Hi! I’m super sad because my HS Junior applied to our local congressman’s youth advisory council. She got an interview based on her application answers, but must have bombed that interview because today she recieved notice that she wasn’t selected. She is very shy, and highly anxious. She is unable to talk about herself because it feels like bragging to her. I fear that this will hold her back from any competitive internship or EC activities. She is applying as an Environmental Science major, and Political Science minor so that she can be involved in crafting pro-environment legislation. She works at a nature center now, but she needs more…Any suggestions for Environmental ECs that don’t need a sparkling personality? 
Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!
Your child doesn’t need a sparkling personality to find a college that is good for her. You don’t know why she didn’t get the award. Maybe she did better in the interview than you think. Hopefully you weren’t present when she had it. You have no idea what the others had in their applications.
I doubt it was her interview anyway. Adult interviewers know that teens are awkward, inexperienced, and shy. An important award isn’t going to be based on just the interview.
Your daughter is going to grow and mature. Let her be herself. She should apply to a range of reach, match and safety schools. Many schools don’t do interviews, so she can apply to a few of those. Or, she can just not request an interview. But interviews are useful practice for the adult world. She should do them when she can because they will help her gain confidence.
Thank you! I was definitely not home. I stayed out until she texted it was over. I have no idea how good or bad it was, but I assumed it was bad or she would have gotten it. But, you’re right, maybe others were just more qualified in their other ECs or volunteer work. I know she will grow and mature, she just turned 16. As for college interviews, she’s only applying to the UCs and I don’t think they do interviews. Hopefully this was a learning experience for her…
I don’t think there’s any reason to conclude that she “bombed the interview.” It was competitive and they chose someone else over her. There should be no shame in that. Is she super sad about it, or just you? It seems like an awful lot of pressure, whether you express it overtly or not, to be fretting that her prospects have already dimmed because of this.
Working at a nature center sounds good! If she likes that setting, maybe the approach to take is to discuss how she could build on her role there. Is there an independent project she could take on, to further the work of that organization? Could she involve others from her school? Our extrovert-centric culture is all about Leadership Roles, but sometimes real leadership happens when people immerse themselves in work they find worthwhile, identify a problem for which they could be part of the solution, and take initiative to make that happen.
It she’s passionate about what she’s doing, then speaking out won’t feel like bragging, because she’ll be selling ideas she believes in rather than just selling herself. That’s a very good place to start. Lots of anxious introverts have made an impact in the world; she doesn’t have to be someone she’s not, in order to do things that are important. College will give her many opportunities to blossom. What will help her is to have a mindset of looking for opportunities (and colleges!) that will fit her and meet her where she is, not give her the message that she’s in a race against time to become the “high-octane self-starter” before failure and mediocrity overtake her. She’s very young; she has time to evolve, and the more accepted she feels for who she is, the easier that evolution will be.
This was great experience for her and it is wonderful that she put herself out there. She is not going to get everything she apples for.
I agree with @aquapt, encourage her to grow her role at the nature center. Most colleges will value depth and taking on new responsibilities at one place over a bunch of ECs added mid year junior year. If they do any advocacy or policy work she could volunteer to help with that.
At school, as they try to get in school activities back to normal, maybe she can revive her school’s earth day or recycling program. Have her keep track of the number of people she gets involved or other numbers and positive things.
If there is a regional science fair, she still has time to put together something simple for a regional level and there are awards for lots of different categories. It is also great experience to interview with adults.
I look forward to hear where she applies to college next year.