This week I've read several articles about colleges seeking authenticity. When perspective students all seem the same with their lists of impressive extracurriculars, standing out and being a "real" person matters more than you may think.

Consider this blurb from a recent Yahoo News article:

"In an age when applicants all seem to have volunteered, played sports and traveled abroad, colleges are wary of slick packaging. They're drawn to high grades and test scores, of course, but also to humility and to students who really got something out of their experiences, not just those trying to impress colleges with their resume.

The trend seemingly should make life easier for students - by reducing the pressure to Puff up their credentials. But that's not always the case.

For some students, the challenge of presenting themselves as full, flawed people cuts against everything else they've been told about applying to college - to show off as much as possible.

At the other extreme, when a college signals what it's looking for, students inevitably try to provide it. So you get some students trying to fake authenticity, to package themselves as unpackaged."

If you're trying to gain admission to an online program from an elite school, be smart, be cultured, be prepared, be articulate. But, also: be yourself.

Check out the full Yahoo article here: Colleges Seek "Authenticity" in Hopefuls.