1. Create Account
  2. Login
StudyUSA
Match Me
  • Create Account
  • Login
  • School Search
  • Resources
    • All Resources
    • Articles
    • Student Voices
    • Videos
    • Magazines
  • Services
    • All Services
    • Accommodation
    • Support
    • Career
    • Financial
    • Testing
    • Other
  • Apply
  • Chat

Stand out: Things you can do to excel on a university application

Stand out: Things you can do to excel on a university application

August 5th, 2017

Realize that “recommended” equals “required”

The very first thing that any applicant to a selective US college should realize is that it is a competitive process. One might think of many parts of the application as optional—in fact, certain parts may even be presented that way in university application materials—but the reality is that anything that the university presents as “optional” or “recommended” is usually seen as “required” in the minds of admission officers.

Don’t hesitate to send in extra materials.

While it used to be the case that universities would state strongly that they would not accept additional material, that is no longer true in most cases, and in many cases universities will accept a wide range of material.

Extra material won’t suddenly make you competitive where you are not even in the running—but it could make the difference when you are on the borderline. The extra material has to be easy to receive and digest, compelling, and not something which looks overly produced. All of your other materials have to be in order as well. The worst that might happen is that someone won’t read the material, but at the same time it may make a difference. A video on Initialview, for example, can help you tell your story in which your communication skills are highlighted through a video interview.        

Use your extra time wisely.

During school breaks, make sure that you are doing something that demonstrates your academic curiosity, your initiative, and/or your willingness to work hard. Bonus points if your activity produces something tangible that could be easily understood by admission offices, and if this activity is something you’ve been doing for two or more years. This could be rigorous online courses that you completed, an interesting and challenging internship that produces a report or other tangible result you can easily point to, or some leadership or volunteer work that is quantifiable (“I managed a humanitarian project with a US$10,000 budget and 10 volunteers who reported to me,” for example).

It’s important to demonstrate interest.

Admission officers want to admit students who are likely to come to their school. Part of that is human nature—if they say they “like” you by accepting you, then they want you to reciprocate—but this “demonstrated interest” also relates to how admission officers are measured in their profession.

One key overall admissions number that admission officers focus on is called “yield”, which is the percentage of admitted students who ultimately enroll in one’s school. For example, Harvard has a very high yield—pretty much anyone who gets into Harvard goes there—and as a result it is seen as very selective. As an applicant, if you are able to convince admission officers that you are serious about their school, then it is more likely that they are going to see you in a more positive light.

Be eager and focus on quality communication.

Like anything else in life, communicating well and taking a proactive stance will generally be to your benefit. Respond promptly to emails; send thank-you letters (even hand-written ones); and ask good and thoughtful questions. Language that might be ok when messaging your friends is almost certainly not the right tone when communicating with admission officers. It is likely that all of your email correspondence goes into your admission “file”, so you’ll want to make sure that all of it—like the content of your application—will withstand scrutiny by the admissions committee.

 

Follow us:
Written by

Terry Crawford

Get matched to the best program for you

Let us know what you're looking for so we can find the best school for you.

Get matched
Call to action background image. Decorative.

Useful Articles

Main image for the article titled Finding His Place at Mission College
Finding His Place at Mission College
Main image for the article titled Chemical Engineering at the University of Arizona: A Student View
Chemical Engineering at the University of Arizona: A Student View
Main image for the article titled Study English near Boston, Massachusetts!
Study English near Boston, Massachusetts!
Main image for the article titled Loans for Students Seeking Master’s Degrees
Loans for Students Seeking Master’s Degrees

Check Out These Schools

Fairfax Christian School

Fairfax Christian School

$40,000—$45,000 Year

Secondary/Boarding English Programs
Contact
Herkimer College

Herkimer College

$5,000—$10,000 Semester

English Programs 2yr/Community College - 2+2 Programs Online
Contact
University of Utah – International Program

University of Utah – International Program

$50,000—$60,000 Semester

Bachelor Degree
Contact

Related Stories

What is the Difference Between Quarters, Semesters, and Trimesters?

Main image for the article titled What is the Difference Between Quarters, Semesters, and Trimesters?
What is the Difference Between OPT and CPT?

Main image for the article titled What is the Difference Between OPT and CPT?
What is the Difference Between TOEFL iBT and TOEFL PBT?

Main image for the article titled What is the Difference Between TOEFL iBT and TOEFL PBT?
What is the Difference between a Public and Private University?

Main image for the article titled What is the Difference between a Public and Private University?

Start your U.S. adventure with Study in the USA

What's your dream? We can guide, advise, and connect you with your perfect U.S. school. We can also help you with the application process.
More about us
Partner Services

Learn About U.S. education financing, housing, and more

Partner service logo for BetterHelp

BetterHelp

BetterHelp is the largest online counseling platform worldwide. We change the way people get help with facing life's challenges by providing convenient, discreet and affordable access to a licensed therapist. Promo code 10% off "susa"

Read more
Partner service logo for campusSIMS

campusSIMS

campusSIMS helps students get connected with mobile phone service in the US. Get a US phone number while in your home country so you have service that’s ready as soon as you land. Plans start as low as $15/month.

Read more
Partner service logo for Student loan for international students? Yes, it is real!

Student loan for international students? Yes, it is real!

MPOWER Financing is the top-rated lender offering international student loans without cosigners, collateral, or credit history for global citizens, PLUS international student scholarships & career coaching! Fully online application, 96% customer...

Read more

Testimonials

Quotation mark.

Studyusa.com has given me a lot of useful resources that helped me find the best college for me. I learned about the United States' educative system and how I could benefit from going to a community college first then transfer later.

Glodi Kayembe Congo

Through StudyUSA I was able to chat with several different schools and I was able to choose which one suits me academically, financially and application procedures. Thank you StudyUSA!

Sharifa Nakibuuka Uganda

Study in USA helped me to figure out how I could to achieve my educational goals, where do I need to start and which educational institutions suit me best. It was very helpful information and support.

Kamila Bizhanova Kazakhstan

Resources

Learn about American culture and education direct from our experts at Study in the USA. Read more

Achieving Your Goal
Admissions and Placement Testing
Beyond the Basics
Education System in the USA
Financing Your U.S. Education
Frequently Asked Questions
Life in the USA
Resources
Student Experiences
For students age 10-18
Study in Canada
Podcasts
Magazines
Videos
Student Voices

Subscribe to get the latest from Study in the USA

You can unsubscribe at any time.


StudyUSA
Explore

  • School Search
  • Resources
  •   Articles
  •   Student Voices
  •   Videos
  •   Magazines
  • Partner Services
  •   Accommodation
  •   Career
  •   Financial
  •   Other
  •   Support
  •   Testing
  • Apply
  • Chat
Information

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Course Index
  • Article Index
  • Create account
  • Sign in
  • For Educators & Institutions
Match Me
  • English
    العربيـة English Español Français Bahasa Indonesia 日本語 한국어 Português Русский ภาษาไทย Türkçe Tiếng Việt 简体中文 繁體中文

  • Privacy & Policy
  • /
  • Terms

Study in the USA logo

© 2022 Study in the USA. All Rights Reserved.

Global Study logo
A member of the Global Study network

When you visit or interact with our sites, services or tools, we or our authorised service providers may use cookies for storing information to help provide you with a better, faster and safer experience and for marketing purposes.