The core of college applications process is, obviously, the application itself. While keeping lines of communication open with admissions officers and maintaining strong performance in both the classroom and extracurriculars is certainly important, the application itself is the way in which prospective college applicants are able to summarize all of their achievements and accolades during their high school career and present it to colleges. In this way, the college application really is all about marketing and branding yourself to these institutions, so that you can showcase you best self to the admissions team. Here are some highlights to consider in marketing yourself effectively to colleges, so that you are demonstrating the best aspects of yourself, the elements of you that will provide value to a college for the next four years and beyond;

• Social Media; in this day and age, there are few parts of self-representation more important than your online entity. Social media accounts are often a way for people to put themselves out there and provide exposure, to show who they are to the world. As such, it is incredibly important to demonstrate through your social media platforms that you are the type of person that an admissions officer (or coach) would want at their school. When applying, make sure that your social media is the best representation of you. At LAC, we endorse the “Grandma Rule” for social media; in other words, if there is anything on your social media account that you wouldn’t want your grandma to see, it is probably best for it to not be published on a social platform.
• For athletes, keep in mind that you can utilize your social media accounts to demonstrate your athletic performances and achievements. This would include Hudl reels, training videos, and posts of accolades and honors you’ve received. Your social media is a living resume. Be sure to treat it as such.
• Highlighting Achievements; when applying to colleges, it is especially important to consider an intended major and accompanying curriculum path. Colleges will be all the more impressed by an applicant who is driven and, quite simply, knows the path in life they wish to pursue. Accordingly, use your application to highlight your high school achievements! Look at your application as a method of telling your story; where you’ve been, who you are, and where you want to go with the help of that college. Highlighting achievements, especially those that pertain to your desired career path and activities that you wish to pursue in college, is a great way of demonstrating what you can authentically provide to the fabric of a college’s community and ecosystem. Be proud to share what makes you tick. You’d be surprised to learn how that may connect with the representatives at a college.
• Know Your Audience; Just like any marketing campaign, you need to know your audience. Instead of just applying to a college, locate your admissions representative’s contact information online and reach out. Introduce yourself, make a connection, and communicate who you are and the person you want that college to help you become. Remember; this is one of the most important individuals at a college you are applying to. Forming a relationship with that person will be critical in making a name for yourself among the thousands of others who will also be applying. Think of it this way; if you and seven other students are on the fence, with similar GPAs, mirrored test scores, extracurriculars cut from the same cloth, you want to have the one thing that will push you into the positive. Students often forget that by creating a line of communication and relationship with the admissions office, they can create that separation.

There are many other parts of the whole college admissions process that are equally as important as these three tips above, yet following these steps and truly marketing yourself to colleges can and will go a long way towards boosting your application. Remember; you are your own secret weapon. Thousands of people apply to college every year. By differentiating yourself from the pack and demonstrating what you have achieved in your high school career, you can truly show admissions representatives that you are the type of person who can contribute to their school. 

Questions on the college application process? Need help with 'marketing and branding' yourself? Do not hesitate to contact us today!

On July 1st, 2021, a new era began in the world of college sports. With the new laws on college athletes profiting off of their NIL in many states coming into effect, the NCAA instituted an interim policy allowing college athletes nationwide to take advantage of this previously unthinkable opportunity. Sports media giants such as ESPN and Sports Illustrated ran articles about these changes. Various major college athletes filled social media with posts about new endorsement deals. Even Barstool Sports jumped into the fray and presented student athletes with the opportunity to become “Barstool Athletes.” All signs pointed to the game being changed.

And now? More than a month has passed since the beginning of this new era. We’re only weeks away from the start of the 2021 NCAA fall season. Yet, despite our own previous predictions that the NIL hype would increase with the dawn of the first athletic season under these new rules, the NIL has seemed to drift away from the public eye. With the exception of an occasional article about a major college athletic star signing a major endorsement deal, or the most recent signing of Florida State to ‘cash in on crypto’, the sports media has become awfully quiet about what was thought to be such a paradigmatic shift in the world of college athletics, and indeed, athletics in general.

