Oftentimes, high schoolers wait until their junior and senior years to begin building their college resume. The thing is, this should start your freshman year. Consistency and long-term achievements make the greatest applicants. I was one of those students. As a senior who got into my dream school, I have a list of the five impactful things I did during high school that helped me.
Have Academic Goals
Academic goals starting freshman year will keep you motivated and on track. But what do I mean when I say academic goals? Is your goal to become valedictorian or to maintain A’s and B’s every marking period? You should create short-term and long-term goals. A short-term goal may be, maintaining straight A’s for all marking periods, and your long-term goal may be to be in the top 5% of your class.
Show Commitment to Extracurriculars
Whether it’s a cultural club, sports, STEM-related clubs, or humanities-related, commit to at least one, throughout your four years. These clubs, volunteering opportunities, sports, and others don’t have to directly align with your future career, but showing commitment throughout a long duration of time is what colleges want to see. Since applicant pools are becoming increasingly competitive, especially at top institutions, it’s best to focus and dedicate your time to one to three extracurriculars.
Get a Job
Having a part-time or summertime job shows your continued commitment to non-academic things. It also shows your drive and your proactive attitude. For most colleges, working a part-time job and maintaining good grades can be very beneficial, since it shows your great ability of time-management.
Focus on a Certain Aspect of the College(s) You Are Interested In
If you have an idea of which institutions you are interested in applying and attending, research what each college values most. Do they value community service? Or do they value high SAT scores and rigorous courses? Do they care about sports? These are things that can be found online or on Naviance. When you find the things that the college values, then try to focus on that area.
Apply & Attend a Summer Program
As my final point, I strongly recommend attending a selective and merit-based summer program during your sophomore, and/or junior year. Numerous summer programs at prestigious institutions relate to specific careers, such as in STEM, law, and many more. A few programs that I strongly encourage high schoolers to apply to are the Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS), Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES), Bank of America Student Leaders program, Telluride Association Summer Seminar (TASS), and Research Science Institute (RSI). These programs provide you with plenty of opportunities and experiences in the fields that interest you. I attended the SAMS program during the summer of 2024, and it provided me with clarity on what to do after high school. I also made meaningful connections with other students with similar interests to mine, as well as professors, teacher assistants, and students who attend Carnegie Mellon University.
These are just a few things that helped me get into Villanova University. Balancing these commitments while maintaining strong grades is challenging, however, strong time management skills will make it achievable. It is very easy to leave things to the last minute and cram before a test. However, in the end, you will see that all your hard work has paid off, and you’re making your dreams come true.
