Michigan State Adding Video to Admissions Process

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 10/21/08

Michigan State University will be providing its applicants for admission the ability to supplement their required personal statements with video. Powered by CollegeSupplement.com, the feature allows candidates to express how their backgrounds, talents, and experiences will contribute to the university.

Admissions officers view videos through a uniform, secure online multimedia platform.

"We are fully committed to evaluating our candidates in their entirety, and CollegeSupplement.com's integration within our online application will be a great addition," said Jim Cotter, director of admissions. "We're also looking to increase enrollment of qualified international students, and video capability enables us to virtually meet any applicant worldwide."

"Michigan State is known as an innovator and offering our candidates this option aligns with our forward thinking," said Mike Cook, associate director of admissions, who is credited with introducing the technology to the East Lansing campus.

Using equipment available in most high schools, students record and upload video clips. The candidate then includes his or her personal passcode in the college application, giving colleges private access to view the supplement.

"Use of our proprietary system is being driven by two factors, the first being continued adoption of technologies which assist with candidate selection," said Steve Metzman, president of CollegeSupplement.com. "The second is providing equal access for financially or geographically disadvantaged applicants who can't personally present themselves on campus."

Some high schools have created instruction around the service. "After last year's success using CollegeSupplement.com, our school is now teaching English and technology curricula units around the product," said Sheryl Staszewski, director of counseling at Northern Burlington County Regional High School in Columbus, NJ. "Creating instruction around this unique resource not only strengthens certain fundamental communications and tech skills, but the students' work yields an end-product which is quite valuable during their upcoming college admissions process."