Myth #14
“I’m not going to wear that to the admissions office . . . I’d look like a jerk.”
Well this one is a little bit tricky because first we have to decide exactly which myth involving that statement we want to “bust”. Obviously, the statement itself isn’t a myth . . . in fact it might be the single most common response from any teenager to a parental suggestion about what to wear on a college visit. The second possible myth depends on who’s judging whether you look like a jerk. If the jury is this applicant’s three best friends from high school . . . then it’s not a myth. That might very well be what they’d think. But . . . if the jury is anyone involved in the college admissions process at the college you hope will accept you . . . then in a rare exception to the rule . . . I have to side with the parent offering the advice!
Actually, this myth is incredibly easy to bust but of course, I’ll drag it out and ramble on too long. After all, why should I change now? Here’s the easy answer. If you’re not sure what sort of dress is appropriate, look at what the “regulars” are wearing! Want to know what to wear to a Goth party? Look at some Goths, Want to know what to wear to football practice? Look at some football players! Want a guide to appropriate dress when visiting a college? Look at what the people who work at the admissions office are wearing. Once you receive your acceptance letter you can set fire to anything in your wardrobe you don’t like but before then . . . take a different approach.
What do admissions officers look like? Please! Most of them look like they were kidnapped by a SWAT team from Brooks Brothers, Banana Republic and Land’s End. Now you don’t have to wear the blue blazer and striped tie but consider something other than the official NBA Kobe Bryant jersey. In fact, if you think it looks cool . . . don’t wear it. And whatever you do . . . please, under no circumstances wear the sweatshirt from another college to the admissions office! I shouldn’t have to mention that last one but you’d be amazed at how often it happens.
Why bother worrying about what to wear in the first place? Who cares? You should. There’s an enormous amount of research that’s been done about first impressions and there’s no dispute about the conclusions. First impressions are formed very quickly. Moreover, they’re important and they linger. If you don’t believe that how you look is important . . . then why do you try to look cool on a first date? Why do you worry that what you wear will make you look like a jerk? The issue isn’t whether what you wear is important but just what you should wear to an admissions office visit.
Isn’t this really making a big deal out of nothing? Certainly what you wear isn’t going to get you accepted or rejected at any college? No admissions officer is ever going to stamp “reject” on the outside of an application folder because they didn’t like your choice of clothes but that doesn’t mean it won’t make a major difference . . . albeit a little indirectly. In a process with thousands of competitors, many of whom look exactly the same on paper . . . little differences along the way can make a big difference to the final result.
Let me give you an actual example. I worked with an international student recently who had a unique application. He wanted to attend a “top 20” college and two counselors had already suggested that he lower his sights below the “top 20”, below the top “100” and instead plan on attending a third or fourth tier school. This student came across very well in a one on one personal setting and could comfortably address many of the concerns that no application folder could ever satisfy. Unfortunately his “first choice” college didn’t offer interviews so, on the surface at least, all hope was lost. I advised the student to fly up and make an impromptu visit to the admissions office under the pretext of delivering a missing document with the specific hope of meeting one particular member of the admissions committee. The student needed a quick clothing makeover. We raided a couple of closets and set him up. At the college, the admissions officer came out of his office and the first words he spoke after introducing himself were “Nice outfit”. As it turned out, the admissions officer invited the applicant into his office, they chatted for 45 minutes and three weeks later he received an acceptance letter from one of America’s top colleges.
There’s obviously much more to the story. The student had done significant research and carefully practiced responses to questions he thought might come up . . . so it was the time spent face to face that really made the difference but . . . would he have been invited into the office if his first impression wasn’t very strong? I don’t think so. Dressed inappropriately, I think the admissions officer would have shaken his hand and thanked him for delivering the document. The student might not have made it past the office secretary. He might never even have gotten the face to face introduction. You have very few opportunities to impress an admissions committee and it’s important to make each of them count. Being appropriately dressed whenever and wherever you might have a face to face meeting with an admissions officer is important. So . . . listen to your mother on this one!
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