Teen with long brown hair in blue button-up shirt recording phone video on couch

Why It's Smart to Include a Video With Your College Applications

Video applications are a growing trend in college admission. Consider this smart and creative medium for a better chance to get into your dream school!

While written applications are still the norm in college admission, many schools are open to supplemental videos or essays. Videos are an engaging visual medium and a powerful way to stand out from other applicants to get into your school of choice. If you see the option to include a video submission, you should seize the opportunity. Here are some compelling reasons why it’s smart to use video in your college applications and how to do it well.

You’ll make a personal connection

There's something to be said for physically seeing another person, even in a pre-recorded video. Being able to see you rather than just reading text will spark a human connection with admission officers. Online disinhibition is a perfect example of the psychology behind this; people often feel more comfortable and safer being rude or sharing things online than they would in person. This is caused by anonymity and a lack of nonverbal cues. While your application essay may strike interest or an emotional connection, it will be more powerful if delivered personally via video.

It’s ideal for strong speakers

Some students are excellent at writing compelling stories with great structure, proper grammar, and a natural flow of thoughts from intro to conclusion. However, many struggle with putting thoughts on paper but excel at verbally telling engrossing stories with emotion, inflection, and tone. If you're better at orating your thoughts and telling interesting stories, video applications are for you. Play to your strengths to increase your chances of admission.

It increases attention and engagement

The college application review process is taxing with a lot of text and reading. Staying attentive can be challenging for admission committees after a certain point—you could be at the end of the pile when an admission rep is burnt out on reviewing. Video content breaks up the monotony and uses audio and visual stimulation to capture the viewer's attention and interest. As application videos aren't yet the norm and still offer novelty, this is a smart and unique way to stand out with your application.

Related: What Do Admission Counselors Look for in College Applications?

Best practices for creating an application video

Creating an application video that resonates with admission officers requires a lot of planning, care, and quality. Consider these best practices when making your application video.

Cater to the college

Craft your videos to appeal to the guidelines and culture of the college. Some institutions will prefer a more formal, interview-style approach, while others will like to see your creativity. For instance, a prospective Art student could create a reverse video showcasing a finished piece becoming a blank page with a voiceover highlighting the opportunity to start fresh and explore their potential. A student with aspirations in Business, Marketing, and Advertising could create a commercial selling themselves as the product. But it's essential to follow directions. If you're applying to a prestigious program, stick to the basics. Also remember to answer all questions asked on the application.

Choose the right surroundings

Film your video against a neutral background with even lighting so it’s visually pleasing but not distracting. The focus should be on you. Set up in a quiet space with minimal background noise and distractions so you can focus on what you’re saying. If you're recording outdoors or moving around, consider using a Bluetooth mic for better audio quality.

Write a script

Outline what you want to say and practice it in the mirror multiple times before recording. The goal isn't to read a script exactly, as that will come off as inauthentic, but to feel confident and organized as you speak. Ultimately, you should watch your video back and feel as though you said everything you needed to say while appearing genuine and passionate about the school you’re applying to.

Related: How to Make a College Application Video That Will Impress

Unless a college explicitly states they require a written essay or don't accept video submissions, it's worth considering this creative medium. You’ll stand out from the rest of the paper applications and showcase yourself fully as a great student and asset to the school. Follow the college guidelines and present your best self to succeed.

Want more college application guidance? Check out our entire collection of college application articles and blogs!

Like what you’re reading?

Join the CollegeXpress community! Create a free account and we’ll notify you about new articles, scholarship deadlines, and more.

Join Now

Tags:

Join our community of
over 5 million students!

CollegeXpress has everything you need to simplify your college search, get connected to schools, and find your perfect fit.

Join CollegeXpress

College Quick Connect

Swipe right to request information.
Swipe left if you're not interested.

SUNY Morrisville

Morrisville, NY


Carlie Cadet

Carlie Cadet

High School Class of 2019

CollegeXpress has helped me learn about an abundance of scholarships available to me and my situation. I was able to do research for colleges in my best interest with your website. I've had multiple colleges email me and offer me multiple scholarships and things of that nature because of this website! Thank you so much for uploading scholarships I didn’t even know existed, even if my life took a huge turn and I wasn’t able to go to college straight out of high school. CollegeXpress helped me a lot in high school to be even more motivated to get into my dream college (which I did, by the way). I'm looking forward to using the materials CollegeXpress has kindly provided me for free to look for scholarships to help pay for college.

Jessica Rinker

Jessica Rinker

Student, Fairhaven High School; CollegeXpress Student Writer

My high school counselor introduced me to CollegeXpress freshman year. It has made such a difference in high school, and I plan to continue relying on it in college. CollegeXpress is my go-to because it addresses each aspect of being a student. There are the articles you’d expect regarding college applications and financial aid, but you will also find advice on things like de-stressing and maintaining relationships while balancing a heavy course load. CollegeXpress will also keep you updated on current scholarships through e-mails each Saturday. (They don’t harass you with any product promotion like so many other sites do.) CollegeXpress is a lot like an older sibling who has already conquered the challenges you are facing. Now, they are reaching out a helpful hand. I say take it.

Ida Akoto-Wiafe

Ida Akoto-Wiafe

High School Class of 2022

I wanted a school that wasn't too far away from home and could provide me with a full-ride scholarship. CollegeXpress helped me put into perspective the money I had to pay to attend those schools, which ultimately drove me to choose to attend a community college first to get used to being in college before transferring to the University of Michigan–Ann Arbor, one of the colleges I was able to research further on CollegeXpress.

Farrah Macci

Farrah Macci

High School Class of 2016

CollegeXpress has helped me in many ways. For one, online searches are more organized and refined by filtering scholarships through by my personal and academic interests. Due to this, it has made searching for colleges and scholarships significantly less stressful. As a student, life can already get stressful pretty quickly. For me, it’s been helpful to utilize CollegeXpress since it keeps all of my searches and likes together, so I don’t have to branch out on multiple websites just to explore scholarship options.

Brooke Maggio

Brooke Maggio

High School Class of 2021

CollegeXpress has helped me tremendously in my college search in narrowing down the schools I’m interested in. Using the college search tool, I was able to narrow down my choices to schools that matched what I was looking for. I also used CollegeXpress for their scholarship search, which helped me find scholarships that I meet the requirements of.