Building a better college application letter
Maybe everyone else has their college career figured out, but you're worried about the very first step: Writing a college admission application letter. We spoke with several educators and admissions workers about what they expect from new students, and what you need to do to impress them.
Make games, obviously!
Shocking, I know. Nothing illustrates you're serious about making games than actually doing it, even if it's a half-finished concept built in Unity or Twine. One important aspect is to make something that reflects who you are as a person.
"At the NYU Game Center we want to hear from students who bring something personal and meaningful to the games they make, whether because of life experiences they've had or a deep connection to certain forms of play and culture," says NYU's Department Chair Naomi Clark.
Even if you haven't made a game already, show that you've done your research. What kinds of software, programs, or tools are developers using and what can you do with them?
"There are so many tools out there (GameMaker, Unity, Unreal) that give students enough of a variety of roles in designing and developing," says David Schwartz, director of the School of Interactive Games and Media at Rochester Institute of Technology. "Give links to demos, videos, screencaptures, design documents, and/or code samples. Learn about what the faculty in the school do and show how you've learned enough to demonstrate that you're a great fit."
Live a life outside of games
The perfect application also includes making games that have something to say. Show that you can tell a story, or design an experience that an average person would be compelled by. That is, after all, one of gaming's greatest strengths: That we get to "live" through them by play.
"We want to hear what kinds of games they want to make, how they want to change the world of games and the world through games," says NYU Professor Clara Fernández-Vara. "The NYU Game Center is part of the Tisch School of the Arts, and as such, we are looking for artists who have curiosity, an urge to create, and are willing to tackle social and cultural complexities through game design."
Imagine you're a professor or dean at a game design school. So many schools these days throw students into teams that are structured like real-world studios: A programmer, an artist, a writer, a designer, etc. Consider what you bring to the table in a group scenario.
"We hope to work with students who'll explore what makes games meaningful and all the different ways that meaning can be expressed through play, since we're still just scratching the surface of those possibilities, and we love to find students who are eager to experiment and try new things to discover what's possible," Clark says.
Above all else, be the student you want to be. Nothing excites a college more than having students who go on to do great things, and that starts with being passionate.
"A good application essay is a window into the personality and point of view of the student," says Meredith Twombly, VP of Undergraduate Admissions at Clark University. "There is no such thing as the correct or incorrect thing to write about. We simply hope to hear the student’s thoughts on something that matters to them."
