A Student Testimonial
Written by Mateo Dominguez
I have had the good (or bad) fortune of applying to college twice. Once as a traditional student and then as a gap year student. The first time I applied to college, I did so not fully realizing the way social media affected the admissions process. The extent of my knowledge was that a letter of admission could be rescinded if a school found compromising or inappropriate content on a prospective student’s account. As such, I figured my threadbare Instagram account would not do me any harm. Satisfied with not having a problematic online persona, I neglected to curate a distinguished one. The thought of using a platform like LinkedIn was foreign to me and completely off my radar.
By no means did I do poorly on my admissions that year. I managed to get into some pretty decent colleges, though I missed out on schools of higher prestige such as the University of Southern California. I was in no particular worry about this; college had always been a backup plan. My dream was to be a professional ballet dancer. Though my grades were not necessarily bad, education was never my first priority, much less getting into college. I did not study for my SAT, earning an average grade. Little did I know that this would be the foundation for my future college applications.
Directly after high school, I spent two years dancing professionally. By my second year, I decided I needed a change. I couldn’t explain it, but I finally had a strong urge to go to college. Opening up CommonApp for the first time in two years, it occurred to me that I was starting from scratch. At high school, I had the benefit of visiting a guidance counselor or asking a teacher for help with my applications. This time, I had to rely on my own judgment. After spending two years outside of an academic environment, the notion of playing catchup with traditional students who devoted their lives to college admissions was overwhelming. I did not know how I could compete against students with 4.0 GPAs who volunteered in impoverished countries.
As a gap year student, I felt that I had to somehow justify my break from my academic career for colleges to see me as a worthy investment.
The college admissions system is notoriously impersonal, with many students finding themselves perceived only as numbers. Due to my commitments to my dance company, I was unable to retake the SAT and had to rely on my old score from the first time I applied to college. I did not feel the information on my college application was an accurate representation of myself at that time. I had grown within those two years and discovered a drive to learn that I had never experienced before. It seemed unfair that the decisions I made as a high schooler balancing priorities other than schoolwork would influence the rest of my life.
It seemed to me that the world of college admissions had evolved beyond the traditional college application, and I felt I needed assistance from experts to help me understand. I had heard good things about a company called Social Assurity and spoke to a representative there who gave me a comprehensive strategy to construct the perfect online persona. My representative placed a strong emphasis on building a LinkedIn profile, the thought of which I found daunting. LinkedIn was a platform for professionals, surely not for mere prospective college students. But Social Assurity taught me that the new standard for getting into college was to adopt a professional mindset. Getting acquainted with an unfamiliar platform like LinkedIn still provoked some fears, especially the notion that I would have to build it up from nothing. I didn’t know what colleges looked for, or which attributes about myself I should advertise. Luckily, Social Assurity made the first steps towards building my perfect profile. They gave me a questionnaire, using my answers to set the foundations for my LinkedIn profile. I was impressed by how individualized they made my profile, showcasing my strengths and my passions. I could tell that I made a good choice trusting Social Assurity since they took the time to highlight what set me apart from other students.
After creating my profile, Social Assurity taught me the ins and outs of LinkedIn, helping me decide what to highlight about myself and who to connect with. By this point, I went from a total beginner to a bonafide expert, able to make my profile even more nuanced. I appreciated being challenged to make all these connections and put myself out there, as I knew this would put me on colleges’ radars. They helped me realize that taking gap years was my strength, not my weakness. Colleges search for passion, and Social Assurity helped me showcase this through my dance career. A big part of setting up my LinkedIn was making a list of my positive attributes. Colleges seek out certain qualities in their prospective students, though I was not entirely sure that I possessed them. But Social Assurity not only convinced me to put these qualities on my profile but also helped me take ownership of them. It was empowering to know that reputable experts validated my journey and that they thought me worthy of getting into prestigious institutions, helping me realize this as well.
I was able to stay confident and stress-free in the months following applications, knowing that I had done everything I needed to. My social media profiles demonstrated my drive and professionalism, taking advantage of my gap years to show colleges that I was different from other students in a good way. It all paid off. I received acceptance letters from every college I applied to except one. Unlike my first time applying for college, these were prestigious institutions such as Columbia University, Fordham University, Hunter College, and Sarah Lawrence College. It was so reassuring to have a pick of all of my dream schools. I am thankful to Social Assurity for not only helping me advertise myself as a good investment for schools but helping me believe that I was one as well.
With colleges becoming more and more interested in what separates students as individuals, I knew I was in good hands with Social Assurity. There was nothing generic about their service; they made every aspect personalized. To all prospective gap year students, or to anyone applying to college, my advice is to let capable experts in your corner. Your gap years or your interests outside school are not your weakness; they are your strength. You just need the right person to teach you how to utilize this strength. Applications are stressful, but you don’t have to go through them alone. College admissions may seem like a lottery, but with the right strategy, you can tip the scales. I placed my bets on Social Assurity and did not regret it.
