Interact is a Rotary Club for students aged 12-18, offering opportunities for community service and volunteering. This club is sponsored by a school or community, and its main objective is to cultivate global understanding, goodwill, and peace through a collective of youth dedicated to service.
Extracurricular activities can be associated with a school, such as sports teams or clubs, or completely separate. Interact is the community service program for Rotary International, chartered in 2007 by the Rotary Club of San Antonio at The Dominion. Its motto is Service Above Self. Interact clubs organize at least two projects every year, one that helps their school or community and one that promotes international understanding.
Volunteering is considered an excellent extracurricular activity, but it is important to note that to “Count” for admission to an elite private US college, students must participate in at least two projects each year. Interact Clubs are dedicated to community and international service, and every project, great or small, has a lasting impact on the community.
To join Interact Club, contact the club to find out how to join its next meeting, service project, or community event. Find a Rotary club near you and discover everything you need to know about Interact Club.
Interact Club provides young people with opportunities to participate in fun and meaningful service projects while developing their skills and interests.
📹 The Extracurricular Activities that Top Colleges Do/Don’t Want to See
Today, we’ll be talking about how there is no list of the extracurricular activities that top colleges, like the Ivy League, want/don’t …
What is the difference between Key club and Interact Club?
Interact focuses on local community, global service, and understanding, completing at least two community service projects annually. Interact clubs participate in projects like Habitat for Humanity and environmental cleanups. Key club focuses on community service, individual leadership training, character building, and inclusiveness, often participating in local projects like clothing and food drives. Key opportunities for community involvement depend on future goals.
Interact clubs offer international leadership opportunities and Rotarian sponsorship programs, while Key club focuses on building community and personal growth. Kiwanis, the organization’s mother organization, provides numerous opportunities for young members to engage in community activities. Both clubs aim to provide opportunities for growth and development in their respective communities.
What type of club is Interact Club?
Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people aged 12-18, sponsored by individual clubs. These self-governing clubs can be single or mixed, large or small, and draw from a single school or multiple schools in the same community. Each year, clubs complete at least two community service projects, promoting international understanding and goodwill. Interactors develop friendships with local and overseas clubs, learn leadership skills, and personal integrity.
Should I join the Interact Club?
Interact offers students the opportunity to demonstrate citizenship, make a difference in their community, gain leadership, project management, and teamwork skills, and learn vocational skills, which can help them progress to jobs or continue their higher education. They can also expose them to global issues and help address a need in another country. Starting an Interact club requires some up-front work, but the benefits are numerous once started. To discuss starting a club, contact Mark Vital at marlboroughrotaryleadership@gmail. com.
What is the motto of the Interact club?
Rotary Interact is a service club that provides young people with opportunities to participate in meaningful projects, develop leadership skills, and meet new friends. The club’s motto is “service above self”, emphasizing the importance of personal integrity, helpfulness, respect, and international understanding. Members help develop and execute various service projects, including raising money for causes, working within schools, and interacting with community members. They also assist the Rotary Club of Trenton and the district Rotary Club with local community projects.
What is the purpose of the Interact Club in school?
Interact clubs are organizations that facilitate the development of leadership skills and the discovery of the power of Service Above Self among young people aged 12-18. Such clubs facilitate connections with leaders in their local communities and beyond, enabling members to engage in meaningful action, gain insights into diverse cultures, promote international understanding, develop leadership skills, and interact with peers from diverse cultural backgrounds in a positive and engaging manner.
What are the roles in the Interact club?
The President is responsible for establishing the agenda for meetings, reminding officers of the weekly Tuesday morning meetings, and serving in the capacity of Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Director of Local Service, Director of Global Service, Membership Chairperson, and Publicist.
What are the main roles in a club?
It is recommended that all clubs have a minimum of five officers. The executive committee of a club should comprise the following officers: President, Secretary/Treasurer, Vice President (President-elect), Communications Chair, Programming Chair, and Membership Chair. The term of office for each of these officers should be limited to two years, with consecutive terms prohibited.
What is the motto of the Interact Club?
Rotary Interact is a service club that provides young people with opportunities to participate in meaningful projects, develop leadership skills, and meet new friends. The club’s motto is “service above self”, emphasizing the importance of personal integrity, helpfulness, respect, and international understanding. Members help develop and execute various service projects, including raising money for causes, working within schools, and interacting with community members. They also assist the Rotary Club of Trenton and the district Rotary Club with local community projects.
Is joining Rotary worth it?
The Rotary programs, including Interact and Rotaract, provide support for youth in local communities, facilitating the development of future leaders. It is not merely an initiative for individuals; rather, it is a program designed to engage families, fostering the creation of lifelong memories and shared experiences. Rotary is not merely an organization; it is a familial entity, cultivating meaningful relationships and collaborating for a shared objective.
What are the roles in the interact club?
The President is responsible for establishing the agenda for meetings, reminding officers of the weekly Tuesday morning meetings, and serving in the capacity of Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Director of Local Service, Director of Global Service, Membership Chairperson, and Publicist.
Do introverts join clubs?
