How Your Teen’s Personality Type Factors Into College Admissions
While it’s great for your college-bound teen to showcase their grades, standardized test scores, and other accomplishments in their college essays, colleges are not only concerned with their stats. Admission Committees want to be able to get a feel for who your teen is and whether their character is a good fit for the university. In other words, they want to see your teen’s personality shine through on their application. And there’s plenty of opportunities to do just that.
So, how do colleges factor in your teen’s personality when they look at applications? Is personality type even something that they use to evaluate an application? For all of those answers and more, read on.
How Do Colleges Evaluate Personality Type?
While this is not mainstream just yet, some colleges have started using personality tests in their applications to help them gauge what kind of a student they are dealing with. According to USA Today, schools like the Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology require students to fill out brief questionnaires in order to assess their personality traits.
More commonly, however, a college will use certain aspects of your teen’s application itself to determine what type of student they are. There are three main parts of the application that a college will use to gauge your teen’s personality. They are:
The Admissions Interview
The admissions interview is usually the most telling as a university representative can interact with your teen 1:1. The university alumnus who interviews them will likely write a full report on the interview. That report will be attached to your teen’s application and may factor into the university’s final decision.
The College Essay
The second most telling part of the application is usually your teen’s admissions essays. These tell the admissions committee how they think and what experiences they’ve had. The admissions committee also gets to see how your teen writes, their voice, and whether they know how to structure a formal argument/narrative.
Recommendation Letters
Recommendation letters are a great way to determine what kind of a person each student is. Teachers will usually mention certain personality traits that give the admissions committee a clue as to what kind of student they’re dealing with. For example, an extroverted student is likely to have a teacher recommendation letter that mentions how outspoken and team-oriented the student was.
Do Colleges Consider Personality Type In College Admissions?
While your teen’s personality will likely not be a deal breaker for your student, most colleges will definitely take it into consideration when they are evaluating your student. The reason they care so much about your teen’s personality is they want to accept students into the university who they think would be happy, fit in, and get along well on campus.
This is not to say, however, that most universities only accept a certain type of person. They just want to make sure that the diverse student body they put together will mesh well with each other.
Introverts vs. Extroverts: Where to Show Personality on a College Application
If your student is an introverted person, they’re probably going to show their personality more through their college essays, personal statements, and online portfolio (if they submit one). These aspects of the application do not involve any one-on-one interaction, and they give your teen an opportunity to let their personality shine. If your student is more reserved and shy but can submit a very creative essay, they have a fighting chance of impressing an admissions committee.
On the other hand, if your student is more extroverted, the recommendation letters and interviews are where they’re going to shine. Their recommendation letters will likely discuss how they contribute in class (and on campus), how social and outgoing they are, and other traits that colleges really look for in their applicants. They will also be able to hold a great conversation with their interviewer and really showcase that winning conversational personality.
Other Ways To Showcase Personality In The College Application Process
If your teen really wants to communicate personality to the admissions committee, they should create a strong online presence that communicates their personal brand. They can do this by creating a personal website that showcases their skills, likes/dislikes, accomplishments, etc. Your teen should also align all of their social media accounts across one common personal brand that an admissions committee would be able to pick up on.
Your teen can also create a creative online portfolio to send in with their college application. This is a collection of some of their best work and experiences. It can include anything from the best essays they wrote in high school to a video. Your online portfolio should give an admissions committee an idea of how your teen thinks and what their interests are.
It’s also important to note that other aspects of your teen’s application can also be indicators of personality. Resumes can tell the admissions committees where the interests and passions of a student lie. The personal statement is also a great place to communicate a personal brand for the admissions committee. In other words, your teen’s personality will be showcased in their application at more than just a few points.
For More Information
Want more college admissions tips for you and your teen? Check out these previous helpful blog posts:
What Looks Good On A College Application?
Don’t Miss These College Application Deadlines
How Can I Make My College Applications Stand Out?
Breaking Down The College Admissions Process: Your 5-Step Guide
Does your teen want help with their college essays to improve their admissions chances? Get them to sign up for their free CollegeVine account and get access to our essay guides and courses. They can also get their essay peer-reviewed and improve their own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays.
