How To Improve College Applications With Self-Publishing: 7 Tips

Learning how to improve college applications is an essential part of the process to landing your dream college and ultimately, career. While not everything hinges on an acceptance letter, and college isn’t for everyone, if you do choose this four year path, it’s crucial to come at your applications head on. 

Colleges receive so many applications from aspiring students. Many of these students spent the last four years of high school preparing for their next four years of college. So, how to improve college applications in a way that makes you stand out from the rest of these eager students? Let’s get straight into it. 

How to improve college applications: what’s covered 

• Does self-publishing look good for college?
• How do you make yourself stand out on a college application?

Does self-publishing look good for college?

Self-publishing is a great way to learn how to improve college applications because it can make students uniquely stand out. Standing out in this way is in large part due to the plethora of character traits that publishing a book reveals about you, the author. 

In fact, many students engage in extracurriculars in high school, attempting to pack their schedules (and resumes) so they look well-rounded. For students, discovering how to stand out can feel insurmountable. That’s where becoming an author comes in. Self-publishing a book is an original way to make a great impression. 

You can publish a book for free, but this doesn’t mean it didn’t take time investment, personal commitment, and a certain level of entrepreneurial spirit. Each of these aspects look tremendous on a college application. 

While it is important to share your experiences and various competencies on your college application, how to improve college applications also centers on your uniqueness. What talents set you apart? What have you accomplished that others haven’t?

This is why self-publishing is a great method to employ when learning how to improve college applications. Every book is unique unto the author. By nature then, self-publishing a book reveals your uniqueness, an important trait to highlight on college applications.

How do you make yourself stand out on a college application?

Learning how to improve college applications starts with standing out in a way that deviates from the typical approach, hence the phrase, stand out. Mentioned briefly above, many students try to stand out by filling their schedules with sports, theater, volunteering, etc.

Engaging in these activities can be beneficial, but what if you took the road less traveled, to quote Robert Frost, and became a self-publishing success story? Below are seven practical tips for how to improve college applications via self-publishing. 

1. Highlight your ability to finish what you start

Effectively self-publishing on Amazon is no small task. It takes a high commitment level to come up with a great book idea, write the book, edit your book, and then publish. 

Many people long to write a book, but few take the steps necessary to actually do so. When you put “published author” on your college application, the two words alone are likely to pique the interest of college admissions. 

Additionally, while it’s not uncommon for a teenager to write a book, it’s usually not expected. Playing football, baseball, or another sport is often expected. Spending hours in theater and performing shows is expected. But writing a book? This is a great method for how to improve college applications and also highlight your ability to finish a difficult task. 

2. Impress admissions with your online presence 

Just as HR will browse a candidate’s social media profiles before making a job offer, you can rest assured those in admissions are likely doing the exact same thing.

Imagine their surprise when they type your name into the search bar and up pops your author website, complete with an author bio and way to purchase your book. If you want to know how to improve college applications, get on top of your online presence and self-publish a book!

3. Reveal your competency in collaboration and handling feedback 

Writers often work with developmental editors who provide invaluable feedback on the structure and flow of the story. However, while there are many benefits of constructive criticism, it can be hard to handle feedback well. 

Publishing a book shows admissions counselors that you not only worked with an editor (which speaks to your ability to collaborate) but learned to handle feedback well. These competencies are crucial to a successful college experience (often highlighted in group projects!).

4. Showcase a detail-oriented, organized mindset 

Whether you write fiction or nonfiction as your method for how to improve college applications, self-publishing a quality book demands an attention to detail and definitive organizational skills. 

A few ways you can showcase these skills to admissions are via:

• Plot structures without plot holes 
• Nonfiction outlines that build in a logical manner 
• Back cover copy that reflects the theme of the book

Covering these aspects takes time and commitment but will help you as you seek to stand out in your applications.

5. Present an online portfolio of your communication skills 

In addition to providing a great online presence, self-publishing a book is a way to present yourself as an effective communicator. Strong communication skills can take you far. 

Self-publishing a book reveals your ability to:

• Connect with your target audience
• Write long-form content that has substance
• Extrapolate the nuance of a theme over thousands of words 

Learning how to improve college applications fundamentally relies on your communication skills. Can you write well? Can you read and follow directions? Can you communicate different aspects of your life to a stranger? 

However, while college applications often rely on shorter form content such as essays, self-publishing a book allows you to present a portfolio of your writing all in one place. 

6. Subtly enforce your business mindset 

Colleges love students who are adept in business and projected to go far in life. If you want to get your book noticed on Amazon, bring in those sales, or even rank in the most popular book genres, you must have a bit of business savviness tucked away.

It takes a creative mind to write a book and a business mind to successfully publish one. While many people discuss being right or left brained, “Neuroscientists have argued that an ability as complex as human creativity must draw on vast swaths of both hemispheres.”

When admissions finds your book published and complete with 5-star reviews from eager readers, your business mindset, entrepreneurial spirit, and yes, creativity, stand out. 

Rest assured, you don’t need to rake in thousands of sales or reviews for your book to look appealing to admissions. Simply write a good book, put your heart into marketing, and relax. You’re already one book ahead of the rest of the students applying to the same college or university. 

7. Underscore your creativity 

Speaking of creativity, those with a business mindset greatly benefit from also engaging their creative mind. Both types of thinking are vital for growth, what college admissions hope for college alum. 

When you demonstrate an ability to be both business minded and creatively focused, your chances of long-term success improve. You can see problems from multiple angles (creativity) while also assessing the logic and practicality of solutions. 

College admissions want to accept students who will complete their degree and go on to lead successful careers. A mix of both creativity and a business mindset is important for this success, and one that self-publishing a book demonstrates. 

How can I make my college application look better?

How to improve college applications with a self-published book means you may need to share sales figures. If you led a successful marketing plan, you could briefly mention that you sold X number of copies the first month after release day. 

In addition, if you promoted your book by appearing as a guest on podcasts or engaging in TV interviews, mention this. Not only do these effective marketing tactics showcase your ability to commit to the entirety of the publishing process, but they point yet again to your communication skills. 

If you secured a well-known endorsement or praise from an author you love, mention this. College admissions only know what you tell them and what they can research about you. Be professional, but don’t shy away from sharing your achievements. 

Does publishing a paper help with college admissions?

If college applications are looming and you don’t have time to write and self-publish a book, publishing a paper with an established publication can also work in your favor. Remember, learning how to improve college applications relies on standing out by showcasing your strengths. 

Self-publishing a book is a fantastic way to do so and can be quite impressive. However, publishing a paper could be the launching pad to a more in-depth take on the topic later on. 

Just keep in mind that if you are a high school or secondary school student and can commit to the self-publishing process, achieving that author status can largely increase your chances of an acceptance letter from your dream college. 

How to improve college applications: take your next step

Now that you know how to improve college applications with self-publishing, it’s time to get to work. Take advantage of our free Book Outline Generator. Simply follow the prompts and receive an entire outline in seconds. Then get to writing. It’s time to self-publish that book!