Elevate Your College Application: The Ultimate Guide to Common App Video Submissions

Written by Brandon, Brown University 

Creating a compelling video for your Common Application can significantly enhance your college application, especially for Ivy League schools and other prestigious institutions. This guide will walk you through the steps to produce an engaging and authentic video that complements your application, while also providing insights into what admission officers are looking for.

 1. Understanding the Purpose of Your Video

The video serves as a personal introduction that allows admission officers to gain insight into who you are beyond your grades and test scores. It offers a unique opportunity to showcase your personality, interests, and aspirations. Many Ivy League colleges, like Harvard and Brown, encourage applicants to express themselves creatively through this medium. 

Including a video in your college application, while optional, is valuable as colleges adopt a holistic admissions process that considers various aspects of an applicant's profile. A well-crafted video allows you to showcase your authentic self, which can resonate more deeply with admission officers than traditional written essays. In a competitive landscape, presenting a compelling video can help you stand out among other applicants, providing a unique opportunity to highlight your personality and individual story.

2. Scripting for Success

Choosing the Right Topic

Before you start filming, decide on the topic of your video. Consider addressing:

• Why you want to attend the specific school: What draws you to that institution?

• What you will contribute: How will you add value to the campus community?

• Your future plans: What do you hope to achieve during your time at college?

Creating an Outline

Draft an outline that includes key points you want to cover. This helps keep your message focused and ensures you stay within any time limits set by the school.

1. Introduction: State your name and high school.

2. Main Content: Discuss your interests, goals, and what makes you unique.

3. Conclusion: Wrap up with a strong closing statement about why you're excited about the opportunity.

Remember: You’re not Steven Spielberg

When creating your Common Application video, it’s essential to avoid the temptation to emulate renowned filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, Michael Bay, or Christopher Nolan. You’re filming an introduction video, not making the next Oppenheimer. While their cinematic styles are impressive, admissions officers are looking for authenticity and sincerity rather than avant-garde storytelling or complex metaphors that may confuse viewers. Instead of trying to craft an elaborate narrative filled with symbols and dialogue, focus on presenting a clear and honest reflection of who you are. Keep your message non-offensive, accessible and straightforward, ensuring that your personality shines through. Avoid disparaging any particular communities or individuals in your video. Remember, the goal is to connect with the admissions committee on a personal level, so embrace your unique voice and experiences in a way that feels genuine and relatable.

Here are some fun ideas that might inspire your own script! 

1. My Creative Process: From Idea to Art

This script focuses on an aspiring artist who shares their creative journey through visual storytelling. The applicant sets up their camera in their art studio and introduces themselves while surrounded by their artwork. They explain their inspiration behind a specific piece they are working on, detailing their artistic process from conception to completion. The video includes time-lapse footage of them painting or sculpting interspersed with personal anecdotes about how art has influenced their life choices and aspirations for attending art school.

2. Why I Love My Community

In this heartfelt video, an applicant showcases their hometown by taking viewers on a tour of significant locations—like local parks, community centers, and favorite coffee shops—while sharing stories about their involvement in community service projects. They highlight how these experiences have fostered a sense of belonging and inspired them to pursue social work or community development studies at college. The script emphasizes the importance of community engagement and how they plan to contribute positively to campus life.

3. A Conversation with My Future Self

This innovative script features the applicant engaging in a dialogue with an imagined future version of themselves five years after college graduation. They ask questions about their experiences at university, what they learned from challenges faced along the way, and how they’ve grown as an individual. The future self responds with insights about pursuing passions and making meaningful contributions to society through their chosen career path—be it medicine, engineering, or education—creating an engaging narrative that reflects ambition and introspection.

4. Cooking Up Dreams: My Culinary Journey

In this lighthearted yet meaningful video, an applicant shares their love for cooking by preparing one of their favorite family recipes while narrating stories about family traditions around food. As they chop vegetables and stir sauces, they discuss how cooking has taught them valuable life skills such as patience and creativity—qualities they hope to bring to their college experience at New York University’s culinary program or similar institutions. The script concludes with them inviting viewers to join them for dinner as they express excitement about sharing meals with new friends in college.

3. Lights, Camera, Action! Tips for filming Your video

Setting Up Your Space

Choose a clean, quiet background with good lighting. Natural light is ideal, so consider filming near a window during the day. Ensure there are no distractions in your environment.

Equipment

You don’t need professional equipment; a smartphone or laptop camera works fine. Just make sure the audio is clear and free from background noise.

Dress Appropriately

Dress as if you were attending an in-person interview. Aim for business casual attire that reflects your personality but remains professional.

Recording Tips

• Look directly at the camera.

• Speak clearly and at a moderate pace.

• Use natural body language; it makes you appear more approachable.

• Don’t read from a script; instead, use your outline as a guide.

Editing Your Video

Once you've recorded your video, it's time to edit it for clarity and coherence.

Use user-friendly editing software like iMovie or Lightworks to refine your video. Focus on cutting unnecessary parts, including images or sound clips that enhance your narrative, and ensuring both audio and visual elements are clear. Make sure you save drafts at regular intervals too, just in case your software platform crashes! 

4. Submitting Your Video

Follow the guidelines

It’s critical to follow submission guidelines.

Each school may have specific requirements for video submissions:

• Check length restrictions (typically 1-2 minutes).

• Ensure the format is compatible with their submission portal.

Uploading Your Video

You can upload your video to platforms like YouTube or Vimeo and share the link in your Common Application. Make sure to test the link before submitting it to ensure it works properly.

In summary…

Creating a video for your Common Application is an excellent opportunity to showcase who you are beyond numbers and grades. By following these guidelines—choosing the right topic, preparing effectively, filming thoughtfully, and editing carefully—you can create an engaging video that complements your application beautifully. Remember, authenticity is key; let your unique voice shine through as you share what makes you excited about joining the college community of your choice!