The Background
Once upon a time, college and university was meant only for the most elite that society had to offer. This typically meant wealth, but that wealth meant a person likely had the best opportunity to learn from people who:
A. knew their stuff and
B. cared enough about how that stuff got to students.
Fast forward to a post World War 2 America and more people than ever are able to go to college because of the GI Bill and pressure to gradually reintroduce the soldiers into the workforce.
By the 1980s, college was an experience many people had benefited from and the idea of sending their own children became critical. This is also during a time of rising incomes as well as sweeping changes to student loan structures, which meant more people than ever could afford (or borrow) to attend a college or university.
The Result:
Out of this moment came the notion that colleges were seeking applicants who were “well rounded.” This meant that students should try to do well if not excellent in all academic areas, of course, but they should also demonstrate how they contribute to a team through sports, a cause through charity work, a purpose through clubs, and on and on.
The game had changed. You weren’t just supposed to be good at school; now you were supposed to be a good person.
Showing that you didn’t just have one area of ability.
Showing that you had varied interests
Showing that you could handle a wider range of activities.
These were the strategies to getting into college.
And it worked.
At least for a while.
The Truth:
Today’s college landscape is, on one level, so competitive because more people than ever in the US are applying to and attending college. And almost everyone is trying some version of the “well-rounded” tactic.
So many, in fact, that to be well-rounded is table stakes: if you’re not at least well-rounded, you better be crushing it in one specific area (and even then…).
The most selective schools have become more interested in, well, interesting. When schools choose their applicants, they are now sculpting a student population. Yes, they want students who can do the work, but that’s so common, they also want students who are interesting, who are dynamic, who indicate they’ll make a splash on a campus.
The Way Forward:
When you’re applying to schools, you’ll want to show that you’re “well-rounded,” but it’s better to think about that as having a good foundation. With this foundation in place, you can then build out what makes you interesting.
- Ask yourself: What sets you apart from most people? What about yourself would make you a good college student, not just a good college applicant.
- Think about the audience: An admissions person reads dozens of applications every day. How can you make your application stand out in the pile? What are the most effective details that show, don’t tell?
- Look to the future: Never forget that colleges are thinking about who you will become as much as who you are now. How does your specific case point to what you’ll do with your life? How has your past given you both a good foundation and the beginning of expertise or passion?