Joining clubs is a great way to make friends as it allows you to meet people with similar interests and hobbies. As introverts, joining clubs can make socializing easier and more comfortable. However, introverts tend to prefer deeper, more intimate connections and have a smaller number of friends. College can be a time to cast a wider net or focus on finding your inner circle.
One regret from college is not joining more clubs and meeting people outside your major. It’s important to be patient as you’ll likely come across many different people and not every relationship will stick. Many close friends didn’t become friends until their last year, and many friends I made during my freshman year didn’t have a friend group by the time I finished school. Nonetheless, I had friends in multiple places through clubs, classes, and my freshman dorm, many of whom I’m still in touch with today.
📹 5 Activities That Don’t Help Your College Application
In general, these activities won’t help your college application very much. Instead, focus your attention on what will improve your …
alright lemme just become number one in my class, get near-perfect scores on the sat and act, spend 2 hours at school sports and 2 hours at club sports every day for the whole school year, take 6 AP classes, be the best player in band, and be the president of every activity I’m in. oh, and also start my own business, organize 3 new clubs at school, and mentor in a children’s program. don’t forget a healthy 8-10 hours of sleep each night!
Getting good grades and actually doing well in school just aren’t enough anymore. Not everyone has the time or energy after a long day of school + hours of homework to do these extracurriculars. Originally, these were there for fun, for students to enjoy, but now they’re just there as resume padders as students scramble to make themselves seem as competitive as possible. It’s sad. The entire American college and application systsm is a weird game that you have to BS like there’s no tomorrow in order to win.
“so you can avoid wasting your time on these activities and spend your time instead on activities that are going to help you get into college” are you kidding me? this is ridiculous! kids should do activities that bring them joy instead of feeling like they’re WASTING THEIR TIME on something just because some random admissions officer doesn’t care about it
I’m not in the US educational system but I have heard here two SAD things: 1. Be passionate … but only under condition that you’re the best at this activity … if you aren’t the best (or aren’t a leader) then drop your “passion”. 2. You go to a college with all these catchwords about “changing the world”, “making impact” etc. … heh, and then people get into some corporation and do a very regular job as a cog in the machine or even his job could be harmful to other people or to the planet.
I’m from Europe and I always found it ODD that, after school, homework, studying, family responsibilities and possibly a job, teens are supposed to spend the time they have left doing activities they don’t really want to do to impress the colleges. And this is called well rounded? Always being around peers and never your family, someone of another age or god forbid ALONE is well-rounded? Someone who does ten million activities at his school and always just his school is more well-rounded than someone who volunteers? Volunteering isn’t “innovative and original” but running laps around your school court IS…as long as you are good at it? Wait, WHAT?! America must really hate introverts and those that connect better with people of other ages vs. peers. And doing anything for the joy of it seems to be unacceptable, you have to be GOOD at it. I also don’t get how you cannot show involvement if you aren’t good at something. And how can the whole team show “leadership”?? There has to be a majority of non leaders for their to BE leaders and in the work world, it will be the same. Yet everyone has to be a leader going into college, though the majority won’t be coming out?! What is this circus??? Your admissions process is a circus and teaches Americans young that NONE of their time is ever ever EVER their own. In France and Germany, nobody cares much about what you do in your free time. That’s why it’s FREE time. I always hated extracurricular. In my free time, I wanted to do fun things with friends, read, write crappy fanfiction, do some crafts or text my friends on my flip phone.
Examples of extracurriculars that help you get into Harvard: Boys/Girls Nation (not state…nation), Eagle Scout, Debate Team Captain, Sports Team Captain, Class President or Student Body President, Black belt in a martial art, Cheerleading Captain (yes, cheerleading really helps), creating phone apps or other software that becomes popular (especially if you’re a girl), having scientific research published in a peer-reviewed journal with you as a lead author, being conductor of an orchestra. Starting clubs or organizations doesn’t help much because it’s very common nowadays. 20-30 years ago, it helped a little. Basically, find a couple of activities you’re really interested in and go after the top level of leadership and accomplishment in those couple of activities. Things that really don’t help much for Harvard: Starting a club or organization that you are “president” of (unless it’s something that really became big on a state or national level, not just your school), volunteering, tutoring, mentoring, random clubs (FBLA, HOSA, chess club, math club, etc.), summer camps and programs (unless they are extremely selective and prestigious like TASP or Research Science Institute…usually those types of programs are free), and “leadership programs/retreats/institutes.” In the summer, it would be better to take challenging courses (in Calculus, English Lit, U.S. History, etc.) at a nearby 4-year university and get As in them…that would look good, especially if the courses are in the subject you plan on concentrating (i.
