High School Juniors: Do these 3 things to improve your college application (without even trying)
I’m often asked, “What activities will look good on my application?” My answer: Nothing that you did because it would look good on your application.
Okay, so that’s not entirely true. You certainly can attend a summer program or enrichment activity as a way to expand your horizons. You can do research for a local college or get an internship to accelerate your academic skills in your area of interest. But if money, resources, or family obligations get in your way, don’t feel too bad, as most of these aren’t really the silver admissions bullet most hope they will be anyway.
Why not? Here’s the secret: Anything you do because you think it will look good on your application, you aren’t likely to do well, grow from, or find much value in. Yes, you can check an activities box with it and fill in a brief description in your activities list, but when you try to write about it in an essay or talk about it in a scholarship interview, your motivations and lack of real interest will come shining through.
Instead of chasing a meaningless experience, try this: look at your life as it is right now and find ways to take a step forward into interacting with your own life in a more mature way.
1. Work closely with an adult who isn’t your parent.
You’ve had teachers your whole life, sure, but being someone’s student and working with an adult are different. As you cross that bridge into adulthood, the adults around you will start becoming your peers — in college classes, at workplaces, in the community. Start getting to know them that way.
If you have a job, of course, your supervisor is a good start. If you don’t, think about the organizations you are already involved in and what you might be able to do with them. If school is your main place of community involvement, ask a teacher or the office staff for a special project. Help a science teacher set up labs, correct grammar on freshman writing assignments, join your middle school math teacher’s office hours to help them support more students. When you do, talk to the adults you are working with—tell them about your college and career plans and ask them about their lives or what school was like for them. Ask them for feedback on your performance, and practice using that feedback to improve. Such activities allow you to take on a new role in a space you already know, which is often easier than trying to do so in a new place.
When it comes to your college application, these are the folks to consider for your recommendations, as you have given them the chance to see you develop new skills, face challenges, and grow. They will be able to speak to what they’ve see in you in a meaningful way.
2. Give back.
Colleges often look for community service as an indication of a student’s development. While this emphasis has made many a county fair, fun run, and summer carnival possible, another way to approach this opportunity for growth is to think about who you in particular would like to give back to.
In addition to spending your Saturday mornings handing out Gatorade (I’m a runner — I really do appreciate it!), also consider what you might do for a group or organization that has been a part of your life so far. “Give back” — because they gave to you.
Can you work with your old preschool to collect donations of books or toys? Fix a broken bench at your childhood park? Play a duet with a younger, struggling student at your music school? Be an aide at the summer school you attended? Start with where you came from, reflect on what those places meant to you, and see what kind of “thank you card” you can leave for them. After all, some of these places you may not see again for a while. Not only would the people who knew you be delighted to see you, you can honor the time they spent in helping you grow up.
3. Step up.
Like #2, also consider taking this last opportunity to become a leader in organizations you have been involved in. Whether it’s your youth group, your summer camp, or your school club, you will soon be the “senior” member — you’re likely the oldest and have been with the group the longest. Unfortunately, I see many high school students decide that this is the moment to walk away because they feel like they have “outgrown” these groups. Instead, think of this as your chance to grow by taking on a new role. These organizations need you to step up while you are still with them. Soon, you’ll once again be the “junior member” (or freshman, to be precise)— don’t miss this chance to leave your mark.
I’ve told you to do 3 things, but the savvy among you will realize that many activities will cover more than one — if you take on an officer role in a school club, for example, you’re likely to work closely with that club’s adult advisor. If you do a long-term project for your preschool, you’ll work closely with those teachers.
We know that serving others can have significant benefits to our own mental health, increasing our mood, self-esteem, and happiness. The boost you will gain from these activities will put you in a better position to do well in your studies and even become more involved.
As you consider your opportunities, keep in mind that that colleges don’t look for such activities in your application because they are “required” for admission; they look for them because they are what you should be doing anyway to develop into a well-rounded adult. The applications ask for these activities not to mandate that you do them, but to encourage the growth that they bring.
You are more likely to learn and grow from activities that are personally meaningful. When you write or speak about them, you will be more reflective about how they impacted you. Your application will be better off, even though — and, really, because — you weren’t even trying.
