Most of you have probably heard of ZeeMee by now if you haven’t already made a profile and answered 20 questions. For those who haven’t run into this on a college application yet, ZeeMee is a relatively new smartphone app that lets you upload videos, pictures, and documents to supplement your college applications (there’s usually a spot on your application to provide your profile link to admission counselors). Additionally, you can connect with other students (including those who attend your college of interest and other admitted students) and interact with them the same way you would with other forms of social media. It’s almost like your LinkedIn professional image mixed with your creative, intriguing Instagram/Snapchat side.
According to U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review, admission counselors are apt to look at students’ social media. A student’s social media presence can affect their chances of acceptance positively or negatively. On the positive side of things, students will often comment on or live tweet about things they do, share articles they’ve published, share photos from events they attend, or request help in volunteer opportunities. There’s usually no place for these things on college applications, or some students don’t think to list them, but they’re no less a statement of a student’s character and accomplishments.
What ZeeMee does is bridge the gap between college admission and modern technology. By allowing students to make videos and post pictures, it gives them a chance to express themselves in a setting more natural to them than a formal college application. It also allows students to express other supplemental information that there’s no room for on the application by answering questions in 26-second clips.
According to Voice of America (VOA), the app is especially beneficial to international students, as they’re typically unable to appear for admission interviews when they apply to colleges abroad. Many colleges don’t even require interviews anymore, but this new app allows students to exhibit the same personality and uniqueness that’s afforded to students when they do interview.
It’s no secret that students spend most of their time interacting with social media these days. Adversely, much of the college application process ignores that side of students in a world that is increasingly online. By bridging this gap, ZeeMee allows students who may not excel with essays or tests a chance to show schools why they’re a good fit. Additionally, the app includes an interface for students to contact admission counselors, so they can easily ask questions and get answers without hunting on a school’s website to find their regional counselor. Also, partnered schools have the option to include platforms for admitted students to interact with each other, giving future students a chance to connect with each other and find potential roommates (and friends!) before they even set foot on campus.
According to their website, ZeeMee currently partners with over 200 colleges and over 17,000 high schools. According to Forbes, colleges partnering with the company have quickly grown from the 2015–2016 (12 colleges) to 2017–2018 (250+ colleges) admission cycles, with anticipated growth in the coming years. So, if you haven’t checked out ZeeMee yet, you might want to take a look. (Bonus: it’s absolutely free for students!)
Learn more about college applications in our College Admission section.
