Hi! I’m aiming for some pretty competitive schools, and I don’t think I have very many impressive awards. Are there any competitions/awards I can pursue as an incoming senior before most of my college apps are due (Jan. 1)?
Competitions/awards to pursue as rising senior to put on competitive college app (deadline: Jan. 1)?
At this point, your talents and skills should be pretty well defined. Teachers and GCs can inform you if your unique abilities qualify you for competitions or awards.
What area are you best at? Do you exceed your fellow high-schoolers in some academic area, sport, music, writing or other EC?
@fauve The thing is… the school I go to isn’t very competitive and doesn’t offer many opportunities that are particularly outstanding.
I’d say I’m best at the humanities: writing (probably my strongest), history, classics (Latin), and poly sci (speech/debate/mock trial). Also, if there are any awards/competitions related to leadership (something where I’d have to lead/manage) or something similar, I’m game for that as well!
Put some effort into googling opportunities. Look through students’ profiles on results pages here on CC to see what sort of competitions people have done.
You don’t have much time to get results from entering some competition. And with some few exceptions (a handful of competitions,) the outside validation isn’t what top schools look for.
@fauve I’ve tried looking into Google and on CC, but almost all of the results come out after Jan. 1.
@lookingforward I feel like I don’t have very many awards to put on Common App though… I have one national and a few state awards, but I feel like that’s not enough.
I know they like the Scholastic Art & Writing Contest, but those results come out later.
Well, if it is too late, use what you have and hope for the best. Once at college, remember to seek opportunities as early as possible.
Lots of great kids don’t have many awards. CC tends to think hierarchically, that higher stats or more awards, more titles, equals more desirable. Not. And it’s CC, a few posters, who push Scholastics. Your hurdle is going to be how you present yourself in what you have done, choices and commitments made, responsibilities, and your writing- that’s about how you come across in the full app package. You need to know what these schools look for.