College admission isn’t this black and white. No extracurricular activities will get you in or break you. Don’t not put volunteering just because you heard here that colleges don’t like it, especially if you had an extended commitment and it’s in your field of interest. By the time you do your application you’ll have already committed all these hours to your clubs and other activities. PUT THEM DOWN AND BE PROUD OF WHAT YOU DID Your essays matter way more than your list of activities will. Focus more on that than fluffing your application with what you think colleges want/ don’t want
i dont think this article’s made for me… no one around here is sure enough on what they want to do to contact 20 researchers to be an intern. what kind of teenagers in this country have the energy, time, money, mental health and definite aspirations to start their own organization, “be a leader”, an innovator, and entrepreneur… we’re kids
As a current college student with a sibling who’s transferring from Community College to Berkeley, I can attest that this is all pretty true. Colleges want a narrative, not a bunch of disjointed events. The best thing to do is to join local nonprofits and stay with them for a long time building your skills and community. Colleges want someone who can bring prestige to the school through being proactive with pursuing their passions rather than following the template given to us.
I read this one comment somewhere that stuck with me : “the elite colleges don’t accept people who WILL be successful, they select people who already ARE successful”. These colleges basically select people who don’t really need a college education to succeed, and once they finish college and become successful, the colleges take credit for it. So messed up 🤦
Some advice to a fellow student, spend less time participating in BS random clubs and extracurriculars (as she stated), and more time thinking about your purpose in life. I know it seems too early to have it all figured out but that is precisely what colleges are looking for–someone with the drive to fulfill a desire that will hopefully have an effect on the world. Well, at least that’s what IVY leagues are looking for. Oh and don’t forget to maintain your GPA to show that you can excel academically, they look at that too. Good luck
I get that getting into college is hard and that its expensive. I did so many AP courses and challenged myself in high school and got a great scholarship but just remember that not eveything is about college. It is not all the end all be all. We push kids so hard to excel that they can’t even have activities they enjoy, it has to have some dual purpose. Kids deserve to have some fun just for the sake of fun sometimes!!
I think that it is fair to say that the activities she describes as mediocre will not act as a “hook” to get you into elite universities and will not make up for shortcomings in grades or scores at even lesser selective universities. But let’s be honest, what she is describing as mediocre is what 90% of the kids that DO end up getting accepted and going off to college will have put on their college resumes. Unless you are a recruited athlete, colleges mostly care about your grades and scores because that is what helps them move up the rankings. The little philanthropy that you started doesn’t help them.
so many of people in the comments seem angry because they aren’t the target audience for this article. this is tailored for people trying to get into extremely competitive schools. as someone who goes to one of the top 25 schools in the nation, i found this article rings true for not only myself, but also for 9/10 of my peers. i don’t mean to show off because it was my school counselor that suggested i do specific and focused interests in high school, and i was lucky to have her. even so, i was rejected from all of the top 20 schools i applied to – the ivies weren’t going to happen. you really have to be something special to get into those schools, and those are the people she’s talking to in this article.
Okay but theres a difference between summer programs that are just pay to play and summer programs that are competitive and require an application. For instance, going to pre-college programs that you pay thousands of dollars for don’t mean anything, but if you apply for competitive summer programs that focus around an area of study like TASP or RSI that require a certain gpa and essays, then that definitely matters and factors into your college admissions chances.
Hey guys! Please feel free to give your two cents: Every summer until I go to college (I’m currently a junior, so two more summers), I am planning to work at SeaWorld as a janitor. I did it last year, and I actually enjoyed it. It might sound weird, but my perspective on life changed…by merely spending time in the bathroom. Would it be a bad idea to write about my experience working in a bathroom? I feel like it’s a unique topic to write about, but at the same time, it might fall flat by the admissions counselors. Any ideas?
1) Volunteer work Most high schools require it anyway 2) Mediocre activities Like clubs that don’t require lots of commitment or interest/competitive activities where you don’t compete 3) Doing something just because you think college will like it doesn’t show passion or interest 4) summer camps/mission trips/leadership seminars One week things don’t mean much, you need to show detication 5) Expensive summer programs Like: summer programs offered by a college. It won’t really make a difference. Don’t do it just to get into college.
Doing something you are passionate about and love doing, even if you’re not any good, is FAR better than excelling at something you are apathetic about. I would not trade doing my sport for anything. Not admission to my dream college. Nothing. Have fun in high school, and don’t just use it as a jumping off point to college. Live your life fully.
My college told me they were very impressed by my volunteer work, so I’m glad I put it on my college application. I’m doing a double major in early childhood education and theatre/dance. My volunteer work was all teaching dance, teaching art, teaching preschool programs, etc. If your volunteer work is meaningful to you, make sure you DO put it on your college application
Since you mentioned volunteer work, i was just wondering about my situation. My school requires 75 hours of volunteer work to graduate, but I have almost 200 and I am planning on volunteering at a hospital to gain insight into the medical field since I want to pursue a career in that. The hospital volunteering will require at least 100 hours, so put together I’ll have almost 300 hours. Will this be impressive to colleges?
if you’re into any performing arts, like orchestra, band, or theatre, I’ve heard those are very good for college! one of my band director’s sons worked for admissions at Boston University and said that colleges like music kids because they tend to be very demanding activities and it shows that the students have a lot of dedication, so if it’s something you love but are scared to do because you think it won’t help you, go for it!
