Do Extras Matter?
This week we talk about extracurricular activities. You may
remember our newsletter from a few weeks ago about finding your
niche. Let this guide your extracurricular activities as well.
Schools won’t care if you are a member of 10 different clubs.
They will be far more impressed if you are the leader of one or
two activities that have a meaningful impact and are focused on
your intended area of study. Future political scientist? Show
your interest by being a leader in student government and Model
UN, and volunteer for a local political campaign. Aspiring
writer? Work your way to being editor of your school newspaper or
publication, participate in prestigious writing contests, and
start a blog showcasing your work. If you are in the middle range
for a school, these things will go a LONG way to helping you get
in.
Do Extras Matter?
Extracurricular activities DO matter—but only when academics are
strong. On the 1-9 scale, if you’re only a 1-4, that means that
your academics are low enough that extracurriculars won’t make up
for them. On the other hand, if you’re an academic 8-9, college
admissions officers won’t care as much about extras since your
academics are so strong. It’s for the middle range of students
that extracurriculars and leadership really matter. Just remember,
academics are always 75% or more of the decision; once you’re in
the range, THEN extras come into play. To say it another way,
incredible extras won’t make up for mediocre performance.
So, whether you are a rare coin collector, founder of your
school’s history club, tuba player, or editor of the newspaper,
your activities alone won’t get you into a top college. It is
better, however, for you to be a leader in a few activities and
distinguish yourself with a high level of participation in a
particular area rather than be a member of tons of clubs with no
discernable passion for one area. Show a genuine commitment
rather than just signing up at random for a lot of things. In
general, an activity such as debate would be better than simply
attending a year book staff meeting once every few months.
ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TOP HIGH SCHOOL SUMMER PROGRAMS
Showcase your interests by getting more involved! Spend a summer
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Congratulations Everyone!
Michele’s students had record breaking acceptances in the early round of college admissions results for the Class of 2014.
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Ivy League Admissions Statistics
Our exclusive data on the Class of 2014 Ivy League Admissions statistics, now updated for Early Action and Early Admissions for the class entering 2010. See exactly how many students applied and how many were accepted to different schools.
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Michele Talks About College Admissions on Good Morning America
View Michele's appearance on Good Morning America with George Stephanopolous and read the ABC News article, Battle College Acceptance Anxiety With These Tips, that features advice from Michele.
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