MORE THAN A UNIQUE COLLEGE JERSEY MADE OF DUCT TAPE
Unique College Essay Questions Yield Unexpected Results

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, July 19, 2005, Philadelphia, PA — There’s a profound national trend underfoot in college admissions. Reports David Morrison, president of TWENTYSOMETHING^™ Inc. and author of Marketing to the Campus Crowd, "A growing number of schools are moving away from boilerplate admissions essay questions for three distinct reasons. Customized questions can help administrators to more efficiently identify desirable candidates, prompt applicants to abandon their standard repertoire of recyclable essay responses, and reinforce a school’s particular branding personality." After reviewing hundreds of college applications and conferring with leading high school guidance counselors, TWENTYSOMETHING^™ Inc. has compiled a list of the most fascinating college application essay questions posed in 2005.

• University of Chicago: "Have you ever walked through the aisles of a warehouse store like Costco or Sam’s club and wondered who would buy a jar of mustard a foot and a half tall? We’ve bought it, but it didn’t stop us from wondering about other things, like absurd eating contests, impulse buys, excess, unimagined uses for mustard, storage, preservatives, notions of bigness… and dozens of other ideas both silly and serious. Write an essay somehow inspired by super-huge mustard." (The University of Chicago even goes so far as to call its application the "Uncommon Application".)

• Stanford: "Jot a note to your future roommate relating a personal experience that reveals something about you."

• Villanova: "Describe a person who has modeled for you the Villanova ideal of a ‘compassionate mind’."

• Duke: "Have you witnessed a person who is close to you doing something that you considered seriously wrong? Describe the circumstances, your thoughts, and how you chose to respond. If you discussed it with the person, was his/her justification valid? In retrospect, what, if anything, would you have done differently and why?"

• Johns Hopkins: "If you could plan a day’s adventure – starting from your home and spending only around $10 (or €8, ¥1,068, etc.) – where would you go, what would you do, and whom would you take with you?

In fact, the Johns Hopkins essay question encouraged students to respond in any medium they desired. "We’ve received written essays as well as short films, comic books, food, paintings, photo albums, even a Hopkins jersey made from duct tape," reports a school spokesperson. "The more creative the better!"

Bryn Mawr College deserves the award as well since this year’s applicants had the option to donate the entire application fee to the charity of their choice. This unique touch reinforces the school’s commitment to community enhancement while encouraging applicants to express the non-profits most important to them. This past year, a whopping 23% of Bryn Mawr applicants gave to charitable causes in lieu of paying the school’s application fee. "An attribute of a Bryn Mawr woman is her desire to make a meaningful contribution to the world," explains Nancy Collins, the school’s Director of Public Affairs, "Our motivation for the charitable-giving option was to make this Bryn Mawr characteristic tangible and to give students the opportunity to do good while applying to college."

GR8^™ Award was created by TWENTYSOMETHING^™ Inc. to recognize pioneers in young adult marketing. The GR8^™ Application Design Award specifically highlights innovative approaches to the college admissions process from both strategic as well as executional perspectives.