How to build up awards/what to do with good stats but no awards

Applying to College
1

Hi! I’m a junior and I’m hoping to apply to college next year, and apply to summer programs this year (SSP, MITES, MOSTEC, RSI, SAMS, TASP, and Governor’s Honors Program in my state). My issue is that I have a lack of awards, and I also don’t have any leadership positions in my extracurriculars. Here’s why:

Awards:
On the topic of awards, I hadn’t even known of many of them until I saw them on CC. My clubs are all team activities (Robotics (FRC), Academic Bowl, Debate). My school doesn’t have a science fair, and I hadn’t even heard of contest math or contest programming until I saw it on college confidential.

Extracurriculars:
I have 3 competitive ECs: FRC, Academic Bowl, and Debate. Debate and Academic Bowl exclusively assign leadership roles based on age - only seniors can get leadership roles. FRC doesn’t assign leadership roles to sophomores, and I doubt it’s even gonna happen in 11th grade for COVID reasons. I’m also running for SGA, but I’m not able to be class president until 12th grade - I’m not allowed to run.

Stats wise I’m doing really well - I’ve taken 5 AP courses so far, with all 5s and one 4 (on APUSH). I’ve taken a lot of dual enrollment courses in programming (albeit at a local technical college), and I’m taking linear algebra through dual enrollment this semester. I’ve also started the IB diploma - so 5 of my 7 classes are IB, one is dual enrollment linear algebra at a really high ranked school, and one is Latin.

I also have a 36 ACT composite, with a 35 on math and writing and a 36 on reading and science. I don’t have SAT IIs. I was planning to take them at the end of sophomore year but then Covid happened.

Is there any way I can get awards in stem by the time I apply to summer programs in january? I was planning on working on USACO. I’m also planning on working on some programming projects to supplement my lack of awards.

2

I wouldn’t get too hung up on a medal, certificate, or title. The depth or your commitment and the impact you have in the activities in which you participate can be just as meaningful. You should be reaching and challenging yourself. Awards can be one way of showing you did that, but they aren’t the only way. You have a lot going for you even without an award.

3

Thanks!

I’m aiming for a T10 school or T20 school, but I know it’s always a lot chance. Specifically, I’m aiming super super hard for MIT - I can’t explain it but it’s just incredibly perfect (but that’s a rant for another time).

I’m curious if you think I’d be better off investing my energy into:

  1. Team extracurriculars like debate and robotics and academic bowl
  2. Programming Projects
  3. Competitive activities like prepping for AMC 12 or USACO

I’m leaning towards 1 and 2 only because:
A. 3 takes a while to do - it wouldn’t work for summer program application
B. I’m already on my way for 1 and 2

4

Well, MIT’s probable preference would be AMC 12/AIME & USACO, then team ECs, then programming projects. Then again, don’t live your high school life for the slim shot at MIT. Even MIT itself would tell you that. Google “MIT Applying Sideways”.

5

Another question I had was about research internships. They’re always mentioned as this thing you should always try to get - but they always seem so opaque. Do people usually get them through preset programs? And where do they find these programs? The only ones I could find in my area (atlanta) was a program for minority students, and I don’t think I qualify.

And also, I know it’s not a research internship, but would top schools also view work internships in the field as beneficial? They aren’t research, but they’re still in the field and show interest?

And lastly (sorry for all the Qs), am I better off focusing on one or two ECs to get really good at, and other ECs that I’m not pushing as hard into, or should I also try to be broad? I know MIT only allows you to submit a certain number of ECs - I’m wondering that same logic they use is a logic other schools use

6

You are generally better off with limited EC’s where you can substantiate high quality contributions and impact. This can be for individual or team activities. Leadership does not necessarily equate to titles. It means taking on roles and responsibilities where you are driving, directing and coordinating the efforts of a group.

7

Now you’re throwing things at the wall to see what sticks. That won’t get you in to any T50. Did you read “Applying Sideways” yet?

If I had to guess, I would say most “research internships” held by high schoolers are stumbled upon through nepotism. They say more about your connections than your skill. Colleges are happy to see a paying job on your resume - any job. If it is a plain old internship, that’s fine too. If it is a paid one, that’s probably even better, because it says the work you’re doing has monetary value to the organization.

As BKSquared mentioned, focus on limited ECs where you can have an impact and that are meaningful to you.

And for heaven’s sake, you can’t say MIT is “incredibly perfect” for you if you haven’t read “Applying Sideways”. That just smacks of not having done your research thoroughly.

8

Agree with @Groundwork2022 on internships. I made both my kids work in real jobs at restaurants over the summers even though we know plenty of doctors, lawyers, professionals that they could have “shadowed”. They both were accepted into multiple T20’s. In fact, S’s job as a busboy was a great conversation piece when he interviewed and got a consulting internship summer of soph year and his NYC IB internship summer of junior year.

9

I guess you’re right there - I’ll probably see what jobs I can get at nearby companies - hopefully online, what with what’s going on.

Thanks for the help! And finally (hopefully) getting it into my head what exactly I need to do to “apply sideways” (as it turns out, just do what I enjoy).