So glad I skipped real college and went straight for my EMT and went into real world. I got my current job because of service hours, summer camps that I’ve worked for, mission trips, small clubs, and other “mediocre” activities such as the “cancer walk”! Real world is a lot easier than getting into college if this article is true. I would have never gotten into a “real” college. Also… What school forces kids to volunteer unless you need to make up hours or you are in certain extra curriculars??? I’ve heard rumors that some do but I’ve never been to a school district that requires students to do hours. No schools in my area require hours. I guess most kids do it on their own in my area they don’t think it is needed to force them.
Would summer pre-college programs still be bad if its related to my passion? For example, I display a lot of my passion for art, and went to a pre-college program at SAIC, which awarded college credit, and I got a scholarship for it? Because I feel like that displays a furthering of my interest, rather than just one stand alone event if that makes sense.
I think the thing with extracurriculars is that you have to be able to WRITE about them. Like do volunteering or play sports, and it will show in your writing if they’re special to you. I did go to a one-week summer program (it was with the US Naval Academy – it wasn’t as exclusive as I thought it’d be bc we had to apply and submit grades) but I was able to write about my experience so I think it helped me in my college process. Obviously, all advice must be taken with a grain of salt because everyone’s college process will be different (and there is a bit of luck involved), but I do think the points in the article are true to some extent.
I understand for many people that these activities won’t help most people, however I think it should be made more clear that these things aren’t black and white! Personally, many of my activities fell under these “activities that don’t help your college application,” and I still was admitted to some decently prestigious universities. I definitely understand the intentions of this article, but you definitely make it seem like you shouldn’t do any of these activities that can be perfectly viable.
My friend got into Harvard and her advice to me was: – have a theme that ties your whole application together (ex: Wanting to become a doctor so you take anything related to that) – GPA and SAT scores are just another number ( It does mean you shouldn’t try but this just proves schools if you will be able to keep up) – Take AP and Honors classes – When writing an Essay don’t make it about something that’s currently going on (ex: don’t write a covid-19 essay or BLM essay the likelihood of 100,000 applicants writing about the samething is high) – Get a job related to your future field (optional) – Have a steady upwards trend to show you’re improving
I think the idea is that your activities are consistent and relevant to your major/what you want to study and explore as a career. I volunteer at an archive and plan events for them (great for grad school applications and my resume because I want to pursue cultural history and museum and archive work!) and I’m the president of the student group of my major at my university. Those are the kind of activities that impress people, stay dedicated at something you love!
I piloted a program with special ed kids during gym that gives the special education students a connection with the regular education students. It was so amazing to connect with each and every one of them and learn how their minds work my freshman year. I will do that every day instead of study hall first semester my sophomore year and it will be my gym second semester and until I graduate high school. I love working with all of them and will continue to do it no matter what but would colleges care about that?
As Class of 2019, here’s some things for young high schoolers: It doesn’t take curing cancer to get into a good college. You need to be responsible and motivated. Find your passion, and everything will fall into line if you put in the work, I PROMISE. I know, I took 11 AP classes and was president of 2 and VP of 1 club by my senior year; I was pretty exhausted and sometimes I just wanted to be lazy and watch Youtube all day. That’s okay. Be sure to push yourself, but not to the point that it’s a detriment to your mental health. BUT, you DO need to push yourself. You should be working hard most hours of the day because that’s what it takes to get into a good college. That’s why it’s so important to do stuff you like! Extracurriculars are a tiny part of a college app, but the things you take away from them are what will weave into your resume, essay, and interviews, and all of that is vital in the college app process. Have fun, but productive fun. I love article games and Netflix and anime, but that’s not productive fun, so I had to cut back on those activities and focus on other forms of fun: I love to sing, so chorus and musical theater; I love politics, so model UN and social studies AP’s. These things were fun to me, they helped shape me into a hardworking person, AND, as a bonus, they look fantastic on college apps 😀
Be a kid. Join what ever activities and clubs you want. Play whatever sports you want. Enjoy your time in high school and make memories. Your life is more important than impressing an admissions office. Work hard in school and stay motivated but don’t worry too much about what looks good for colleges. There are a ton of great schools out there that aren’t Ivy’s and they can lead you to just as much success.
4:07 i feel like we shouldn’t be so focused on how everything we do looks to colleges. Like sure, if you’re only on swimming to add to your application, you should reconsider, but I don’t think telling people to quit just because they aren’t the best in what they’re doing is good advice, especially if it’s something they genuinely enjoy. Not always being the best can be a really valuable experience, especially for kids who are used to being at the top. High school should be able to stand alone as its own experience, not just something to show off in applications
I really disagree with this advice. Only do a sport because your good at it? What about playing the sport for the love of it. What about volunteer work because you actually care about the people you are volunteering. I’m a high school senior who volunteers because I care about the members of my community and runs long distance just because I love running. I accepted at a bunch of schools. I think if your an underclassman trying to find some secret formula to get into your “dream” school your not gonna find it. Do what you love and don’t listen to random people online. Including me.