This is not to say, of course, that there has been no major NIL news in the last month. On the contrary, many athletes continue to ink major NIL deals that would have been previously unthinkable. University of Miami quarterback D’Eriq King recently signed an endorsement deal with the NHL’s Florida Panthers. Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei announced a deal with Dr. Pepper, one of the NCAA’s biggest sponsors. And new Alabama quarterback Bryce Young is allegedly making almost $1 million in NIL deals, according to reports. All of this is major news of course. And yet, the general public has mainly avoided reporting on the implications beneath the surface of what these deals signify; that money talks in college sports, and now it does for athletes also.

In the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision in NCAA v. Alston this past June, the Court essentially ruled that the NCAA’s business model, if it was applied to any other business in the country, would be unacceptable to federal antitrust laws. While this case did not directly concern NIL rules, it did symbolize a major change that the NCAA would be unable to constantly emphasize the presumed amateurism of college sports anymore. More importantly, this decline of amateurism in college sports has begun to play itself out in the world of college athletics with the start of the NIL era. Student-athletes were once treated as if they were almost indebted to the universities they represented on the playing field, given very little rights despite what their roles essentially were for these college athletic programs: employees.

As a result of the business model the NCAA practiced with regards to collegiate athletes, these athletes were given very little opportunity to receive anything - other than an education and (for some) scholarships - for the work they provided to their university’s athletic program. With the Supreme Court’s rejection of this business model, combined with the dawn of the NIL era, college athletes are finally welcome to receive compensation of sorts for their work. Yet this does not apply to all athletes. Many, if not all, of the reports about collegiate athletes signing NIL deals concern major collegiate athletes, blue chip prospects that play at top programs and are in contention for national honors. This brings many questions to the forefront. First, where does this leave minor collegiate-athletes, like the senior benchwarmer small forward for a mid-major program who cannot make thousands of dollars in NIL endorsements and is not on a scholarship? And how will this dynamic affect team chemistry? Just as important is a question we’ve been asking for months now; how will NIL endorsements affect college athletics midseason? For decades, if a college running back rushed for 250 yards in primetime, the conversation the next day would be “How did this player’s performance affect their campaign for the Heisman Trophy?” Now, the conversation after such a fantastic game may be “Will this performance result in an NIL endorsement deal with Dr. Pepper?” We continue to be curious as to what the rules will be about signing NIL deals midseason.

The reports about NIL deals in the media have died down in the almost month-and-a-half since the NIL era started in college sports. But rest assured, the effects of NIL on college athletes continues to be incredibly important in the world of college sports. From the massive NIL deals of 5-star athletes to the potential effects of NIL on college sports as a business, the dawn of the NIL era will continue to cast a large shadow on college athletics as the upcoming NCAA fall season begins. 

How can LAC help you to determine your next steps not only as it pertains to the NIL, but to your college admissions experience as a whole? Do not hesitate to contact us today!

Here are some quick notes (and items to focus on) for self-guided college tours -- note that these can apply for regularly set tours as well!

It is a big plus to check in, if possible.  Letting the Admissions Team know that you're there to visit and see the campus as 'self-guided' - is a plus in their book.  *After the tour, you can determine the names of the admissions rep for your area -- work to connect with them after the tour(s) with a 'thank you' note and to ask any questions that you may have (even if it's simply, "What are next steps?".

If self-guided, be sure to pick up a map of the campus and focus on the places that mean the most to you and your future -- where will you spend your time? What shouldn't you miss?  Those places will primarily be:

Library
A dining hall
A freshman dorm (if you can gain access)
Buildings of Anticipated Major/Minor(s)
Athletic/fitness facilities

And then see places that are more fun/entertaining in nature -- common areas, student center, etc.

We stress that while you're walking - be it self-guided or formal - to (1) earnestly see if you can picture yourself in that spot for four years, and (2) come up with questions that you may have to then follow up on.

Questions on campus tours? The college process as a whole? Do not hesitate to reach out to us!