<p>Hey, first post here, pardon me if I have posted in the wrong part of this forum.
I was hoping to hear some suggestions on how I could "stand out" for Ivy Leagues with extracurricular activities, service, my interests, that sorta thing.</p>
<p>I love photography and longboard in my free time, so I guess that those would be the things that I do the most outside of class.</p>
<p>Music: Guitar (self taught so far), Erhu (chinese instrument), Piano (not anymore)</p>
<p>I was mainly just wondering how I could use photography to reach out to the community and do something special to help others...(and partially stand out)</p>
<p>-I was thinking starting websites and taking pics of the country that I am in and how poverty is real in some places to get funds to donate, etc...
-Would starting a club for photography at my school be good too?</p>
<p>If you guys have suggestions or any things that you have done in the past that had gone along with your passions, would you tell me or give some ideas?</p>
<p>Thanks!
(Pardon me again if I posted in the wrong section)</p>
<p>Starting a club, but only as long as you know some people who would join AND be active, is a good idea.</p>
<p>Meh, doing “standing out” poverty-related activities is so cheesy and uncreative that I personally wouldn’t suggest it. Sadly, though, I guess it would look a bit nice on an app.</p>
<p>Viable applicants don’t one day say:" Hmmm. How will I stand out?"</p>
<p>What will get you in or not into schools like H have already been decided. Either you’re innately a true academic superstar – or you’re not. Either you’re outstanding as a student in your HS community and have what it takes to add to a community such as H – or you’re not.</p>
<p>I interview over a dozen applicants a year for one of H’s peer colleges. The direction to us in the write up is this: everyone starts as a “5” – which means roughly “average given the competitive pool”. I find some I mark lower. I find some that I mark higher. Most just merit a “5” – yet they are super high achievers for the most part. They are who they are. There’s not much to alter that.</p>
<p>Penguin: your die has already been cast. Asking strangers on how to market yourself better as a “stand out” – in my experience – says that you’re most likely not going to stand out. The best thing any Ivy aspirant can do is to focus on top GPA and test scores. How are yours?</p>
<p>Regardless, best of luck to you in your endeavors.</p>
<p>thanks for the helpful advice and kind words T26E4.
Should I try to participate in academic related events, etc on top of striving hard for good grades/test scores, etc?</p>
<p>I agree with T26E4. whatever school you end up at is where you’re meant to be. If you don’t get into Harvard, yeah it’s gonna suck but not everyone is meant to go there.</p>