements and character would shine through in the application. In the end, this chosen approach made for a solid, coherent application.
The Result
Tom will be attending Boston University, one of his top-college choices.
Personal Shoutout
Tom is wonderfully persistent! He took advice and counsel to heart. Once he learned and understood the need to write with a clear personal voice, his essays started to resonate with enthusiasm and optimism. Now, not only is he good at writing code, he is also competent at writing compelling essays! I watched Tom grow more confident over the course of the college application season.