Many high school students share their worries with us about not having enough extracurricular activities to get accepted to their dream schools. They often worry that stellar grades and test scores just won’t be enough, especially when comparing their activities list to their peers. Although reflection is key to an outstanding application, evaluating your candidacy can be difficult – David knew he needed a third-party perspective.
We started by actively listening to David’s concerns and assuring him that extracurricular activities come in many forms. When college hopefuls think of extracurriculars, they often think of sports, clubs, or volunteer work; however, there are many other activities that can level up their applications.
We take time to get to know each of our candidates beyond the surface level. Our expert team learned more about David, his background, interests, and passions. After our kickoff call, we learned that David has held a part-time job as a cashier for two years, regularly cares for his two elementary school-age siblings, and is an avid painter.
We helped David discover that these three main activities count as college extracurriculars.
We learned that David had created a website and managed an online store to sell his landscape paintings. Even with very little advertising, David’s “fun hobby” translated into more than $3,000 in profit in one year. We helped David frame his hobby as his first venture into business, highlighting his creativity, time management, and customer service skills. His entrepreneurial spirit would contribute to any business program.
As for his part-time job, David is an expert at money management, often training new cashiers on how to use the registers. Finally, David’s commitment to caring for his siblings demonstrates his compassion and leadership.
David applied to 15 schools and was accepted at five: Ohio State University, UMichigan, UNC-Chapel Hill, Boston University, and UVA. David decided the University of Michigan was the right school for him.
