Huffington Post
In 2001, an enterprising high school student sent an application to UC Santa Cruz. Her personal essay consisted of a drawn flower whose petals formed the word, “creativity.” The center of the flower formed the phrase, “The Courage to Try.” […] Whether students are nerdy, or stylish, poised, or awkward, what really matters in the end is if the individual will thrive at a given institution. The New York Times’ Jane Karr gives a terrific example of this phenomenon in her discussion of New College of Florida applicant Joseph Whitesman. Whitesman sings off key and is entirely silly in his video — yet the Chairwoman of Admissions, “loved that he wanted to serenade” her team. In other words, a good video submission reflects the individual applicant’s strengths as they apply to a college’s needs. If the applicant can win “American Idol” or if he should stick to singing in the shower is truly irrelevant.