We are heading into application season for high school seniors. Many times the Common Application or another college application does not allow a student to elaborate on everything they do. Students often ask me if they should send in additional letters of recommendation, attach a resume, or even provide links of videos and other work they have done. My answer surprises many.
The most important message in this week's blog is to be very judicious when adding additional information to your application. Admissions officers are being forced to read dozens, sometimes hundreds, of applications a day. When they see additional letters of recommendation, extra essays, resumes, and other materials, they can become agitated because they know this will slow them down in the review process. Students should stick to the requirements as much as possible.
Here is a guide to knowing when you should submit additional information:
1. Resumes
Only submit a resume if the college requests one. If not, use the application as much as possible to represent what you do outside of school. The Common Application provides space for ten activities. While there are students with ten or more activities to list, consider whether a minor commitment from an earlier grade is really worth mentioning. Students should list the activities that are most meaningful to them on the list. It doesn't have to include every single thing they do. In fact, I wouldn't recommend doing that as it makes it hard for the important activities to stand out.
Remember, admissions officers are familiar with the templates on an application. When they review a resume, they have to adjust to a student's individual format and style. This rarely contributes positively to the overall evaluation. If the additional activities on the resume were that important, why weren't they listed on the application?
2. Additional Information
Most applications reserve an open space for students to use in case they need to explain something further. On the Common App, it is called the "Additional Information" section. If necessary, the student has an extra 650 words to use. However, I wouldn't use any of them unless you really have to.
Students can use this section to elaborate (very briefly) on an activity that needs further explanation. They can also explain an unusual personal, educational, or family situation that impacted their high school experience. And, a student can provide a link in this section to their ZeeMee account or a body of work (art, music, dance, writing, etc.) they are proud of. Just understand that not all admissions officers will click on the link. And if they do, it should be well worth their time.
Simply put, the only time you should use this space is if your application will be incomplete without the information provided. The fewer words you use, the better.
3. Extra Letters of Recommendation
In my 20 years in the field, I have rarely seen when an extra letter of recommendation helped a student. In fact, it usually detracts from the required letters of recommendation. Elite colleges generally want to hear from the student's college counselor and two academic teachers from 10th or 11th grade. Sending in extra letters from alumni, employers, coaches, or even college professors are not as powerful as one might think. Even if the college indicates that a student is permitted to send in extra letters, think before you act. When the rubber meets the road, an admissions officer tends to focus their time and energy on the required elements of the application.
"Think twice before including extra letters of recommendation with your #college application." TWEET THIS
When a student sends in more than the required letters of recommendation, the admissions officer doesn't have to read all of them. But finding the right ones to read can easily annoy them given the time constraints they face. This means that the most important letters (the ones required) can get lost in the mix or skimmed instead of read.
Once in a blue moon, an extra letter makes a positive difference. It usually gets sent after the student has been deferred or waitlisted. The letter is often unsolicited and comes from an influential member of the school community, like the principal or head of school. These letters offer a powerful glimpse into the impact the student has made on the school. Nothing is more impressive than a principal going out of their way to write for a student who has left a legacy on the community.
The lesson here is to invest in the teachers and college counselor at the school more than anything. When those individuals go to bat for a student in the letter of recommendation, the admissions committee takes notice.
Back in the day of paper applications, my first boss in admissions had a saying, "The thicker the application, the thicker the student." His words were harsh but they should be a reminder to students to spend time on the required elements of the application rather than the additional pieces which may not be reviewed, or worse yet, may actually weaken the overall application.
