Today I learned that 3% of Twitter’s servers are devoted to Justin Bieber.

Really???

Considering the fact that my CollegeBound Network colleagues and I like to tweet quite a bit, and that none of those aforementioned tweets nor our #CollegeBound chat had anything to do with The Biebs, it’s safe to say that there are loads of teens and tweens out there that are on Twitter with a bad collective case of Bieber Fever. So why am I writing about Justin Bieber in a college-related blog?

Wait for it…..

Yes, Justin Bieber’s meteoric rise to fame can indeed be compared to your quest to get into college. Allow me to explain…

A friend of mine who, most decidedly, is not a Justin Bieber fan, reminded me (thanks, Dave!) that The Biebermeister isn’t actually all that talented. Yes, he is cheek-pinchingly adorable and that hair deserves a Twitter account of its own (perhaps @BiebHair?) But really, if it weren’t for a well-timed YouTube video, and the fact that young record executive Scooter Braun just so happened catch a glimpse of that video, well then, Justin Bieber would be starting another year of high school in Toronto right about now.

Before I unleash the wrath of millions of Beliebers, hear me out: Yes, JB can sing. (Me, I can’t carry a tune in a bucket.) But he’s not the world’s most phenomenal singer. He just happens to be a daily reminder that incredible things can happen to people when they show up at the right place at the right time.

Now, about Justin Bieber’s connection to your college search. Consider this: Even if you don’t have straight As or a stellar SAT score, you might really rock an admissions interview. Or you’ve might have done enough community service (not court-ordered, of course) to rival AmeriCorps. Or perhaps you can speak Esperanto. Whatever it is that makes you look far better in real life than you do on paper, get it out there—and yes, it might include a YouTube video. (In fact, Tufts University encourages you to do so).

If YouTube isn’t your thing, then consider old-fashioned networking instead. Networking is usually associated with business professionals who are trying to find a new job or their next client, but for you who are trying to find your next school, it also works extremely well. So shake hands with an admissions counselor. Talk to a professor in your would-be major. Fist bump with a football player. Get noogies from a frat brother. Whatever it (legally) takes to get your winning personality out there and in the eyes of those already on campus, do it. Your spot in the Class of 2015 might depend on it.

Again, if YouTube worked for Justin Bieber—and, really, there’s no argument there—then perhaps it can work for you. Grab your Flip cam and start uploading. Maybe you’ll catch the eye of an admissions counselor with some down time, and the rest will be history.

–Barbara Bellesi