Glimpse Videos

[Anonymous]

DD working on Brown and WashU videos. Did your kids sign up for Glimpse and send to other schools (Rice, BU, Northwestern, Tufts, Duke)? We've looked through portals/websites, and it's somewhat cryptic to find info about these videos, so not very clear whether these are worth her time to do. Maybe just to show demonstrated interest?

[Anonymous]

Search on here for info

[Anonymous]

Seems like Brown really wants videos, but the other schools, I'm not so sure.

Also, I'm wondering what the chances are that a video could hurt more than help if it is too bland.

[Anonymous]

There was a good YCBK interview recently about Glimpse videos that might be helpful.

https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/2024/11/13/interview-210-gloria-and-terry-crawford-founders-of-glimpse-videos-answer-faq-about-glimpse-videos-and-college-admissions/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was a good YCBK interview recently about Glimpse videos that might be helpful.

https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/2024/11/13/interview-210-gloria-and-terry-crawford-founders-of-glimpse-videos-answer-faq-about-glimpse-videos-and-college-admissions/

this looks super helpful - thank you!!

[Anonymous]

How much of decisions will now ride on the video? Rigor, check. Great grades, check. High test score, check. Essays - several for Brown - check.

And now a video. I know there have been a few threads here and there discussing this, but I'm surprised there isn't more discussion than that on videos. Kid doesn't know where to start - what aspect of him haven't already been covered in the 7 responses to Brown?

While my kid writes all his own essays and I edit, I realize AI might have an impact on admissions even though it is, in my opinion, a terrible tool for this purpose. Is the video the new way around this? Wish we could just dump the essays then.

It also occurs to me that there is nothing stopping unscrupulous applicants from having someone else manufacture a video. How would the college even know the identity of the person actually doing the talking? It's not like you present ID. Sorry for my rant, but it just occurred to me what a mess this is.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There was a good YCBK interview recently about Glimpse videos that might be helpful.

https://yourcollegeboundkid.com/2024/11/13/interview-210-gloria-and-terry-crawford-founders-of-glimpse-videos-answer-faq-about-glimpse-videos-and-college-admissions/

Thanks for posting the link. I started listening to this last night and will finish today. While I don't doubt that there are helpful tips, the caveat to this piece is that the sellers - Glimpse - are advising students to do the video ($22 or fee waiver).

I would like to hear from AOs. I have seen very few (hearsay) comments from AOs, though it's easy to imagine why they would like the videos, for numerous reasons.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How much of decisions will now ride on the video? Rigor, check. Great grades, check. High test score, check. Essays - several for Brown - check.

And now a video. I know there have been a few threads here and there discussing this, but I'm surprised there isn't more discussion than that on videos. Kid doesn't know where to start - what aspect of him haven't already been covered in the 7 responses to Brown?

While my kid writes all his own essays and I edit, I realize AI might have an impact on admissions even though it is, in my opinion, a terrible tool for this purpose. Is the video the new way around this? Wish we could just dump the essays then.

It also occurs to me that there is nothing stopping unscrupulous applicants from having someone else manufacture a video. How would the college even know the identity of the person actually doing the talking? It's not like you present ID. Sorry for my rant, but it just occurred to me what a mess this is.

I am not 100% certain on this, but I thought the videos were answer to being spread too thin with increased applications and not enough alumni to interview.

If it offers anyone peace, I have a child at Brown, and I didn’t like his much. I shared my opinion, but he kept as is. It showed personality and character, but also broke the supposed rules by reiterating EC’s by showing video of a couple. I really think it’s low stake, just ability to communicate and not a super smarty that won’t ever socialize, engage or leave the dorm room.

[Anonymous]

Ye it’s very important to screen out all the intellectuals. God forbid they let in someone who spends all his time in the library reading when they could have a skate boarder!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ye it’s very important to screen out all the intellectuals. God forbid they let in someone who spends all his time in the library reading when they could have a skate boarder!!

That’s silly and not what I meant. Colleges make it clear, it’s what you can give to campus and what you can take away from the vast resources at your disposal. No shortage of brains that are also engaged around campus making them the dynamic schools they are. That personality is also more likely to stay engaged and be a strong alumni. It makes sense to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much of decisions will now ride on the video? Rigor, check. Great grades, check. High test score, check. Essays - several for Brown - check.

And now a video. I know there have been a few threads here and there discussing this, but I'm surprised there isn't more discussion than that on videos. Kid doesn't know where to start - what aspect of him haven't already been covered in the 7 responses to Brown?

While my kid writes all his own essays and I edit, I realize AI might have an impact on admissions even though it is, in my opinion, a terrible tool for this purpose. Is the video the new way around this? Wish we could just dump the essays then.

It also occurs to me that there is nothing stopping unscrupulous applicants from having someone else manufacture a video. How would the college even know the identity of the person actually doing the talking? It's not like you present ID. Sorry for my rant, but it just occurred to me what a mess this is.

Thanks for your response. I imagine my kid would do better in a live interview, with the in-person give-and-take of conversation. We'll see what he comes up with for the video. I hadn't really thought about it until after his app was submitted the other day. He is a very chill person, a thinker and listener more than a talker. Good at asking questions. I might suggest he chat about some topics that are meaningful to him for a 60-second Glimpse, but he did already touch on them in the essays, so maybe that's not really the way to go. Sigh.


I am not 100% certain on this, but I thought the videos were answer to being spread too thin with increased applications and not enough alumni to interview.

If it offers anyone peace, I have a child at Brown, and I didn’t like his much. I shared my opinion, but he kept as is. It showed personality and character, but also broke the supposed rules by reiterating EC’s by showing video of a couple. I really think it’s low stake, just ability to communicate and not a super smarty that won’t ever socialize, engage or leave the dorm room.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much of decisions will now ride on the video? Rigor, check. Great grades, check. High test score, check. Essays - several for Brown - check.

