I’m sure there are thousands of students with the same applications and everything, but how do students stand out? Please don’t just say EC’s, leadership roles, etc. Instead, please actually tell me what EC’s I should do, and what leadership roles I should apply for, etc. Thank you!
Essays are a big part of it as well, from what I hear. And why does it have to be an Ivy school?
We don’t know your interests, strengths, or goals - your best resource would be results threads for the past few years
I am certainly not an authority, but after my third child graduating this year I have a little insight. So here is my opinion. Not a fact. Just my opinion.
I would say the big thing that many high school students lack is community involvement such as relay for life, working in a homeless shelter, volunteering etc. Something that shows you care about where you live and those around you. (Not just volunteering one time, but something on a regular basis) It could be a variety of things but something outside of just school.
Also, being involved in awareness groups or social issues. My son (who didn’t want to go to an Ivy) but who was afraid he didn’t have the grades to get in his choice of school amazingly got in and he was low on that bell curve. However, he honestly was very involved in an organization that was bringing awareness to human trafficking, was sponsoring a child in a foreign country, promoted PromRed (an organization that asks highschool students to go to prom in a borrowed suit and dress etc and donate that money that they would have spent to PromRed where it is donated to less fortunate) at his school. He was also a leader in different organizations at school and church. He also started a community bible study for younger guys. These were things he was passionate about.
Find something you are passionate about and volunteer. My son really was passionate about those issues and is still involved in them two years later and yes he is still sponsoring that child! Not that you must do that, just be true to who you are and get out in your community.
Oh, one school actually told us with our most recent child that instead of seeing how the student was involved in ten clubs, they would rather see that they were involved in two where they really invested their time and truly had an impact. Makes sense because my son was only in three organizations at school but with one was very involved as a leader and helped double the organization with some things he implemented during his highschool years.
Again, don’t force it. Try not to think of it as padding your resume so much as thinking about how it will make you a better person for giving back to your community. And when you are a better person you will be a better candidate for that college you want to go to!
In reference to a famous Tootsie Pop commercial to answer your question: The world may never know…
This post appears literally thousands of times on this site. You’re asking for a formula. There isn’t one
It’s not about what ECs you do, it’s how you contribute within them. Think about the things that you naturally add value to and focus on those. It’s naturally easier to contribute more value in something that is a passion or genuine interest. Those are the kinds of details that need to be conveyed in your application.
You want to stand out. That inherently contradicts the idea that you can just follow a magical formula of ECs/leadership roles.
Someone told me when they used paper applications, they tossed them from a balcony and those that landed closest to the X spot, were accepted.
Basically, most schools rate the ECs, Essays, Recs on some scale as welll as the Grades/Class rank, DIfficulty of Courses, Test scores, to come up with some sort of number. Also each school has its own wishlist of what it wants in the new class, and if you have it and not many in that group do, and you are among the best who do have it, then you luck out.
The thing is, if someone has to tell you, then you don’t have it. It changes, it’s a moving target, so some of it is luck. But of those who are left, one has to be the best of that lot. Debate is a good EC, but… to get Harvard to pay attention, you have to be the best in it. Winning the Sieman’s or other national award makes a difference. it’s not so much the activity as how good you are in it.