College Admissions Blogs & Student Bloggers

I wish I could have known more about Dartmouth before I decided to go. Sure I visited for a couple of hours, talked to someone in admissions, walked around campus, knew a few Alums, etc.

But what would it be like to be a student there? I had no clue. I didn't even know what questions to ask.

What if students had been blogging on their experiences as students at Dartmouth? That would have been incredibly valuable! And what if Dartmouth admissions had several student bloggers linked from their Web site or perhaps even blogging there, making their thoughts and experiences easily accessible?

Fast forward a couple decades.

Anthony Rizos is one of 14 students blogging for MIT on what it's like to be a student there.

Anthony has been blogging for MIT admissions for  2+ years. Originally, he never considered the overall impact and readership. The MIT admissions blogs get about 5000 unique visitors a day, and recently admitted students say the admissions blogs are in their top three factors convincing them to attend MIT! Amazing results!

Anthony tries to blog about once a week. All the student's postings are combined on one blog, so posting frequency is not that critical as someone is usually writing something. He refers to his blogging as a "personal perspective" about life as a student at MIT, and not surprisingly not all his writing is rosy -- it's realistic. He thinks that's OK with MIT, as it should be. A sugar coated view of college wouldn't pass the credibility test with prospective students.

Students do get paid for their blogging, approximately $40 a week. Hey I wish I had an extra $40 a week when I was a student! In Anthony's case, especially since he has consulted in IT for Amtrak and others for years, the money isn't the primary motivator, but I bet it matters a lot to most student bloggers.

A certain kind of reader is attracted, not surprisingly 16-17 year olds thinking about college choices, but readers are diverse and include a lot of alumni and even top level MIT administrators read the blogs. I stop  by and read occasionally too.

So, if there were student admissions bloggers in 78 when I was looking at colleges would I have still gone to Dartmouth? I'd like to think so, but I can guarantee I would have made an educated decision instead of just a guess as to where I'd be spending the next 4 years of my life.

BTW, I just found an official Dartmouth admissions blog with students blogging about life at Dartmouth. First pass it looks really good although perhaps a bit too rosy and cheerful. The Dartmouth administration have a reputation well as fascists who do not tolerate dissent -- there, I said it and I'm glad I said it :) Perhaps THEY should blog too -- I'm hopeful their reputation isn't accurate, and blogging would expose them as hard working people, committed to their jobs, and doing the best they can!

 

Comments

[bela]

I gota ask a blogger this;

Sorry if it of course :)

"The more powerful bloggers become, the more money and accesss are thrown at them. Bloggers are just as susceptible to the problems of mainstream media; they just haven't had the opportunity until now. Lets see how they use it."

Do you believe your blog has been read and are you attempting to influence people with your blog?

Can blogging become an influence in politics, culture, sports issues, religion, etc., or are bloggers a bunch of loose cannons just sounding off?

Thanks

[bela]

I gota ask a blogger this;

Sorry if it of course :)

"The more powerful bloggers become, the more money and accesss are thrown at them. Bloggers are just as susceptible to the problems of mainstream media; they just haven't had the opportunity until now. Lets see how they use it."

Do you believe your blog has been read and are you attempting to influence people with your blog?

Can blogging become an influence in politics, culture, sports issues, religion, etc., or are bloggers a bunch of loose cannons just sounding off?

Thanks

[T Demop, Blogging for Business]

Hi Bela,
I've got a pretty good idea of how many people read my blog -- several hundred a day, which is far short of many other bloggers.

We all want to influence people -- everyone does. I want people to follow my ideas or at least consider them.

Bloggers are the same as the main stream media -- you've got the Wall Street Journal, the World Weekly News (1 out of 3 congressmen are aliens type headlines) etc. Just as the MSM needs to gain respect, so do individual bloggers. Nothing is really different.