College application gimmicks are great for one thing—stories. Sending a box of cookies to the admissions office wrapped in a ribbon that matches the school colors is a gimmick. It won’t help you get in, but it’s exactly the kind of story that gets passed from one application generation to another. Just because the story survives doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.
College application gimmicks don’t work. The admissions officers may gladly eat your cookies, but it’s not going to sway their admissions vote. Neither will sending in a CD of you singing the school fight song, sending along a list of “Top Ten Reasons to Admit Me,” camping out in front of the admissions office with a sign that says, “Will work for admission.”
What does work?
- Genuine interest in the school…
- Following directions on the application…
- Reading the website carefully before you call and ask a question…
- Saying “Thank you” after you call…
- Thoughtful applications and essays…
- A good conversation with your interviewer…
- Finding the right schools and applying because there’s a real fit…
Nobody ever got admitted to their dream school because of a gimmick. And if you know a student who tried a gimmick and was accepted, remember that it’s likely he or she was accepted in spite of the gimmick, not because of it.
Side note: It’s not gimmicky if a college invites you to do it, as Tufts did when this mechanical engineering (“ME”) hopeful submitted a YouTube video as part of his application (Jumbo the elephant is Tufts' beloved mascot).