Admissions officers at leading universities sift through soaring piles of applications during each cycle and often spend only a few minutes evaluating each applicant before rendering a quick judgment. In order to stand out against the competition and to capture the attention of admissions officers, you must carefully craft a unique personal brand. Personal branding is not a long summary of all your achievements and accomplishments, but rather, a selective showcase of your traits and qualities that would garner the interest of your target audience–admissions officers at your dream schools. Powerful brands like Apple, Nike and Coca Cola are successful in part because they epitomize and represent certain desirable characteristics that consumers covet.
When it comes to college admissions, the consumers are the admissions officers who decide which students are granted permission to enter the hallowed halls of their university. Like all consumers, these officers are attracted to things that embody traits and qualities that are aligned with their taste and preferences. Now that the value of personal branding is abundantly clear, how do you go about devising a personal brand that is both authentic and compelling?
Here is a simple three-step process to guide you on your journey of effective personal branding:
Step 1: Assess
Carefully reflect on the following questions:
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- How do you enhance your strengths and mitigate your weaknesses?
- What universities are you drawn to and why?
- What are the universal and specific qualities that the admissions officers at these universities seeking?
Step 2: Achieve
- Look for opportunities (i.e. tournaments, competitions, summer programs, etc.) that will enable you to demonstrate your strengths.
- Search for resources (i.e. tutoring, coaching, remedial programs, etc.) that will allow you to work on improving your weaknesses.
- Keep detailed records of all your achievements and failures.
Step 3: Communicate
- Determine the key achievements, qualities and other personal traits you would like to convey to the admissions officers
- In your application essays, interview and recommendation letters, communicate your brand by using compelling personal anecdotes to showcase your personal traits and accomplishments.
Final Tips on Personal Branding:
- Start Early: By starting early, you will have more time to build up achievements and accomplishments that will make your personal brand authentic and tangible.
- Seek Outside Perspective: Speak with your family, friends, teachers and mentors to gain a better perspective on your strengths and weaknesses.
- Revise and Proofread: Since your personal brand is primarily conveyed through your writing, you must ensure that your final draft is lucid, coherent and impactful.
By following the three-step program outlined above, you will be able to create a distinctive personal brand that will enable you to seize the interest of admissions officers and maximize your chances of getting admitted to your dream school.
