近年来，一些大学提供了这种选择，作为一种吸引那些觉得自己没有在纸上展示最好的自己但对其他媒体很容易的学生的参与方式。申请芝加哥大学的同学会发现，该大学接受“可选”视频介绍。也有你申请的其他学校可能允许你提交一篇“可选”的补充文章。你可能会觉得真的没有时间。但是，当他们说“可选/推荐”时，真的意味着这些项目基本上是必需的吗？或者它们真的是可选的？
以下学校2023年有视频文书(Video Essay)：
- 布朗大学 - （可选）2 分钟自我介绍视频（提交申请后通过他们的Portal访问。）
- 芝加哥大学 - （推荐）2 分钟。介绍视频上传或添加到 U Chicago 帐户
- 圣路易斯华盛顿大学 - （可选）90 秒视频。
- 维克森林大学 - （可选）2-3 分钟视频。在三个提目中选一个回答。
- 南加州大学（USC）马歇尔商学院的世界商业学士项目 - （必选）
- 克莱尔蒙特学院（Claremont McKenna）-（可选）2 分钟视频回答。提交申请后通过电子邮件发送提交说明。
- 科尔比学院 - （可选）IntialView 截取 90 秒视频。
- 多伦多大学 - 工程学院（必选）补充申请表里面有视频回复。
- 罗德学院 - （可选）IntialView 截取 90 秒视频。
一篇“可选”的文章从来都不是真的可选，除非主题与你无关。例如，如果提示问，“如果你的教育受到了干扰，请描述它们是什么以及它们对你的影响，”那么你只有在你确实有中断的情况下才应该写这篇文章。芝加哥大学的可选视频与申请作业一样低调。时间限制只有两分钟，并且说明不欢迎编辑过的作品；自拍式电话录音就可以。因此，与上面提到的开放式可选文章一样，这部迷你电影将让你有机会展示自己在申请的其他部分可能不明显的一面。它还意味着你对 U. Chicago 说：“我非常在乎你，所以要付出额外的努力。”
一篇可选的文章可能会要求你讨论为什么这所大学适合你。如果你不提交，你可能会发出一种潜意识的信息，暗示“这个地方没有什么对我特别重要。”然而，一篇可选的论文通常是开放式的......主题是“告诉我们一些你的申请的其余部分没有的东西。”即使你可能觉得你的生活已经是一本打开的书，这是一个宝贵的机会来考虑什么对你很重要......或关于你......而其他地方没有表达。招生人员 - 特别是在高选择性学校 - 迫切想找到方法区分一个有成就的候选人和下一个，所以最终可能是你作为单口喜剧演员的努力失败或你自制寿司的成功帮助你在人群中脱颖而出。
关于在Video Essay的准备，同学们可以详细阅读以下英文提示，其中，有几个要点，1）对着镜头保持眼神交流，不要自言自语或像是在念稿子；2）提到学校名字，要专属录制给某个学校；3）展现你的特质；4）仔细阅读和遵照题目要求；5）提前准备，反复练习；6）生动有趣，引人入胜。
If you are submitting a video admissions essay as part of your college application, that question should be at the forefront of your mind. An amazing finish can sometimes compensate for a poor introduction, but first impressions are crucial in all aspects of life.
1. View the video essay as an advertisement: Your video essay is, in some ways, a brief advertisement for yourself. Your audience is the admissions committee that is attempting to select a capable and diverse cohort of students.
Starting your video by stating your name is like beginning an advertisement by saying, "This is a pencil." In other words, you are devoting the all-important first impression to sharing information that is already in your application. Instead, aim to do what advertisements do – establish the necessity of having you on campus next fall.
One of the benefits of compiling a college application is that it prompts you to list all of your accomplishments. Thus, before you start your video essay, you should already know what makes you a strong applicant.
You do not need to be better than the other applicants – you just need to add to the student body in a unique and interesting way. Allow your application data to speak for itself on paper, and instead concentrate on what makes you valuable beyond high test scores or a perfect average.
2. Hook your viewer: Begin your script with a short sentence that captures your viewer's attention. The ideal hook is a concise introduction that suggests a larger story.
For example, "My love of science started when I assisted on an ecology research project at Mount St. Helens," is not a compelling hook – although it is better than a generic introduction.
Instead, set the scene in such a way that your viewer wants to find out what happened next. A sentence like, "In the summer of 2020, I was standing on the slope of a dormant volcano when a storm rolled over our research camp," leaves several open questions that can only be answered by watching the rest of the video.
3. Explain why you chose this school: You will have a very small window to build your hook into a case for why you belong at a given school. Use your introductory sentence as the basis for the lesson that set you on the course toward college.
Think about questions like how this school will help you achieve your goals. Why is it on your short list? What do you hope to do during your time as a student, beyond simply earning a degree? Use positive terms like "curiosity" and "service" in your script.
4. Share your true motivation: Some people might define advertising as a form of lying. Certain advertisements certainly fit this mold, but the best ones present the truth in the most favorable light possible.
Your video should demonstrate real passion. If you are not genuinely motivated by a desire for public service, do not claim you are. It is absolutely all right to be motivated by a desire for excellence, a desire to build a secure future for your family or a desire to make a new life for yourself.
5. Resist memorizing your script: The script you prepare will be your guide to the video you ultimately create. However, when you are filming, it is imperative that you do not read from a script.
If you must memorize your script word-for-word, ensure that you can recite it with life and energy in your voice. If you continually pause to remember your next word, take a break and start over. Regardless of how much practice you complete, it is important to sound fresh when you record.
Every person has a story to share. Even if you feel like an ordinary, boring high school student, you have a story. Your goal, in your video essay, is to share that story. Even if you do not have a key moment like a foreign exchange trip or a summer research expedition, there are still moments that are uniquely yours.
Choose an event that is meaningful to you, such as success or defeat in sports, the birth of a younger sibling, or a time when a teacher took special notice of your work. Then, use that moment to set the context of your video.
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