SlideRoomBlog

The NY Times has just written a feature article on Tufts University’s use of YouTube for general admissions. This article is particularly interesting because it reflects a growing trend of multi-media being used to assess merit in ALL fields, not just art. The article also wisely addresses some common concerns about the use of video. Here are some excepts:

Lee Coffin, the dean of undergraduate admissions, said the idea came to him last spring, when watching a YouTube video someone had sent him. “I thought, ‘If this kid applied to Tufts, I’d admit him in a minute, without anything else,’ ” Mr. Coffin said.

For a number of colleges, this is the year of the video, what with Yale’s 16-minute YouTube offering, “That’s Why I Chose Yale,” a spoof of “High School Musical,” and “Reading Season,” a musical by admissions counselors at the University of Delaware.

Even without prompting, admissions officials say, a growing number of students submit videos. Maria Laskaris, the dean of admissions at Dartmouth, noticed the trend last year, and said this year had brought even more videos.

The complete article also addresses issues about privacy and the admissions process in general. Tufts seems to like the openness of YouTube currently. At SlideRoom, we believe schools will ultimately want to have videos integrated with the rest of the admissions package (and this does not preclude a YouTube presence). Even though video will almost always be considered optional, it will become increasingly commonplace.

Many of the comments in the NY Times piece are negative, knocking the content of videos. However, I think these people are missing the point, which is the potential of video. While not many standards exist currently, the point is that video has the ability to convey “ability” very effectively. The challenge becomes how to ask for content that demonstrates skill, rather than just “look at me.”