The Increasing Importance of Video in Admissions

Video introductions and responses are increasingly important in the college admissions process.

A growing number of schools offer applicants the ability to create optional video content as a way to provide a more personal and informal view of themselves. Conversations with several of the schools using video content in admissions reveal that there is increasing evidence of the importance of video material... and that it is changing the admissions process and priorities at the schools that use it.

To understand why this is occurring one needs to look no further than a 2024 Education Week survey that mentioned 1/3 of college applicants were using AI to construct their college essays or to listen to Duke Universities reason for deemphasizing essays in their admissions process. In brief, Duke mentions essays as no longer being an accurate reflection of applicant writing ability due to the impact of AI and college consultants.

In an environment where technology and consulting services make it harder for colleges to feel like they truly ‘know’ applicants, short video content is a way universities can get a clearer picture of a student’s authentic self, ability to communicate and how they might fit on a college campus.

Importantly, Duke is not alone in providing a video option. Brown University has replaced alumni interviews with video introductions, Colby College offers a sixty second ‘elevator pitch’ where students highlight why they like the school and schools like Vanderbilt, WUSTL and Rice encourage applicants to produce optional InitialView ‘Glimpse’ videos. Taking a slightly different path, schools like Bowdoin, Swarthmore, and Wake Forest structure videos like interviews where applicants are emailed a specific question they must answer a few minutes before their video interview. USC’s Iovine and Youngs Academy requires video introductions as part of their application process while The University of Chicago, Claremont McKenna, Middlebury College, Boston University, Northwestern and Holy Cross are a few more of the growing list of schools interested in video content as an admissions tool.

The growing interest in video introductions and responses represent a new challenge in the college admissions process as students must increasingly be prepared to create short videos and use a medium most are unfamiliar with. As the University of Chicago and others ‘highly recommend’ the videos, the need to know how to create ‘good’ videos will grow.  Because of this, we thought it might make sense to highlight some of the basic concept’s students should consider while making videos.

1.Pick a good location and a background that isn’t distracting. Practice making eye contact with the camera eye of your laptop.

2.Understanding the time, cost and difficulty involved in producing videos with a professional feel we suggest students do the opposite and keep videos simple. Beyond simple production values, students should also keep their language simple and their presentation informal.

3.Practice and have a script.

4.Remember that good applications link together and that the same is true with video content. Use video to build out and explain a parts of the applicants resume and personality that might not be getting enough focus in the application and essay. Make sure that what is mentioned in the video largely incremental information but connected to the application and applicants narrative.

5.Speak slowly and clearly. Remember that body language matters and maintain an open stance.

In reality, videos can be tailored for preferred schools, and preparation can extend well beyond the five suggestions mentioned above. However, these are a good starting point. For those seeking additional guidance, we are available.