I feel like I am a very well rounded student. I have 6 different interests so it kind of looks like my extracurriculars are all over the place (astronomy, community service, nutritional research, running a club, mock trial, writing). I know that it is best to focus on one thing throughout high school and get really into that one thing, but what if you have interests in a lot of things and do them equally. Is that worse than being really interested in one thing? I feel like I did what I loved in high school, but am I at a disadvantage in the college admissions process because I look very well rounded instead of sharp on one thing?
It’s not something terrible, but colleges don’t really like well-rounded students. For example, unless what you have done in those six different interests stand out, colleges won’t really take into consideration as much.
Top colleges like rounding. It can show willingness to pursue more than one or two things, that curiosity and more. Unilateral is the real risk.
Where’d you get the idea they want you to focus on one thing? Be sure you know what they really look for. Read what they say, not hearsay. Not only should you, it’ll also help you present your best in your app and supps.
This isn’t like you have 15 different idle things.
This is not even close to being true. So many posts on CC are the blind leading the blind.
@snarlatron there is some truth to the statement that colleges don’t really like well rounded students. Colleges like to see well defined interests and that generally leads to well lopsided students. They prefer a student with achievements in one or two activities rather than student with a million different interests with no real achievement in any of them.
That said, I don’t think this is the most important part of a college app. GPA, test scores and a person’s writing are all much more important. It is better to have interests outside the classroom than nothing at all.
Northwestern University LOVES well-rounded students, and their new ad campaign is “At NU, AND is in our DNA”. Specifically,. they are looking for students interested in more than one area… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_oA5X5pHJ8
No, there really is not. Colleges like to put together a well-rounded class. Some of the members may be well-rounded themselves, while others may be pointy in one area. That said, a student with a focus in only one area and a student with 8 millions different interests will, depending upon the uni, both be disadvantaged. Somewhere in the middle might be better, IMO.
I heard one college president describe the incoming freshman class as “a majority of outliers.” It sounded like he was bragging, that every student was interesting in some way.
There obviously isn’t one answer. It’s totally dependent on what the school wants and what the student offers. A college like Harvard might really be coveting the high achievers who are good at lots of things. A college like U Chicago might love the pure intellectuals. A college like Davidson might love smart, sporty jocks. And within those colleges, there will always be people who don’t fit any one mold. I think @Proudpatriot was right with this statement:
They probably also don’t mind a student who is involved in more than that, but I think the key is real achievement.
Well-rounded does not mean a student presents as an amorphous mess, OP.
You have run a club, served the community and worked within at the same time. Running the club shows the leadership, focus and discipline. Long term involvement with the activities you have listed (if it truly is long-term for any of them), though they are not connected to each other and may seem disparate interests, show commitment.
Truthfully, in the real world, you might be able to write a resume highlighting and showing the points of intersection of the nutritional research, writing, mock trial experience and community service, and the unique preparation your involvement in all of them have given you for the next venture.
You have done what you have done. Spin it in your essays, speak to your hunger. You’ll do well if you’ve presented a strong profile across the board.
It is up to you to create a coherent picture of yourself in your application. I like the essay below that talks about how adcoms will “dub you.” Notice that her examples are not “laser focused” kids: the water polo player who bakes cakes is also a memorable application, even though those activities aren’t related to each other.
It is perfectly fine. High school is a time of exploration for many students. I have heard multiple admissions officers say (I’m paraphrasing…) that they want to create a well balanced class which will include students who are well balanced individuals as well as students who have focused on different interests/talents. Just put forth what you have done confidently and showing your accomplishments in the best light.
@AroundHere: "I like the essay below that talks about how adcoms will ‘dub you.’ "
Yes. My D’16 and I knew instantly after reading one of her essays what she would likely be dubbed. It made us laugh, it made us smile. The dub likely to be chosen, we mused, reflected what she’d shown in the essays about who she was and how she could bend with the wind when necessary.
Even the pointy kids need to show they can integrate and explore. A kid can pursue interests and be open to other activities, at the same time. Depth and breadth.
But OP’s going to need to understand how.
I think it depends on your major and a type of college you are applying to. Some have argued that colleges look for specialists…that is probably true particularly in technical fields.
I think @Lindagaf is right. She said it better than I did. As far as the OP goes, I think that is is fine to have multiple interests but you should have at least one interest with achievement/leadership. I think the OPs list is fine. It shows leadership and also initiative on the part of the OP.
It’s going to be up to OP, how this is presented, the rest of the story. He needs the understanding.
After sitting in on way too many college information sessions, I can tell you that the answer is an resounding “It depends.” Some schools want that very pointy person that is nationally recognized in something. Others want well-rounded applicants that will be involved in multiple activities on campus. And there are colleges that want both.
The way I look at it, is that it is most important that you find a college that works for you. You obviously like being well rounded, and so for you, I think it would be important to find a college where that is valued. (Most likely a LAC. And even if you wanted to do engineering, there are LACs with engineering.) I toured colleges with my D that were clearly looking for students who would be very active and involved in many things. They’re looking for well-rounded students. I remember one tour where they emphasized what percentage of students were involved in service projects and service groups on campus. It was a huge part of the college culture, and I’m guessing they were looking for students with a lot of service hours/projects. And yet another school emphasized the rigor of the curriculum, the standardized test scores and GPA. That school hinted greatly that they wanted pointy and talented in academic areas.
If you can, tour as many different schools as you can/go to info sessions in your area, even if you think you aren’t interested in them. It’ll help you start to piece together what different schools are looking for and what schools will value your well-roundedness.
Thank you for the replies. I just found this on youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtRTFN7noTg
(A question asking whether it is better to be well rounded or be focused on one thing came up in college admissions panel)