Advice for a rising senior?

Current junior here, planning on applying to some pretty competitive colleges in the 2023 application cycle. These are probably dumb questions but oh well.

First: I plan on starting a science club at the local elementary school (my old school, actually) next fall; I still need to contact the principal for approval but I know that clubs are very very rarely disapproved. This is something I actually want to do because I never had the opportunity to do science activities until high school and that’s obviously not optimal. However does starting an EC right at the beginning of senior year “look bad”? I know consistency is key, and this isn’t very consistent lol.

Next, how can I improve my relationships with my teachers in the month and a half I have left of school? The two teachers I’m planning on asking for letters both did evaluations for me for COSMOS and UCD YSP - I was a COSMOS waitlist and UCD YSP admit, so I assume they were at least decent, but I never read them
 I’ve been a consistent participant in class, ask questions, etc since I genuinely enjoy their classes a lot. Also, do people ever ask senior year only teachers for letters? Does it ever work out?

I’m going to address the LORs. Our experience is many teachers limit the number of letters they write, first come first served. Students ask teachers before the end of the junior year and let them write over the summer when teachers have a bit more time. Most students are told to get one from a STEM teacher and one from a Humanities one. My D asked her 11th grade History teacher and her 12th grade math teacher who also taught her when she was a sophomore.

The issue with waiting to ask a teacher from senior year is they don’t know you well enough in October to write anything compelling and in November/December, there are a lot of holidays and days off from school so it can be overwhelming.

If you plan on asking the two teachers who wrote ones before, ask now. Be aware, too, that you will likely have to waive your FERPA rights and will have no idea what is written.

3 Likes

I would suggest contacting the principal sooner than later. There may be new guidelines or lack of staff to supervise the club.

1 Like

Definitely not a good look. The club would be extant for what? 2 months when you’d be writing your applications


2 Likes

Oh, I forgot to mention — I would actually be moving, or expanding, an online Zoom program I already do with some local children onto an in person school campus. So it’s starting a new club. Not sure if that’s relevant though.

1 Like

Thanks for the advice! Unfortunately though I am not allowed (by school policy) to ask until next fall. Bummer.

If it is a continuation or outgrowth of an existing program you started, then it is worth mentioning: “founded online pandemic era program which is transitioning into an in-person school based
”

4 Likes

The value of starting a club is, by itself, minimal: what gets attention is what you have done over a period of time- the impact you have made, the impact it has made on you. . Moreover, there is the question of what happens after you leave for college- starting something and doing it for the year that it helps you doesn’t say either ‘commitment’ or ‘service’ very clearly. Continue / double down on what you have been doing.

Re: LoRs- if your school policy is that you ask in the autumn, no worries. What you can do this summer is work on what your narrative arc is for your applications, so that you can give the people writing your LoRs better guidance on what you are looking for from your college applications, what you want to highlight, etc.

Are you starting the club because you want to look good on your application or because you really want to start the club? I honestly don’t see an admissions officer giving half a you-know-what about you starting a club beginning of senior year, but maybe one of them can chime in on their thoughts. You’re just another entry in the database for them.

1 Like