Almost every applicant applying for prestigious colleges carries a remarkable GPA. So how do applicants that get through the admission process manage to stand out and impress the admission committee?
The answer to this recurring question is a great profile. Profile building is an art that showcases the candidate’s skills and brings out his/her personality. Successful candidates start building their profiles well in advance with a clear direction and a focused approach.
This is the WritersQi Profile Building series- Part 1. In this 2-part series, we’ll cover all the important aspects of profile building for admissions into the Ivy League and beyond:
1. Start early
While it’s important to showcase an enviable profile with sought-after skills, one must have a meaningful, wholesome profile and not something formulated only for the sake of admissions. Profile building should start from class 9th onwards so that you have enough time to nurture your skills and demonstrate them properly.
2. Identify the qualities that make you unique
Every applicant has a unique selling point. To make your application stand out, you need to begin by figuring out the outstanding qualities in you. Start by listing down your strengths. Narrow them down to the qualities that are valued by the admission committee like leadership, persistence, focus and community service.
3. Demonstrate your aptitude
Making decisions as a part of the admission committee is not an easy task. Every application looks the same. But only the ones that bring out 21st century skills like leadership and collaboration are given proper consideration. Identify your natural leadership instinct, in sports, arts, theater, social work etc. Start working early to incorporate and demonstrate qualities of a leader like enrolling in theater clubs, taking community service initiatives etc. Manage your club’s social media page or start making YouTube Videos to showcase your community’s colors.
4. Create a powerful resume
Your resume is a window to your complete profile. An ideal resume should make the reader curious to read more about you. At the same time, if the resume is carelessly made, missed out on relevant headers like work experience (if any), academic achievements, extra-curriculars, certifications etc. you might make the committee lose interest in your profile right from the word go. Also don’t forget to proofread your resume thoroughly. Petty errors can put off anyone.
5. Work on a high-precision SoP
A successful candidate is not a jack-of-all-trades; he is the master of his domain. The admission committee values students who demonstrate focus and passion in an area of interest. That’s where the SoP comes into play. A well-written SoP is engaging and to-the-point. It brings out the hard work and persistence of the candidate. An ideal SoP consists of a brief introduction, academic achievements, future goals, reasons to pursue the program applied for and finally, solid statements backing your decision to choose the college you are trying to get admission into.
The last point about choosing the program and college is critical. You need to perform in-depth research on the program, faculty and the college. If done right, your SoP can help you win half the battle with ease. Try consulting an SoP expert or counselor who is well-versed with the different types of SoPs preferred by colleges.
6. Build and bring out a well-rounded personality
Finally, it’s important to understand what do the universities value in students. They want complete, well-rounded personalities and value students with a vision. They care for 21st century skills like leadership, collaboration, persistence, resilience etc. Identify these skills inbuilt in you. But if you are not born with these in-demand virtues, try to develop and create opportunities to demonstrate them.
This is just part-1 of the WritersQi Profile Building series. There are many more important points to consider while taking the first step towards your AP. It’s advisable to consult a higher education agency that has a proven record of helping students make a mark.
Team WritersQi has been working with students aspiring to get admission into leading undergrad schools across the world. We understand schools. We understand students. And we understand the best way to help students make an unmissable impression on admission committee. Get in touch with us to put a confident step forward with a perfectly built, well-researched profile. All the best!