I am a girl scout and one award that we can earn when we are seniors is the gold award. To get the award we have to create a project that will make a change in the community and we have to do at least 80 hours of community service. You dont have to work on the gold award for many years to earn it, yet the gold award is really good to put on college applications and it is technically volunteering, so you can’t just say that volunteering will not be good to put on college applications.
As the parent of a college senior, advising young people not to volunteer, don’t participate in a sport even if you’re a bench warmer and not participating in summer camps, mission trips and leadership seminars feels like the worst advice. I get that you’re giving advice strictly for getting into college but these activities do make you into a well rounded person if you love them. Shocked this is considered advice…
Explained simply: Do something unique and do it well, but mainly just be good at and very passionate about something. It could be “conventional” like being one of the best swimmers in the state or more interesting like getting a research internship where you assist a scientist in conducting real experiments. No matter what activity you choose to do, you’ve got to make yourself stand out from the thousands of other applicants who may participate in the exact same activities as you do.
The issue I have is that the activities I’m passionate about aren’t necessarily going to change the world. I love caring for horses and have been committed to that all my life, but it’s not as though I can cure cancer or win a Nobel Prize with a pitchfork. I have good enough grades in all my classes to be successful in any STEM program, but I’m just not that dedicated to it and feel like working a STEM job would make me miserable for the rest of my life, even if I do change the world, make more money, or start a business. I enjoy writing and am pretty successful as a poet/writer, but again I find it hard to commit to something I’m not quite sure will make me happy in the future (yet).
If you want a summer program, enroll as a dual credit student at your local university or community college and take ACTUAL COLLEGE CLASSES THAT YOU GET CREDIT FOR taught by the ACTUAL FACULTY. Dual credit programs waive tuition and fees, so jt costs almost nothing and usually your school pays for the textbooks.
I believe Brooke mentions very good points here, but I do disagree on the last one about “expensive summer camps”. These summer camps do help, TO AN EXTENT. Summer camps such as the Johns Hopkins CTY, the Duke TIP, and SIG do help college applications. These summer camps require testing to get in, and you are usually taught what one would learn in a semester of the first year of university/college. Johns Hopkins CTY even offers university credit for attending a course. Although these camps don’t guarantee a spot at the university or college that it is hosted, it still looks very good on an application.
I currently finished my ninth grade year and as I’m perusal this article i find a couple of flaws that are being mentioned 1)I do volunteer work at my school and i have a passion for it, as long as you love the volunteer work that you do you should DEFINITELY stick with it 2) Just because you are in a low commitment club doesn’t mean its not an essential part of your daily activities(it could be influential if you put the effort) 3) Leadership is ESSENTIAL not just for college but for life…knowing that you’ve put the effort and that your caring about what you do thats what can get you in(MAKE AN IMPACT) 4)Although expensive summer programs may not be 100% worth it if you find the summer program interesting and you have a passionate about it do it! This is one of the articles on youtube that doesn’t give you the 100% truth so here i am giving tips(I’m really trying my best XD) The overall criteria of this article is gold though!
To all folks looking at colleges: follow what you love. Brooke’s thoughts on volunteering make me especially sad. Don’t not do something because it “won’t get you into college.” If you love to swim, swim. Be involved, but be involved in what you want to be involved with. This article makes me so sad because it displays the sad state of how we advertise college to students, and how high school has become all about getting into college. Enjoy your time in high school, stop thinking about selling yourself to colleges. Love life, think about the future, but be present in the moment and do what you love. College isn’t the only path to success, despite what we are told. Best of luck my friends <3
“If you’re a bad swimmer quit the swim team and go find something else to involve yourself in” Please don’t drop an activity just because you’re not the best at it. Life isn’t all about getting into college and if you love something you should continue doing it regardless of whether or not it boosts your application
I was kind of surprised to hear the first one about volunteer work. But the more I think about it now especially after the explanations, it makes a lot more sense to me now. Saying that you once volunteered to pass out food and basic necessities to the homeless despite having no interest in bettering the livelihood of homeless people will make it obvious to the admins that this volunteer work is nothing but a front. I’d imagine that putting such thing on a college application would only work well if it is relevant/consistent with the way you are trying to portray yourself to the admin team. You didn’t just once volunteer to help the homeless because you thought it would look good on paper, you did so because it aligns with your life long goal of improving society as a whole by provinding better means of assisting the homeless — or something like that!
All of these are exactly what’s wrong with this whole process. What if I am a terrible swimmer but I love it and am committed to it? Why is that not a value add activity? It shows something about a person, their ability to commit to something and likely offers them something more than glory. Really disappointed in all of this…demoralizing for highly qualified students.
Even though these activities may not be the most helpful on applications, I still find a lot of them to be very rewarding. I’m on the swim team and I’m definitely not a good swimmer. However, I learned so much about being on a team and made so many new friends. I also went to a week-long leadership conference/camp and met people who re some of the best friends I’ve ever had. So some of these things may seem like a waste of time, but I would encourage you to do things you want to do, and don’t worry about them not helping your application because they can be such amazing experiences.
