How to Create a Successful College Strategy: Application Positioning
Too often, students apply to college without a strategy or any thought to what space—position—they will fill at that college. Recently, I published an article, “The Perfect Position to Get into Top Colleges”, as a guide to finding your “position” and college application strategy.
Any selective college must make decisions regarding who to accept and who to deny. They do this by considering what position a student will fill on their campus, such as enrollment in an academic major, spot on a sports team, participation in a club or program, perspective regarding a given background or experience, or possession of a unique interest or talent. These spots (and many others) are broadly referred to as a college’s diversity, as colleges desire well-rounded classes.
To be successful in the process, a student must consider their Application Positioning—their unique talent, skill, interest, or experience that they will contribute to the college. Then, they should develop a strategy around their Positioning that tells a compelling, captivating story throughout their applications.
One’s Positioning is primarily conveyed in their main college essays, through a creative story that both answers the college essay prompt and alludes to important details regarding the student’s academic and personal development.
Identification of one’s Positioning is not easy. It is an art I developed for The Ivy Dean with many years of college admissions experience, including my time at Harvard and Columbia.
However, my recent article lists important questions and steps that can help you self-identify a strong college strategy!