<p>And don’t overestimate the value of ‘typical’ ECs - there are 30,000 high schools in the US all of them have an editor (sometimes more than one) of the paper, captain of the math team, president of the honor society…These don’t stand out particularly. It’s hard work and leadership, but it’s also not especially interesting. A student with genuine interests that they pursue with intelligence, diligence and creativity - showing some extra initiative along the way - will get much further, even without the words ‘president of’ next to the activity.</p>