The application and admissions processes for highly competitive online degree programs can be nerve-wracking.
Certain online programs at the undergraduate or graduate level may require transcripts and test scores. Throughout the process, applicants must manage multiple deadlines alongside their jobs, personal lives and the fear of rejection, making for a possibly overwhelming experience.
And then there’s the game some applicants play, trying to imagine what admissions committees are really looking for and then attempting to position their application by saying just the right thing, in just the right way. But there are no magic words or secret phrases to gain admission.
[Discover how admissions works at online bachelor’s degree programs.]
I recently spoke with Susan Wharton Conkling, a professor of music and music education at Boston University. Every year, she sifts through hundreds of competitive applicants to the university’s online graduate degree programs. I asked her what advice she had for applicants to highly selective online programs, and she shared the following information.
1. Write beautifully: This cannot be overemphasized. The ability of applicants to express themselves clearly and succinctly is paramount and in some cases can overshadow standardized test scores, past GPAs and letters of recommendation.
Because online learning relies so much on written expression, students who offer crisply written arguments in their writing samples will rise to the top.
2. Have a point of view: Online degree applications often include writing prompts, which may be on controversial topics. Because many online program admissions committees don’t interview candidates, the ability to articulate and cite research to defend a differing or unusual viewpoint shows the committee exactly what it hopes to see — and will be a needed skill while completing an online degree.
Conkling recommends Anthony Weston’s ” A Rulebook for Arguments” as a reference.
3. Own your past: When applying to selective online programs, applicants may try to hide the fact that their past GPAs or scores on exams like the TOEFL, GRE, SAT or ACT may be lower than the typical acceptance range. Rather than hoping these academic blemishes go unnoticed, a strategically placed sentence or two that acknowledges past academic indiscretions and shows newfound academic maturity can be helpful.
Writing about your readiness to be an online student due to work, life or military experiences will help a committee see you as a more viable applicant.
4. Tell your truth: Conkling recommends incorporating a personal narrative as a technique to help illuminate your points. It shouldn’t be fluffy, inauthentic or too lengthy as admission committees can see through phoniness.
For example, a writing prompt asking about multiculturalism in education may include a few sentences about growing up in a large city or living in a foreign country and how that affected an applicant’s worldviews.
[Explore five tips to improve writing for online courses.]
If the admissions process doesn’t require an interview, this may be the committee’s only opportunity to get to know more about you and your ability to articulate your personal experiences as they relate to intellectual topics.
5. Be professional: Aside from the formal writing included as part of the application, online students will likely interact with admissions staff or faculty by phone, videoconferencing or email. Keep interactions formal and professional.
It’s an easy trap to be inappropriately casual from a distance. Faculty and staff will make note of this, and it could have an impact on your application.
The takeaway: Crafting an application to a highly selective online degree program requires a tremendous amount of time, research and meticulousness. Even if the online program isn’t highly selective, favorably presenting yourself from afar is a transferable and necessary career skill that can serve you well.
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Boost Your Application to a Selective Online Degree Program originally appeared on usnews.com
