Throughout the corona virus lockdown, to pass time I had created a YouTube channel which at this point in time has garnered over 30 thousand subscribers and 1.7 million views. Will this have a positive or negative impact on my college resume(important to note that the videos aren’t PG~swearing)?
You’re 17 or 18, no one expects them to be PG. If you wrote about your channel on your application and referenced the numbers its very likely that your AO will check just to verify but it will definitely have a positive impact if anything. Having a youtube channel is not unique but being successful is so that will really help you. If you didn’t write about it anywhere, your AO probably won’t even know that you have one.
It also depends what the theme of the channel is. Some themes can hurt your chances. So if the theme of your YouTube channel involves hurting people, encouraging unwise, unethical, or illegal actions, or something along those lines, it can be fatal to college admissions. So could any YouTube theme which demonstrates character traits that are the type that colleges dislike.
But having swear words? Won’t make a difference.
Basically, all this social media focus isn’t as impressive as one might hope. Not even at 30k users. It’s usually hardly relevant to what a college IS looking for. It can even say something about an appplicant, when he or she thinks it’s a big deal for college admissions.
Too often, even when there are some college-related thoughts shared, the bottom line is it’s chat, not substantive. In these situations, a hs kid is barely qualiied to offer insights into college admissions or life. Or other topics.
I’d never suggest a kid word it as “to pass the time,” when other activities can be more meaningful.
Keep it on your app, if you want, but lower down in Activities. Aim for a balanced way you describe it. Meanwhile, try to learn what does matter to your targets.