The process of getting ready to apply to colleges can be a challenging process. In order to stay competitive, you must have a strong personal profile that is unique to you as a student. Here are 5 ways to help build your personal brand to help leverage your application for your dream school.
1. Diversify Your Profile
Universities have to go through thousands of applications for enrollment every year, so you want to do everything you can to make yours stand out from the crowd. Your profile should include an impressive course of study, extra curricular activities, academic achievements, community service, and work experience (if applicable). It is extremely important to have a strong narrative of how the student’s extra curricular activities cultivate the student’s college and career passion. The true impact of diversity comes from the insights gained from the experience that nurtures inspirations related to their college goals.
If you want to go above and beyond, there are many online courses, like Coursera or Udemy that offer courses in many different areas of study. This shows the schools that you have a well-rounded personality, which is what schools typically look for in their students.
2. Academic Performance
The first round of screening in the college admissions process is based on the GPA, which means that successful academic performance is the top priority. You can do this by maintaining a rigorous course of study and academic track-college major alignment. The academic track means the course selection during a student’s high school career. For example, if the student wants to be a biology major, they would need to ensure all of the high school required science courses are scheduled and be able to plan ahead in case of unforeseen circumstances. Optimization to balance vigor and successful results is essential to a strong academic profile.
3. Connect With University Alumni
This is especially helpful for those students who already have their sights set on a specific university of their choice. By connecting with the alumni at their dream school, students will gain first hand insights from individuals who have attended that institution. You can do this by searching up the school on Linkedin. From there you can see a list of alumni and where they are currently working.
Another way to university alumni is by looking at specific networks within each school where students can find alumni who may be more likely to reciprocate when students reach out. Most of the time the alumni are grouped by majors, which makes it easier to navigate and talk to individuals who already went through the program.
A simple email introducing yourself with a few questions would be a good place to start. Here is an example prompt:
“Hi Sarah! I noticed you are an alumnus of Stanford University, which is my dream school. I am applying for admission and wanted to get some valuable insights from you. I am interested in applying as a Biology major. Let me know if you have time to chat about your admissions and experience at Stanford. Thank you!”
Signing up for college tours and subscribing to the school’s newsletter are some other ways to demonstrate self motivation and interest.
4. Work on Your Resume
Having a resume that strongly reflects your skills and abilities is important. If you do not have one yet, now is the time to get started. You want to keep things brief, relevant, and no more than one page long. This is a reflection of you as an individual that you can keep building on as you gain more experience. Some sections to include are education, skills, experience, and personal qualities. Do not forget to proofread to ensure there are no spelling or grammar mistakes, as this can be seen as unprofessional. You can even get family or friends to help you read it over and provide suggestions because it is always nice to have a second opinion.
5. Social Media Presence
With the ever-changing technological advancements, social media has become so prevalent in our everyday lives. As someone who is applying for college admissions, you need to be mindful about what you post on your accounts because schools will be screening all candidates online. In addition to being careful about what you post, you need to keep in mind the information you are sharing including any misinformation, hateful messages or spam content, and so forth. A lot of social media platforms now have a function where you can share jokes or humor with a list of close friends, instead of having it public.
If you have any questions about your student’s personal profile, course planning, or help with college essays, please reach out to us at office@legendcp.com or give us a call at 408.865.0366. You can also set up a consultation to speak with one of our admissions counselors here!