And now a video. I know there have been a few threads here and there discussing this, but I'm surprised there isn't more discussion than that on videos. Kid doesn't know where to start - what aspect of him haven't already been covered in the 7 responses to Brown?

While my kid writes all his own essays and I edit, I realize AI might have an impact on admissions even though it is, in my opinion, a terrible tool for this purpose. Is the video the new way around this? Wish we could just dump the essays then.

It also occurs to me that there is nothing stopping unscrupulous applicants from having someone else manufacture a video. How would the college even know the identity of the person actually doing the talking? It's not like you present ID. Sorry for my rant, but it just occurred to me what a mess this is.

I am not 100% certain on this, but I thought the videos were answer to being spread too thin with increased applications and not enough alumni to interview.

If it offers anyone peace, I have a child at Brown, and I didn’t like his much. I shared my opinion, but he kept as is. It showed personality and character, but also broke the supposed rules by reiterating EC’s by showing video of a couple. I really think it’s low stake, just ability to communicate and not a super smarty that won’t ever socialize, engage or leave the dorm room.

Thanks for your response. I imagine my kid would do better in a live interview, with the in-person give-and-take of conversation. We'll see what he comes up with for the video. I hadn't really thought about it until after his app was submitted the other day. He is a very chill person, a thinker and listener more than a talker. Good at asking questions. I might suggest he chat about some topics that are meaningful to him for a 60-second Glimpse, but he did already touch on them in the essays, so maybe that's not really the way to go. Sigh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How much of decisions will now ride on the video? Rigor, check. Great grades, check. High test score, check. Essays - several for Brown - check.

And now a video. I know there have been a few threads here and there discussing this, but I'm surprised there isn't more discussion than that on videos. Kid doesn't know where to start - what aspect of him haven't already been covered in the 7 responses to Brown?

While my kid writes all his own essays and I edit, I realize AI might have an impact on admissions even though it is, in my opinion, a terrible tool for this purpose. Is the video the new way around this? Wish we could just dump the essays then.

It also occurs to me that there is nothing stopping unscrupulous applicants from having someone else manufacture a video. How would the college even know the identity of the person actually doing the talking? It's not like you present ID. Sorry for my rant, but it just occurred to me what a mess this is.

Thanks for your response. I imagine my kid would do better in a live interview, with the in-person give-and-take of conversation. We'll see what he comes up with for the video. I hadn't really thought about it until after his app was submitted the other day. He is a very chill person, a thinker and listener more than a talker. Good at asking questions. I might suggest he chat about some topics that are meaningful to him for a 60-second Glimpse, but he did already touch on them in the essays, so maybe that's not really the way to go. Sigh.


I am not 100% certain on this, but I thought the videos were answer to being spread too thin with increased applications and not enough alumni to interview.

If it offers anyone peace, I have a child at Brown, and I didn’t like his much. I shared my opinion, but he kept as is. It showed personality and character, but also broke the supposed rules by reiterating EC’s by showing video of a couple. I really think it’s low stake, just ability to communicate and not a super smarty that won’t ever socialize, engage or leave the dorm room.

Telling them they’re a thinker and a listener more than a talker sounds nice to me even with the honesty this isn’t my “thing”. Then a little story where that was a positive attribute. I think authenticity like essays is a good move.

[Anonymous]

Brown wants the videos. They instituted them before a lot of other schools (during COVID), and you don't have to use Glimpse or any other specific platform. My DC edited theirs together in about an hour on their phone.

Not that I have any specific expertise or guidance from AOs, but my recommendation is to treat it somewhat like a supplemental essay in that you should go narrow - not "here is a video about me and everything about me." Pick an angle. Ideally, it's something that hasn't been communicated in an essay, but in reality, that's hard. So, it can also be an opportunity to expand more on an essay (you can even say that - I'd like to use this opportunity to share more about XYZ). Was there an essay question - one of those 100 worders for instance - where it was hard to get everything in your DC wanted to say? Then the video could be that. Think "tour of my room and what its contents say about me." Another idea along these lines is "how to do XYZ" (this could expand upon the "what class would you teach" essay, for instance). The idea is for the AO to get to know about you not by you tell them about you, but them observing you (or others you interact with). Along those lines, you can expand upon the "what's your most meaningful EC" by bringing the viewer along to practice or meeting. You might include clips of some of your teammates talking about things you've worked on together. I don't think it's wrong to reiterate that you are involved in a particular EC. You just need to add to/enhance what the AO has learned from your application/supplemental essays.

Another idea is to base it around setting. Instead of recording it in your room, record it in your favorite place and explain WHY it's your favorite place - maybe it's hiking in the woods, where you clear your head, or walking through a city park to listen to buskers, or your grandma's house because she makes you your favorite foods. Maybe it's your basement. But, make it about YOU not the place - key has to be what this being your favorite place says about YOU. So this is an idea that tons of applicants could use but none would be the same.

Just pick an angle and go with it! A tiny bit of technical work can make it good (edit a few shots together, maybe include some still photos, not just footage).

Because they give no guidance for these, I think kids try to do too much. I think the key is to make up an additional supplemental question, or pick the one you answered the most earnestly. Then, make a video that answers that question. It's okay if it's not a "everything about me" video. In some ways, it's similar to the Common App essay. Go deep, not wide. That's how you get one that doesn't look/sound like everyone else's.

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand why Brown has to be so literally extra about their applications. It’s always been this way. When I applied (waitlisted but I took myself off of it because I got into a HYP I preferred), they required you to attach a photo of yourself (not a passport photo but one of your chooosing) and you had to hand-write your essay at a time when everyone else was accepting it printed or typed.