Standing out during admissions process

Mary Whitfill

Staff Writer

I recently begun looking at college applications, filling out internship information forms, ect and I realized that I am pathetically average. I get low A’s or high B’s in most of my classes, I am a member of two clubs, I am in one student sponsored  extracurricular activity, I played a sport but didn’t continue for the entirety of my high school career, and I volunteer in the community once every few months. Huh.

The thought that I am indeed ‘average’ hit me like a ton of bricks. Those who know me consider me the farthest thing from average, but on paper I am completely boring. I can’t tell an admissions office that I read The Catcher in the Rye in my spare time, and I can’t tell the editor of the local paper that I have and read copies of The New York Times from the 30s. Well, at least not until an interview and I can’t get an interview until I add a ‘wow factor’ to my applications and cover letters. How lame. 

I have decided that the basis on which we are judged for things like college, jobs and internships is completely ridiculous. Who has the ability to judge who we are based off of facts and the things only a piece of paper can hold? I understand that the fact checking is important and that certain criteria must be met in order to make sure someone is right for whatever position they are attempting to hold, but I hate that all of my accomplishments, that I thought were such a big deal, don’t even fill out two lines on a pages typed in Times New Roman 12pt font.

Everything worth having requires the meeting of some kind of criteria. You have to be dedicated enough to deserve it, competitive enough to go for it, and talented enough to achieve it. A piece of paper is just the basis of this information, but, it is all an admissions director has to determine if you meet that initial criteria. My recommendation? Spice it up. Not only make it better, but make it unique!