Extracurricular accomplishments are difficult to score properly, since they're so diverse and varied by school.
There are nationally recognized organizations and competitions - for instance, Science Olympiad and National Honor Society.
For the rest, it comes down to a qualitative judgment. That's why you should do everything you can to stand out, regardless of what club you're in.
Having worked in the Admissions Office of a Top 20 college (as well as being a former Ivy Leaguer), I've developed a clear perspective on exactly what you need to accomplish in your extracurriculars to stand out.
Here's what you must accomplish:
1) Schoolwide leadership positions such as student government and class council. It's hard to argue with accomplishments that are impressive across your entire school. Harvard will be impressed.
2) Involvement in the ECs where your high school is strong. Most College Admissions Committees know what each school is good at (for instance, Academic Decathlon) - participating in your high school's best areas will help your admissions chances at Yale
3) Anything that leads to national or international honors and prizes - it's so competitive these days that's what you must do for the Ivy Leagues
As I share in Hopeless To Harvard, half of your success is what you accomplish in high school. The other half is how well you present it in the college admissions application.
Focus on describing the impact and results of your leadership and extracurricular activities. Don't just talk about what you did - talk about why it was important and why it mattered to you
Follow these 3 steps, and you'll be opening an admissions packet from Harvard in no time!
There are nationally recognized organizations and competitions - for instance, Science Olympiad and National Honor Society.
For the rest, it comes down to a qualitative judgment. That's why you should do everything you can to stand out, regardless of what club you're in.
Having worked in the Admissions Office of a Top 20 college (as well as being a former Ivy Leaguer), I've developed a clear perspective on exactly what you need to accomplish in your extracurriculars to stand out.
Here's what you must accomplish:
1) Schoolwide leadership positions such as student government and class council. It's hard to argue with accomplishments that are impressive across your entire school. Harvard will be impressed.
2) Involvement in the ECs where your high school is strong. Most College Admissions Committees know what each school is good at (for instance, Academic Decathlon) - participating in your high school's best areas will help your admissions chances at Yale
3) Anything that leads to national or international honors and prizes - it's so competitive these days that's what you must do for the Ivy Leagues
As I share in Hopeless To Harvard, half of your success is what you accomplish in high school. The other half is how well you present it in the college admissions application.
Focus on describing the impact and results of your leadership and extracurricular activities. Don't just talk about what you did - talk about why it was important and why it mattered to you
Follow these 3 steps, and you'll be opening an admissions packet from Harvard in no time!
About the Author:
I was a B+ student who got into Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. I then spent 3 years in the Admissions Office. Hopeless To Harvard is my how-to guide on how you can do it too. Click here to discover secrets to Ivy League admissions. Discover how to get into Harvard now!
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