In getting accepted to Yale, his Eagle Scout project video was ‘a difference-maker’

When Justin Aubin learned that Yale University allowed students to include videos with their application, he was thrilled.

Yale challenged applicants to demonstrate “a community to which you belong and the footprint you have left.”

Justin had the perfect response. He shared a four-minute documentary about his Eagle Scout service project. He led volunteers as they built a monument to honor veterans.

The video proved even more powerful than a well-written essay.

Jeremiah Quinlan, dean of undergraduate admissions and financial aid at Yale, told The New York Times that Justin’s video was “a difference-maker.”

“People sat up in their chairs,” Quinlan told The Times. “You could see how he handled his leadership role, and we felt like we got a good sense of him in a way that we didn’t get from recommendations.”

Justin earned the Eagle Scout rank in 2015 as a member of Troop 1615 of Oak Lawn, Ill., part of the Pathway to Adventure Council.

He’s now a freshman at Yale.

Watch Justin’s video

Justin’s older brother helped him create this video, which documents the planning and leadership involved in Justin’s project.

Thoughts to consider

This story brings a couple of thoughts to my mind:

• We always hear that “Eagle Scout” on the résumé can help a young person get a job or get into college. This is just another in an endless string of examples.
• All Life Scouts should consider documenting their Eagle project with video. A short, well-edited video tells the story of the soon-to-be Eagle Scout’s effort in a compelling way. Has one of your troop’s Eagle Scouts created an Eagle project video? Please share the YouTube link in the comments below.

Thanks to Brent Clark for the blog post idea.

In getting accepted to Yale, his Eagle Scout project video was ‘a difference-maker’