1) Volunteer work 2) A fluffy silly activity such as pep club 3) If you are good at something and something is your passion, it will be more satisfying than if you do something that people suggested you to do. 4) Summer camp, mission trip, random leadership conference etc. Colleges want change makers. 5) Expensive summer programs.
Telling young people to give up the things they care about unless they are incredibly good at them is terrible advice. Being willing to ‘sit on the bench’ and practice/ work hard to get better at something is a better character trait than quitting because you aren’t already the best. Telling kids to trade things they are truly, authentically enjoying for other things they may not even care about to look good on an application is a terrible message to send. And then they are supposed to both be authentic AND appear to be passionate about things they never cared about in the first place? Give me a break! I really hope college admissions officers can see through this kind of strategy/ advice when they review applications. I wouldn’t want my kids at a college filled with kids who followed this woman’s advice.
True. As an acting major, they look down on anyone who didn’t lead in high school. Even if you pass your audition in. Once they know you were ensemble (or even supporting charcters) they look down on you. Prince Eric is worthy more then scuttle even though they both have songs, and scuttle may need more vocal work and charcter.
If you don’t want to watch the article and just want the list (although you should because the article goes into more detail): 1. Volunteer Work 2. Mediocre Activities (activities that don’t really require much time or work; “fluffy” work or competitive activities that you don’t compete in) 3. Things that people just do because someone told you that it looks good on college applications 4. Summer Camps, Leadership trips, and missionary visits 5. Expensive Summer Programs Basically work hard, put time into what you do, and be passionate.
I can’t agree with the first example, when you say that “unless you are starting your own club/business… volunteer work doesn’t matter.” I think this point is kind of misconstrued. It’s not about starting your own business/club/volunteering campaign; it’s just about doing what it takes to pursue your passion and help the community. You kind of got at it, but what you said is not exactly true. Some examples of volunteer work that would help your college app even if you’re not starting your own amazing club or whatever include: 1) Tutoring 2) Volunteering with people in underprivileged areas to help them pursue what they are passionate about Other than that, this is definitely a helpful article.
This might be true. However, The only community service that I did was a couple ministry trips over spring break in our own area – it was for my church and I was very involved and held a leadership position while we served at a homeless shelter. Our mission trip was actually involved and unique and self created. It was truly a wonderful experience. I didnt do weekly volunteer at all like a lot of people – and i still got into UC Berkeley, UCSB, and Cal Poly with good scores and GPA, but not overqualified.
I would disagree a bit with the volunteer work one, because I think theres another exception. If you want to be a doctor for example and are volunteering at a hospital, or want to be a vet and are volunteering at a animal shelter. This can look good and show that you have some experience with what you are passionate about.
ok this woman is telling us that you shouldn’t participate on the swim team if you aren’t that good? how about if you just enjoy it?! sports are all about having fun and learning the qualities of a good team member. i don’t think colleges care if you win every fucking swim meet, just as long as you are on it and you stayed with it and learned how to manage your time. that statement from her really bothered me.
I’m a second year at UC Riverside and I just want to tell all you hs kids out there, stop stressing so much about what school you go to. Your school and gpa often mean a lot immediately after you graduate, but nobody cares 10 years into your career. You can graduate from stanford and do nothing w/your career. Find things you like and enjoy. If you are on the jv swim team as a senior, but you like it, that’s fine. She is definitely right about doing things you are passionate about, because ultimately who cares whar school you go to. I have a great gpa and haven’t applied to a single honor society on campus. You wanna know why? They would do very little to help me grow as a person. Instead I decided to pursue things that were enjoyable and would help me grow. Whatever school you get into, you will be fine. Just do your schoolwork and find things you like regardless of how good they look on college applications. I got rejected from my dream school. Went through the appeal process and got rejected again. I could have transferred there after this year, but I wouldn’t want to. I have thouroughly enjoyed my time at UCR because I actively went out and tried to make the best of it
I disagree with several points here. 1) Do not “quit the swim team because you aren’t good at it”. That is a really bad example, you dont have to be good at something to be passionate, especially a sport. 2) Depending on the college, going to the precollege/ summer course actually does help you get in. It shouldn’t, but it does. Only really to that specific college tho, so unless you are doing it for your own general good i wouldnt enroll just to have a better chance.
I believe that you should do what you’re passionate about and be willing to commit to it, anything that really brings out your personality and your interests. Colleges not only look at your extracurricular activities but your Transcript and your Standardized test scores(SAT/ACT). It doesn’t matter what University/College you go to, any other will do fine, you will still learn. Don’t stress yourself and sign up to do random things you’re only going to do just for your resume, it won’t be a fun time lol.. Do what YOU’RE fascinated and passionate about, it would be a great start and would also help in a long run.
Vanderbilt offers a summer academy taught by actual professors, and they actually offer really good financial aid (I’ve gone for free all three times). You have to apply (it’s open to international students) and only 300 out of about 3,000 applicants get in. The admissions counselors would tell us it doesn’t mean we’re getting into Vanderbilt, but it is something Vanderbilt will take into consideration. So I guess it varies 🤷🏼♀️
These are all my mediocre accomplishments that i dont even know which i’ll share with colleges: -Participated in my state’s math olympics for 4 years (got 2nd place once) -Debate club, eventually went to a debate contest -Got invited to do a science fair on a big company from my city -Played Tin Man on my school’s first ever musical (Wizard of Oz) -Participated in NYU’S 2020 model UN -Worked on a data company on summer 2019 and that’s it😭😭😭does anyone know if any of these are good?
