I was looking at my school’s “Brag Sheet” and one of sections was “Please list something special or unique about you and explain what sets you apart from other high achieving students”. The problem here is, I don’t think anything sets me apart from another high achieving student - we all pretty much do the same things - we all have good grades, serve in our community, have some sort of EC - I don’t play sports, so I don’t even have that on top of these other things that everyone else already seems to do — so how does someone even answer this question these days?
Do you have any special honors, awards or achievements? Have you volunteered in a place that no other students have? Have you held a job (relatively few students do compared to days of old)? Did you take a club in a new direction or plan something that the group hadn’t done before? Have you made a difference in anyone’s life, perhaps tutored a kid who struggled and helped them get back on track? Any unusual hobbies or interests? When it comes down to it, think about what thing have you done in high school that you are most proud of doing.
Have you asked your parents with help answering this question? I can honestly think of several things that sets my daughter apart from her equally high-achieving classmates. She too would have trouble answering this question, but upon hearing my suggestions, I’m sure she would agree with my responses. The point being that sometimes it takes an outside perspective.
I’ll bet you have something that sets you apart! When I go through my daughter and her friends, almost all of them have something which sets them apart which has nothing to do with grades or even school-based extracurriculars.
Do you
-have a political cause that is near and dear to your heart?
-volunteer someplace interesting?
-make the best brownies in town?
-invest time in taking care of a younger family member, a senior family member, a family member with a disability?
-speak a second language fluently?
-do origami, juggle, build Rube Goldberg machines, knit, make homemade sushi, raise alpacas, draw cartoons…?
-have an unusual passion or interest that makes everyone go “Oh my gosh…that’s SO caligirl03!”?
Are you
-the friend everyone can count on as the designated driver?
-the family member that non-English speaking relatives can count on to translate?
-the one who brainstorms creative ways the senior class can give back to the school?
-the one who steps forward to organize diversity initiatives?
-someone willing to put in countless hours working behind the scenes on the tech crew so others can shine on stage?
-the organizer of the school carwash, bake sale, etc.?
Hopefully one or more of these ideas sparked a thought! Good luck!
Thank you both…this does give me some things to think about. I guess I just look at myself and think I do the same things as most kids these days, although I don’t feel like “most kids” - if that even makes sense. I know a lot of kids volunteer and take AP classes and have a lot EC’s where they hold leadership positions - I have EC’s, but hold no leadership positions (not for lack of trying) - but I did volunteer as a counselor/tutor over the summer at a non-profit (again, something I see as pretty typical, so I wouldn’t call it a stand out achievement). But I guess I have some life experiences that are different than others, personally that I can talk about. Thanks for the suggestions.