Hi everyone! I’m currently a sophomore and so far my ECs are:
- NSLI-Y Summer Program
- Model UN (hoping for treasurer in the fall)
- Founder and president of a refugee assistance club
- Community college German classes after school
- Volunteer with local politician
- Had a job since 8th grade
- Student Council
- Tutor at my school's writing center
Next year I will
- Hopefully participate in National History Day! Just learned about it and it seems really cool :)
- Apply for IR/humanities related summer programs, got a few in mind, or try to do research
I’m trying to develop a strong spike because I’m really passionate about IR/politics/that stuff, anything y’all suggest to help or opportunities I might want to know about?
What you have is not a spike so much as a very nice, rounded list of ECs. I think you’d find a program such as Junior Statesmen to be a very enjoyable way to spend a few weeks one summer. Keep in mind it isn’t what you do so much as what you learn and achieve by doing it, and how well you can articulate that growth and evolution in an essay.
It looks like a long list of activities to try to get into college. I’d cut a lot of it and focus on the refugee assistance, if its something you care a lot about (and I assume it is or you would not have founded a club for it). Get out and focus on that; what do these refugees need? How can you help? How can you get your community to best help? Are there particular needs that are not being met by other government or nonprofit resources? Maybe something specific to kids/teeens? Get local newspapers to cover how people in the community can help. Do some research on best ways to help, and act on it. Know the politics around it, locally, nationally, internationally. If you love to write (and it sounds like you do), write about it. Do an Op-ed for the paper… I’d pass on international history day, more summer programs, and focus on how to make an actual difference, not for college, but because it matters. Colleges will see the value in that. A longer list does not make a better student or citizen.
One of the most important things for IR is foreign language fluency. You are taking German at CC, which is great. Are you also studying a foreign language in school?
First try to understand how colleges view “spikey,” whether they like nearly unilateral ECs.
What’s the refugee club actually DO? If you aren’t working directly with refugees here, it has less impact.
What college targets? What service in your own community?