I’m curious about something. My grades are very high. Right now I have a 4.0 GPA, and I’m enrolled in all honors classes. Next year and the year after, I will take some AP classes as well (I’m a sophomore in a public highschool) However, my grades are basically the only thing I have. Due to transportation reasons, I’m not in any clubs (hoping to join at least one, maybe two next year), and I have not done any community service (hoping to do that too). How much do high grades matter? If I were to have minimal extracurricular activities, maybe a club or two, would schools be less willing to give larger scholarships or let me in?
So since you saud volunteer work is not important, i have a question. I am a member of key club international which is a huge international organization that does community service. It has given me 2 leadership roles on the state level as the secretary, one on the school level, as a president, and one on the district level as vice president. I got a $10,000 scholarship from the kiwanis. I have 800 hours of community service. Are you sure that is not going to help coz i am committed into this!!!!
I have a dilemma. I am a year round swimmer who swims on a swim team outside of school. I used to be very good at swimming until I did cross country (for my school), broke my foot, and got moved down a group on my swim team. I decided to stay on my swim team instead of doing cross country and track the last season but now, I’m one of the worst swimmers on my team but I am still one of the best cross country runners at my school. Ironically time wise, I’m a better swimmer than I’m a runner. My question is should I stay on my year round swim team this year or should I do cross country and track for my school.
I’m in speech and debate and very involved. I’m looking to go to state and was very close to nationals this year. I want to be a four year letterman in this, but I’m worried that I’m not involved in more things. I don’t do too much volunteering outside of honor society. My classmates are in lots of clubs and in leadership positions, do lots of volunteering and are academically high achieving. Should I be looking towards more to get involved in, or stick to committing myself to speech and debate and academics
Quick question: I’m a junior in high school and I volunteer after school between school and practice in primary school classes. I’ve been doing it for a year now and not for community service it’s because of loving to work with kids. Would this be helpful or not? I don’t know whether to put it on my application.
Would you consider National Honors Society “fluff”? I’m in a bunch of volunteer organizations at my school because helping people makes me feel good but everyone at my school applying to National Honors Society is applying because they think it will look good on their college applications. I heard they do volunteer work but is it true volunteer work if everyone there is artificial and doing it for personal gain? Someone please give me answers! I’ve put so much thought into it and I’m not sure if NHS would be worth applying to.
how much would competition clubs (hosa, fbla, debate, etc.) help for highly competitive schools? i don’t really want to participate in those because i don’t have a lot of time, but i don’t want to be at a disadvantage because i didn’t participate in such clubs. if anyone has any insight on this, please let me know about what you know!
Don’t waste energy: Volunteer work, not developing passion or vision, just cog If you started your own org, innovative, entrepreneurial Mediocre activities (little time, fluff) Competitive, but not a stand out JUST BC IT LOOKS GOOD LOOKS FOR PASSION TRIPS, SEMINARS, PROGRAMS over the weekend Expensive summer program Alignment, volunteer at college beforehand Passion and commitment EVERYDAY
my extracurriculars are all over the place. but I signed up for a bunch of clubs initially because I thought they would be worthwhile for my application, and then I realized how much they really impacted me. the problem is, that my ec’s don’t match with my major. I wanna do stem but I was able to learn how to confidently speak through my debate clubs, have the opportunity to act as a lawyer (its really fun but I wouldn’t want a career as one), helping others, and being able to connect to people who were younger than me and realizing how similar we were.
I think there should’ve been some type of disclaimer or explanation that this is if you want to get into an elite school Because frankly, this article was very discouraging 🙁 If someone wants to add volunteering then go ahead! Your overall application and essays should be more important than the list. Good luck everyone!
Interesting contradiction. So an elite Scholl will consider applicants of parents that donate money to the school but won’t consider favorably a kid that spent an enormous amount of money prior to going there? Those firms are empty and the teachers aren’t full faculty (meaning the school benefits from these kids in summer programs). Why the difference? If it’s privilege, aren’t donations generally from those that are? Alumni is also a privilege. I’m confused
Disclaimer. This is only for competitive schools. Your bachelors doesn’t actually matter and there are plenty of good schools. You don’t NEED to be competitive in high school. The fact is, there are too many students for competitive schools to accept everyone. Don’t complain and look at it for what it is. I got into a really good school because I happened to be really good at high school. My friends are in the top 20% of our class, but they won’t get into a competitive school. So what? It’s not their fault, but they’ll get the same degree in four years as I will get. (I got a full ride but what if I didn’t) If I had to pay my tuition, I would be in a lot of debt. Competitive colleges are also a lot more expensive. Going to a smaller, unknown college won’t matter. It might actually help you in the long run.
