<p>I'm a sophomore in high school and I've been working since my freshman year for an ivy league education. I've been concentrating on volunteer work and getting good grades. I'm taking the SATs next year (wish me luck). But I don't feel like I'm doing anything to, you know, stand out.</p>
<p>So I'm asking this: Grades and ECs (which I'm doing a lot of) are important, but Ivies look for much more. I can't afford going to Guatemala during the summer to help orphaned kids, and I don't have real life-changing experiences. How do I build up on something that I don't even have?</p>
<p>I'm sorry if this is vague. I keep seeing all the amazing high school records that all of you have and I can't even start comparing. </p>
<p>Thanks verrryyyy much :)</p>
<p>Yale isn’t impressed because mommy and daddy paid for you to do volunteer work. I’m not saying volunteering in Guatemala would HURT your application, but it doesn’t stand out or help the way it would have 20 years ago. Many Yale applicants do not have some dramatic life story to relate. Normal kids who excel at what they love are the majority who get in.</p>
<p>Take your passions to the highest level possible. That’s how to stand out. A person whose highest level possible of volunteering is helping out one morning for Race for the Cure is different than someone who starts a soup kitchen that is sustained over many years. Show extreme initiative, passion and leadership (leadership does not necessarily mean being president of a high school club) in one or two ECs. Depth is more important in ECs than just belonging to a ton of clubs.</p>
<p>I never did anything extraordinary, but then again, I was waitlisted. Even so, it was a major accomplishment for my family and me. I was never in the top ten in the class (after freshman year I was in the sixties, and I am now sixteenth), I was co-editor in chief of the school newspaper, I volunteered, I tutored, and joined 2 clubs. Besides newspaper, I didn’t hold a major leadership position in my other EC’s. I did start an annual writing fundraiser at my school, and took on more AP classes than anyone has ever done at my school. My essay was pretty unique, and I think my teacher recommendations were great. So all in all, it sounds like you’re on the right track. Don’t get caught up thinking (like I did) that you have to win any national competitions or get any major recognitions to have a shot at Yale.</p>
<p>Don’t try to do something “out of the box”. </p>
<p>Not everyone can afford to fly to Africa for volunteering work, which is basically a safari trip worth thousands of dollars…</p>
<p>Just do the best with your local circumstances, work hard, and hope for the best. I didn’t have any national awards, or special talent. I just took full opportunity of what I had around me.</p>
<p>I was just admitted to the Class of 2013, and I never had an earth-shattering experience. </p>
<p>I am white and middle class from Pennsylvania, pretty run-of-the-mill.</p>
<p>So here’s what I think made the difference. Around the start of my sophomore year, I knew I was stretching myself pretty thin trying to look like I was a high achiever. I was in so many random activities I couldn’t even tell you what they all were. So I decided that I loved to play sports, sing, and take math and language classes… and I put all of my energy into doing these few things excellently for the following three years. And in the end, not only did this help me get into college, but I feel like I actually had a good high school experience. Rather than dragging myself through a mad attempt to be involved and in charge of everything, I was able to really care about what I was doing (while still maintaining a degree of well-roundedness).</p>
<p>And when you get around to your actual college process… do whatever you have to do to put your scores in the 1500+ range. I saw friends of mine who were incredibly awesome and qualified get denied or waitlisted because of average scores (I know this because our guidance counselors call admissions to ask). Also, make sure to put a lot of energy into EVERY supplement you do. Trust me, they can tell… and it makes all the difference.</p>
<p>Good luck though!! :)</p>
<p>wow thanks so much for the answers!! they help A LOT considering the fact that before this I believed that only students that published best selling books and won super super impressive awards got into Yale. I should guess again.</p>
<p>a2013yalie I have a question. </p>
<p>It’s almost the end of my sophomore year and I’m running out of time, considering the fact that the application process starts in the beginning of senior year. That leaves me with about one year to dive into my passions. </p>
<p>I’ve realized that I have a talent in writing and communication, as in talking in front of a giant group of people. So now that I know my passions, I have to put “energy” , as you said" into them. But what do you mean by “energy”. Do the best that I can do? Start something phenomenal in my activities? I’m having a hard time grasping that, and I know all about leadership, but that’s not the only thing that makes me stand apart from everyone else. </p>
<p>Thanks! </p>
<p>And keep the answers coming 
I would love to know your experiences throughout high school and how you managed to get into the college of your dreams.</p>
<p>Don’t worry, you’re definitely NOT out of time. If it was your junior year…then you should be worried but you have plenty of time to let that talent shine through.</p>
<p>Get involved in debate or speech contests/clubs/events. Take every opportunity you get to speak in front of people. </p>
<p>Continue doing what you love to do. Strive to be the best you can be.</p>
<p>Let them see how important your ECs are to you. It doesn’t have to be extraordinary but you need to make it clear that it’s something you care about. </p>
<p>Good luck!!</p>
<p>Just find what you enjoy. Music, art, debate, sports?
Maybe join speech and debate to see how you like it. Or join math/science clubs, participate in math/science competitions. Or join a sport. Just try to stay in the ones you enjoy doing, and excel in them. Be a leader in all that you do.
Make sure your grades/test scores are top notch, which will make you highly competitive.
But overall, I don’t think this “Ivy League education” really matters.
Just find what you’re passionate about, and develop your work habits/ethic to succeed in college. So then wherever you go, you will be happy and succeed.
Last year as a sophomore, I didn’t do much. I did take some AP classes and studied a lot, got good test scores, joined math/science clubs/competitions.
I think sophomore year is just setting you up for junior year. Participate and find out what you are interested in this year, then succeed in junior year.
I think it’s too late to apply to most summer programs. Maybe take a summer college class? Or a regular summer school class? Or get started in volunteering?</p>
<p>be warned that even if you do find out what your passions are, and pursue them and excel and just naturally end up in leadership positions in those areas and are definitely focused on those while still being well-rounded and academically stellar - you might still get rejected. while others who have been in 4 different clubs (a different club each year of high school) and no leadership positions will get in. so try not to think about it too much. it’s incomprehensible.</p>
<p>“Ivy League education”
**** that</p>
<p>You’d get a better education (not opportunity-wise, not prestige-wise – just pure education-wise) going to a top liberal arts school like Amherst, Pomona, or Williams…</p>
<p>You often get taught by TA’s at Ivy League institutions. Not so at LAC’s.</p>