The Most Interesting Man in the World
The Son of a Briber
Shortly after sending out the rejection notices, a Dartmouth admissions representative received a call from a father complaining that his son hadn’t been accepted. The angry dad said he was an advisor on several movies and TV shows, including Beverly Hills, 90210. The rep admitted that 90210 was her favorite show. The next day, a massive package arrived at her desk filled with original scripts, autographs and videos from the show. She called to thank him for the awesome gift … and also to tell him that his son had no chance of getting into the esteemed Ivy League school. Dad could buy her gratitude, but not her integrity.
The Puzzle Maker
One brave—or maybe brash—student applying to Pomona College in California cut his admissions essay into puzzle pieces before sending it off in the envelope. While many schools would send such an application directly into the trash, the admissions officers at Pomona actually liked piecing together the essay and saw the very risky move as super creative. They stressed, however, that the student also had very strong grades, which was the primary reason they decided to admit the cheeky youngster.
The Fire Twirler
In 2010, Tufts University began accepting short YouTube videos from perspective students to supplement their applications. The school has received slick stop-motion films, sports highlight reels and even raps. However, our favorite submission comes from Evan Renaud, who used the one-minute clip to show off his advanced fire twirling skills. Evan, who also enjoys glow-sticking, thought demonstrating his unique talent was a good way to stand out from the crowd. While we can’t confirm whether Evan was accepted to Tufts, we sincerely hope he’s now flinging fire for Cirque De Soleil.
Photo via YouTube
The Juggler
Evan Renaud isn’t the only kid who used fiery circus skills in an attempt to impress admissions officers. Duncan C. Murdoch, the one time vice president for external relations and enrollment at the Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, remembers meeting a student who insisted that they spend a few minutes talking outside of the Seattle hotel where Murdoch was interviewing applicants. Once in the parking lot, the teen lit two tiki torches on fire and began juggling them while reciting his personal biography. Though Murdoch was more annoyed than impressed, the student was admitted … for his academic skills, not juggling skills.
Photo via Wikipedia
The Magician
Liz H. Woyczynski, director of undergraduate admissions at Case Western Reserve University, has seen many bizarre attempts by students to stand out. Her favorite, however, involves a student seeking admission into a special undergraduate program. Then teen showed up at an all-day open house with a deck of cards. Every time he met an admissions staff member he insisted on performing a trick. Woyczynski and her colleagues found the ploy over the top,especially since the same student had already submitted a 45-page resume with a three-page table of contents to the school. While the magician was accepted to the university, he was not admitted to the special program.
Photo via The Manchester Gazette
The Jokester
Humor is often a sign of intelligence. But used in the wrong context, it’s also a sign of immaturity. One University of Pennsylvania candidate learned this lesson the hard way. When asked why he wanted to go to Penn during an interview, he said that attending the university would fulfill his personal goal of never having to do his own laundry; since his aunt lived nearby he could dump all his dirty clothes on her. While he was joking, his female interviewer didn’t laugh. While the teen thought his comment might affect him negatively, he didn’t realize just how detrimental it was until his cousin, who has the same last name and was also interviewing at the school, was asked by an admissions representative if he was related to the funny man and if he also refused to do his own laundry. The jokester was ultimately rejected.
