Here’s What Colleges Want, Now That They Don’t Want Your Test Scores.

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A top Ivy League school recently announced that it was permanently dropping its SAT/ACT testing requirement, a high-profile move that will likely prompt still more colleges to shift away from quantitative metrics in favor of more subjective aspects of an application. Colleges are heralding this as an overdue transition to a more purposeful and holistic review process, one that will have them looking more closely at applicants’ intangible strengths. While the implications of this change are not yet fully known, one thing is clear. The void created by the absence of SAT/ACT scores is going to need to be filled, making the creative writing aspects of the application more important than ever.

The essay is already the most dreaded aspect of the college application, and now there’s pressure to make it a masterpiece. Parents and students who are about to be in the midst of this struggle, will be pleased to hear that a local firm is well positioned to help with the elevated standard of writing that will be required. Apply:you, headquartered in Greenwich, CT offers an innovative approach that not only helps students create highly engaging and effective essays, it also promises to make the process an enjoyable one.

What’s their secret? According to Apply:you’s founder, Peter Hubbell, “It’s about approaching the essay, not as a writing exercise, but as an opportunity to tell an interesting and memorable story.”

But why a story? When you ask Ivy League admissions counselors what they’re looking for in an essay, they universally say “the best essay is one that helps us understand you — one that describes you so effectively that we have a clear image of who you are, almost as if we were in the same room together,” Hubbell said. “Tell us something interesting about you that’s so irresistible that we’ll want to meet and become friends.”

And while colleges prefer stories, stories are also easier to write. “Regardless of your writing ability, everyone knows how to tell an interesting story. Stories have been an important part of human interactions since the beginning of time, so almost everyone has interesting stories about themselves that can become the basis for a memorable essay. As soon as we tell applicants they’re going to tell a story instead of writing an essay, all of the creative stress and the writer’s block melts away. When you’re writing about a first-hand experience, you have an inherent command of the subject, and your comfort with it breeds confidence and creativity. It’s a complete game-changer,” Hubbell explained.

Hubbell knows a thing or two about stories since he spent a career on Madison Avenue creating many well-known ad campaigns. When he ran the global General Mills food account, he was responsible for memorable, story-based campaigns for Trix, Lucky Charms, Cocoa Puffs, and the Honey Nut Cheerios bee. These longstanding campaigns are powered by memorable characters, conflict, and drama, all of which are key elements of engaging storytelling.

When discussing the relevance of the ad business to college applications, Hubbell said while ad agencies create ads, what they really excel at is the art of creating preference or the ability to influence people to prefer one brand over another. After years of doing this deftly for his clients’ products and services, Hubbell came up with the idea to extend this expertise to people, particularly when they’re candidates for a position and competing with others.

Apply:you was founded in 2020 to help college graduates market their way to their first real job in a demanding, post-pandemic marketplace. More recently, their focus has expanded to include college applicants, which has quickly become the fastest-growing segment of the business. While that opportunity wasn’t obvious at first, Hubbell said it’s not surprising. The essay is already the single most important aspect of the college application, but with almost 75 percent of schools having shifted away from requiring standardized entrance tests, the admissions landscape is changing and the essay will have to change with it. Absent test scores, applicants will need to take full advantage of every piece of real estate on the application to favorably impress the admissions committee.

The Apply:you four-step program is conducted virtually with a dedicated instructor. At the heart of the program is a proprietary self-discovery exercise that helps applicants discover their “you,” or the unique skills and strengths that define them and form the basis of their personal story. After brainstorming ideas, concepts, and themes, the program teaches applicants how stories work using proven frameworks to ensure the elements work together to create drama and interest. The applicant is then off and writing.

While the earliest of applications are not due until November 1st, many high schools ask rising seniors to complete their essay during the summer. According to Hubbell, “the most motivated applicants are actually starting to write their stories now while they’re still in academic mode. They want it behind them so they can focus on that last summer experience or internship to accent their application.”

Learn more by signing up for a free 1:1 consultation or attend a webinar. If you have questions, you can visit applyyou.com or email info@applyyou.com.

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