My parents love to tell me how my college application process was quite a different experience than theirs. Back in their day, students applied to only a few schools and moving far from home was out of the question. Since then, high school students have started broadening their horizons, researching and considering universities all across the country. This trend shows that universities are now trying to expand their brand to gain attention from kids across America in almost any way possible. Colleges try to sell their image of a wholesome academic institution, full of opportunities to study abroad, meet new friends, and ensure a successful future. However, a string of viral videos that depicts the exact opposite are making a significant impact on prospective students today.
The “I’m Shmacked” Youtube series is a powerful recruiting tool for colleges. It has influenced the way high school students view potential universities. Starting last year, these videos have documented the social scene at many American colleges in a short weekly feature. The clips show the universities’ prized students taking bong rips, throwing back shots, chugging out of beer bongs, and acting like stereotypical college kids, exactly what an esteemed university would not want associated with its image.
However, if one takes a step back from shock of being able to see college kids partying from their computer screen, there is actually a value in this for the universities themselves. When colleges come to give their talks to high school kids selling their school, they mainly limit the presentation to all things academic related when portraying the positives of their universities’ experiences. Of course, high school kids are also aware that, while important, obtaining a degree in college is not the only focus of much of the student body. For an impressionable teenager who is always looking for more schools to apply to or wants a reason to like a particular college more, “I’m Shmacked” is perfect way for a school to become etched in that teenager’s mind.
The “I’m Shmacked” videos have gotten millions of hits on Youtube, with the University of West Virginia Saint Patrick’s Day video gaining more than 600,000 views alone. The videos are all synced to upbeat music and make that school look like the coolest college in the country. When high school kids are trying to decide where they want to spend their next four years, they look at the big picture and take every little detail into account when judging a university. When I was looking for what college to attend, I would go on each and every website to get as much information about every aspect of that school’s experience that I could. I read reviews, I looked at photographs, and I went on campus tours. After a while, all the information thrown at you tends to become exhausting and monotonous. For a high school student who wants to know what the social scene of a college they have heard so much about is like, the three-minute, highly entertaining “I’m Schmacked” videos are unique in their ability to have an impact on kids choosing what college to attend.
“I’m Schmacked” also shows aspects of the school that are not just party-related. Jeffery Ray, the 19-year-old college student making all of the videos, films the campus during the daytime and splices in some shots into his final product to show that college is not only about partying.
Ray also claims that he has heard from many high school students that his videos have convinced them to work harder on grades so they can be accepted to a school he features. It is true that some of the most exciting videos are also filmed at some of the most well known academic schools in the country (NYU, Michigan, Wisconsin, etc.) and portrays each college in a way that highlights aspects other than the school’s established academic reputation. In addition, the videos feature many smaller schools too, combating the stereotype that big public schools are the only way for students to have a social life.
While it would be insane for a university to endorse or even acknowledge these videos, in terms of attracting students’ interest it is quite beneficial. The videos do not portray a school in a favorable light to parents, but most parents will not base their decision on whether or not to send their child to a school solely from a video showing a small amount of students looking like idiots.
I am not suggesting that high school students are now choosing what college to attend based only upon a three minute clip on Youtube. However, one would be foolish to think, in a process where every little detail counts, that for better or worse these videos do not have an impact on many high schoolers. In a time when colleges compete for any edge they can have to attract as many potential students as possible, they should not only work on their formal presentations to students, but also secretly hope “I’m Shmacked” rolls into town.
What was the biggest influence on your college decision? Please send all feedback to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
