By Emily Rivard

Each one of us remembers that stressful time during senior year of high school when college applications were due. We struggled to fill out each form, to write an essay and somehow to try to make ourselves stand out amongst the thousands of other applicants. We hoped to show something about us that was different-unique and better than all the other hopeful candidates.

The University has already received thousands of applications this year months before deadline, including some hopefuls who even sent their applications in July, said a source from the Admissions office that would only speak on the condition of anonymity.

Yet in this struggle to get ahead and make yourself stand out, some applicants are going to the extremes.

Several of the thousands of applications that the University has received have come with certain “extras.”

“People have sent pictures of themselves on every single page of the application,” said the source. “They have wallet-size pictures on each page and then they include an eight-and-a-half by 11 inch professional picture.”

Yet, apparently, some feel that just hard copies of pictures are not enough. “We’ve even gotten CDs,” said the source. “They have power point slide pictures of the applicant or music that they’ve made.”

With about 62 percent of applicants accepted at the University, according to CollegeBoard.com, one must do everything possible to ensure that he or she is included in this restrictive number.

“Some applications come in portfolios,” said the source. “It’ll be in a three ring binder with a table of contents and a résumé. Sometimes, some of the applications will even have recommendations from parents.”

Although these applicants are working hard to ensure that their extra effort is noticed, the Admissions office cannot hold all of the extra materials that are sent. “We’re not allowed to keep certain things, like CDs-we have to throw them out,” said the source. “What people don’t realize is that they send unnecessary things that just get ignored.”

In addition to promoting the applicant, sometimes materials that are sent are completely irrelevant. “We’ve even gotten a few applications that have ads in them-like products from their parents’ companies, or just random ads.” Applicants must feel that these extra items will give them a boost to help get them into the University.

Although many people have been working overtime to make their application stand out, the Admissions office reiterates that the only thing that makes an application stand out is the application itself. “Your essay, grades and transcript should speak for themselves.”