What are some red flags in a college application that not many people talk about?

[DramaMama2021]

@EduQueen @cquin85

The discussion in this thread may be of interest.

Another non-profit!? Think twice

The topic of high school students starting non-profits hoping for a boost to admissions has come up once again in the International Science Olympiads thread. There are great responses there from @aunt_bea and @worriedmomucb. But here are the straight-up facts from a current high school student. (This is one of my favorite quotes on CC.) Bottom line, do not create a nonprofit simply for college applications just to abandon it once accepted. In most cases, if you are really interested in volunteering, seek out established organizations and show an ongoing commitment. Not only will you make a bigger difference in the world, that commitment will make a bigger difference on your college apps. Are there exceptions? Of course. But it seems that non-profits continue to be seen as a must-have item to check for college admissions. I’m not an AO, but I can imagine eyes rolling at yet another nonprofit created by a high schooler to “fulfill a need” that a long-established non-profit already ha…