Q: How can I possibly make my application special when colleges are getting thousands of them? How can mine be different and get their attention?

A: How can you make your application stand out? It's a challenge, especially when you are using the Common Application, which makes every application look the same -- neat, yes, but also visually uniform and therefore potentially boring for admissions officers facing stacks of identical applications.

Of course, the contents of your application, rather than its appearance, ought to be its most outstanding aspect. Still, adding some visual spice can have the effect of making the people reading your application slow down a bit and really notice the contents.

But be careful.<!--more-->

You don't want to be too gimmicky. Quirky, maybe, but not odd, and never should you seem immature or inappropriate. In my years of reading applications, I was amazed by what some students sent: framed paintings, their family coat of arms, an essay mounted on a huge laminated plaque, modeling portfolios, or home-baked treats (which we never ate!). One student sent photocopies of every award certificate he had ever received, beginning with a coloring contest in 1st grade. Another sent a sheaf of a dozen recommendations from family friends; this looked like a "campaign" on the student's behalf, and was a turn-off.

Then there were the inappropriate photographs, showing applicants in suggestive poses or simply looking very foolish. All of these got the attention of the admissions staff -- negative attention. You don't want the people looking through your application folder laughing at you, thinking you cannot tell the difference between the important and the trivial, or suspecting that you are trying to substitute quantity of materials for quality of credentials.

The "extras" that you include have to be serious, appropriate, and must call attention to significant things about you that might otherwise be overlooked. You want admissions officers to slow down, pause, and take notice.

Consider sending:

  • a photo -- some schools make this optional, and public institutions are not even supposed to ask; but I always enjoyed connecting a face to a name. It's not a beauty contest, so head shots don't make much of an impact. I used to like seeing pictures that showed students in their lives: in a school play, in a musical group, helping with a Habitat for Humanity project, or crossing a finish line

  • a resume -- yes, there is a place for activities on the Common Application, but you can highlight more of these and tell about other special skills you have on a one-page resume (just one page!); for visual variety, print it on a pastel-color piece of paper (not screaming orange)

  • if you are a poet or creative writer, add one piece of your work (if you applying to a creative writing program specifically, you will be asked for a writing portfolio)

  • if there been an article about you in a local newspaper, send a photocopy

  • if you are a student journalist, send a photocopy of an article with your byline

  • if photography is your passion, include one or two of your best pictures and tell something about where you took the photo and what you found compelling about the subject

    • These are just a few examples of "extras" that are perfectly appropriate. Do not send more than two extra items. Anything you mail needs to be flat and no larger than 8.5 x 11" so it fits into your folder and can be passed from reader to reader. (They can't pass around your original pottery, so don't even think of sending it!) One or two extra pieces of paper will be fine, and if they make an admissions reader sit up and really notice something special about you, it will be worth the effort.