In this article, we are going to be discussing what to do during your high school years to stand out to colleges in the application process. There are many things that you can do but the most important is getting involved within your community as early as possible. It is critical to join many extracurriculars and clubs as a highschool freshman, to establish and forge connections with others. Making a difference within your community is not only beneficial for your college application, but also your life as well. You’ll become friends with new people and discover new passions that perhaps entice you to follow a certain career path.
First, it is important to join school-related activities. Look over what your school offers you, and select a few clubs that you have a genuine interest in or best match whatever career you wish to pursue. However, it is detrimental to simply do clubs because you wish to boost or stack your resume, and overload your schedule. This can result in you quitting all of your clubs, and simply having little to no participation in them. Although it may be hard to decide on a career path as a freshman in high school, at least select clubs that you have the strongest interest in, so that you are more willing to participate. With actual enthusiasm and effort to be willing to contribute, you could perhaps later on become a board member or leader of that specific club, which not only is a good experience, but also an amazing addition to your college application.
Additionally, it could also be beneficial to join a sport, if you like to play and enjoy that specific activity. Not only will it force you to exercise and potentially relieve stress, but it can also be a way to bridge relationships with other people of that specific sport. Also, obviously, if you manage to obtain the pinnacle of high school sports, a varsity letter, it would add to your application. Overall, colleges and universities want to see something that you genuinely have a passion for and the way to prove this is by participating in that activity.
Next, it is important to take classes that challenge your intellectual ability. Obviously, it is also important to take note to not overload your schedule with challenging classes that could derail your GPA or grade-point-average. However, you should take classes that you are interested in and that you are willing to work hard in, to challenge yourself throughout your earlier academic years. It is important to understand the concept of working hard and pushing yourself to your limits in order to succeed beyond your academic life. Additionally, it also correlates with the main purpose of this article: boosting your application and standing out to colleges.
Finally, it is important to research other opportunities outside of the school in order to have something unique within your application. This could be research opportunities at universities, competitions, and even other organizations to join outside of your school walls. You could even help start organizations on your own or with other people. These days, with the internet, nothing is impossible. The world is your oyster, and countless opportunities are at your fingertips.
