Question
I was wondering if I could get some advice on how to increase my extracurricular activities.
I'm currently a rising junior, and I think my academics are strong enough for the best colleges; I have a 35 on the ACT, 800 on Math SAT II, 5s for AP Physics C, and I took Intro to Philosophy at Harvard Summer School and received an A. However, I don't think my schoolwork can stand on its own.
Outside of school, I currently play piano (I've done so for ten years), participate in my school's math team, and participate in an Ocean Sciences Team. I've got nothing other than that, and I was hoping I could get some suggestions on how to be more involved in my community. I was thinking of tutoring, or some sort of community service; is there anything you would recommend?
Answer
Your credentials are definitely strong enough. Unfortunately most students, as you would imagine, also have similar stats if they're applying to the top colleges. For extracurriculars, what you need to do is stand out. Do something different. Everyone does MUN. Everyone is on math team, band, Key Club, etc. What's unique?
I started a tutoring group called Bridge Education. Most importantly, it showed initiative and a commitment to community. Showing that I was a self starter, not just a leader, was HUGE.
Here's a relevant excerpt from my blog with more info, with a slant towards scholarships:
So let's go about this logically. Scholarship committees provide criteria. This is how they judge who wins and who gets their application tossed aside (it's not that harsh but the impact is the same). Read the criteria. Study the criteria. Apply for scholarships when you know you meet and excel at such criteria. Each word has a purpose, so be aware of this. If a scholarship is solely seeking students who have "demonstrated a commitment to community service", then your two-hour participation in a local breast cancer charity walk is not enough to merit a winning application! For example, I founded Bridge Education, a non-profit SAT tutoring organization that provides assistance to disadvantaged students in Central Florida (we are still operating, so if you are interested in the program, send an email to Bridge.Education@GMail.com!) My involvement in Bridge totaled over 750 hours of community service and showed true initiative. This program was probably impressive to the folks at Prudential and allowed me to earn the Prudential Spirit of the Community Award. For a program that focuses solely on community service, your GPA, extracurriculars and job mean nothing! Pay attention to the criteria.
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Anyway, let me know what you think. IMO, you should start a meaningful student group.
