I am a Junior and currently I have a patent-pending. I am betting this will help in college admissions, but to what extent? It is not the same as saying “I have a patent” because it could still be denied, and will probably take a long time until I get a definite answer.
Is this something that really improves your chances at some top schools?? If my grades are on the border, is this the kind of thing that seals the deal?? (assuming this isn’t the only EC)
No.
It’s cool and can improve your app as much as any other cool ec
Having a patent pending isn’t going to do you any good at all, really.
Now, whatever it is that you have created and are trying to patent, well, that could be something that would help you on an application - depends on what it is, how you describe it, etc…
Patent pending is a great extracurricular to have, and it looks great toward admissions officers as they see it as a sign of commitment and going above and beyond what a normal high schooler would do.
But there are some catches. Especially in today’s age, anyone can file for a patent and have it be pending. Does your patent-pending invention have an important purpose? Does its purpose synchronize with your interests and your passions? Not all patents are equal, and inventions that show true commitment and applicability to your own application and to the world will reign above those that seem to be made just for an EC
oh yeah, and another thing, colleges are aware of how parents can easily file a patent. Make sure you do the process.
if you can passionately talk about whatever you created for your patent, then surely it will help.
if colleges believe that you did not put that much effort into the patent, and/or someone else did a lot of the work then it will not help you