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Hey there, it's John again. There are several things colleges look for in their applicants besides GPA and test scores. One thing that may set you far above the other applicants is the extent to which you are involved. I just want to tell you a little bit about the types of Extracurricular Activities I recommend and provide some examples of the types of groups I was involved in during high school. I will separate this into two categories: Extracurricular groups and volunteer work.
EXTRACURRICULAR GROUPS: These groups include academic clubs (Quiz Bowl, Math Club, Science Olympiads, etc.), sports teams (football, basketball, etc.), service oriented clubs (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc.), and religious oriented groups (Youth Groups, missionary groups, etc.). If you can obtain high level positions in these organizations, they will help advance your chances of success in the admissions process. The more variety you can fill yourself with, the more you will stand out in the application process. For example, someone who has a high GPA and is only involved in academic clubs will be no better off than someone with a relatively high GPA that is involved in academic clubs, sports teams, and service oriented clubs.
Some of the clubs and positions I served in during high school include Boy Scouts - Assistant Scoutmaster; Student Government - President; Beta Club - President; Quiz Bowl; Tennis Team; Soccer Team; Drama Club; Crossfire Youth Group; Advisor to the Superintendent. These are just some examples of the types of groups I recommend. This list represents a good variety of the aforementioned types of groups.
VOLUNTEER WORK: This is something that colleges pay special attention to even though it is an uncommon occurrence on applications. When filling out your applications for college, be sure to include ALL of your prior volunteer service. This can be service through religious affiliated groups, service oriented groups, or just volunteer projects that you design. If you have not yet done any service, it is not too late. Just get out there today, think about what your community needs, and act soon! Volunteer work can be as simple as collecting food for your local food pantry or as in depth as repairing homes.
Some of the volunteer work I included in my college applications include: Planning food drives for the local food pantries, going on mission trips to other states and helping repair dilapidated homes, holding voter registration drives in local high schools to register students for the upcoming elections, and erecting a flag pole, dedication site, and handicap accessible sidewalk in my local park for my Eagle Scout service project. These different types of service amount for over 300 hours and helped me get accepted into Cornell University.
These are just some suggestions of the types of activities you should get involved with while you still have the chance. My SAT score was well below average for the colleges and universities I applied to, yet I was still accepted. If not for these various groups and multiple service activities, I probably would not have gained admittance into certain prestigious universities.
This one goes out to all the underclassmen. Are all your friends already preparing for college? Do you feel lost in the whole process? When should you start?
Again, I speak from experience when I say this: start extracurricular activities from freshman year. In a later blog, we'll explain which activities you should get involved in, and how much you should participate in them. However, remember that it's never too late to get involved. See the "extracurricular activities" blog for more information.
As far as visiting schools is concerned, I did not start until the summer going into senior year, and even then I only visited about four of the ten to which I applied. This, however, was a big mistake . I advise that you visit schools from the middle of your junior year. Colleges like that you express a genuine interest in them. When you do visit the schools, always take a guided tour, and make sure they get your name. They usually have some sort of sign up sheet for the tours in which you provide your information (name, address, etc). You want a place on their records; this is one way to differentiate yourself from the application pool. There's almost always a place on the application, be it an essay or short answer, where you say what about the school appeals to you, and visiting will definitely help. As a bonus, they sometimes give application-fee waivers for visiting. Visit your reach and match schools.
Make sure you ask for letters of recommendation from teachers before senior year (such as the end of junior year AT LATEST). Teachers have a myriad of these to write, and you want yours to be given extra time; a full summer is copious. You should start the actual applications at the end of the summer / beginning of your senior year. This will give you ample time for early decision / action and essay writing. More about that later.
Timeline Recap:
Extracurriculars: All throughout high school; never too late to start
Visiting schools: middle of junior year; the prime time is your spring break when schools are in session
Recommendation Letters: By the end of junior year
Applying: Beginning of senior year
We'll go in depth in later blogs on all these subjects. Also, feel free to send questions by commenting on this blog, the Open Discussion blog, or by email.