i’m not trying to hate here but i think this is not the best advice. while some of these activities won’t necessarily get you into college on their own, they’re important nonetheless. volunteering and making a change is important, even if you’re doing something small. clubs can help you find passions or just have something to do. universities are looking for people who are consistent, not only people who have taken on giant projects and have their lives set up by 18. as long as you’re doing something that’s important to you, it counts
I told my mom that I did not want to go to Harvard and that I was not going to apply and she said- Oh-if you get accepted, you’re going to Harvard. No question. It’s a means to an end. YOU’RE GOING IF YOU’RE ACCEPTED. I want to go to USC or UT mostly. Ik they should but Ivy leagues really dont interest me like others do. I’m not saying this ignorantly. I’m a junior in high school who wants to study business, computer science, music, and language. Im sure a place like Harvard would be amazing in the long run but ik I would not be happy. Dont let your dream school be where your parents want you to go- apply behind their back instead and go to the place you actually dream of 😊
DISCLAIMER: I don’t find anything wrong with the content in this article and I don’t have a problem with what she said. I’m a college student, and one of he things I disliked about high school was the mentality that students should fill their personal time with things that look good on their college application. Personally, I would rather live in a society where students have more agency over their personal time, but that’s the way it is, I guess. I find that I like college a lot better because people join student organizations because they genuinely like being there, and they can decide their level of involvement based on what works for them. I know in college people still have a pressure to find internships or related experiences to build their resume, but that’s kind of different (or at least it has been in my experience but idk).
I disagree with this article. A lot of schools like seeing if you went to an exclusive summer camp. Like for the arts, for academics, or any sort of creative thing. Yes, a fun summer camp won’t land you a full ride to Harvard, but a camp for the arts that you have to audition for will greatly improve your chances. I went to an exclusive art camp with extreme training with professionals.. helped me so much for my future and college ap.
I am international student and in my country, there a not all these possibilities of leadership and it is very hard for a high-school student to create an organization to help the community. The best we can do is maybe donate an organization that helps the needy… Now, I feel like my application to Stanford is nothing but crap.
I disagree with the Swim Team. I know a lot of benchwarmers that made it into colleges from playing High School Football. If you show up to practice you make an impression on your coach saying you are trying and you are working at it…it shows when the going gets tough or you are down on your luck with you don’t quit.
I think what she means is that though these activities might be useful in your applications, they won’t do much to make up for poor grades and other shortcomings. They will help you to boost your chances a bit if you already have good grades, because you stand out if you have great grades, volunteer, and are involved in student activities.
I have a question ?? So I started 3 different clubs last semester hoping that they will last until I graduate 👩🏼🎓 First one was a Children’s hospital, second a Minority pre health club for underrepresented minorities, thirdly, an Engineering club for women specifically coz I want women out there to get involved in stem related fields I sincerely love being a president and feel proud and honored! Are those gonna help me stand out in my college application? I’m involved in many other clubs too but I only get involved in what I like doing and spending my entire lunch day! Or else I wouldn’t waste energy on it
I think the essay is the important part, it’s what you do to make that essay great. If you were lazy your freshman year, but did a lot in sophomore like improving grades, finding your passion than sitting around. Speak about that change. The point is to let them know who you are as a person whether you’re a great investment into the future. Most importantly, be creative with it. If the pandemic is what caused so much lack, explain how you overcame it. Other creativities presented in the essay is also important. DO NOT MAKE IT LIKE ANY OTHER ESSAY! depending on what you’ve done in life, you only got a number of sources you can use. Telling them how you’re a good investment for the future needs evidence that you are capable of.
I volunteer with my local ambulance so I think I’m safe because there’s a lot that you learn that can be used in real life. For someone who wants to be in the AF I think it’s really good and shows that you care about your community more than walks that last a few hours, I’m committed to a team and help in the welfare of the people in my community
A high school student who is a citizen in the US but spent their high school first three years in a other country doing the IGCSE system but later transferred to a US high school, will they be still required to show activities they’ve done or is there another another way for them to get in to the university that requires activities.
I want to go to university for a theater BFA. I am a freshman and my current extracurriculars are voice lessons, acting lessons, slam poetry club, songwriting club, violin lessons, arts students of color club, and improv team. I’m also auditioning for the local chorale (it counts as an internship for high schoolers). I also do summer drama camps. Are these any good?
Is being part of religious organization, ARISTA NATIONAL HONOR SOCIETY, PRE-MEdicine club, participating in CUNY AREM GENOMICS PROJECT, collecting pennies for patients for the leukemia society, school service last year, recieved English Merit Award in sophomore and much mor does THIS ALL COUNT AS EXTRACURRICULAR?
I don’t know, but it looks like if you aren’t at the top and don’t have 1550 sat, 4.0 GPA and a lot of medals for competitions, but are still a good student, have 3.85 GPA and got once a place at contest, but you are honest about yourself, you have higher chances to get in that a person who spends a year to lie in their essay about how a fallen leaf from a tree changed their life…
When I clicked this article I thought this was going to be a complete joke. But after perusal this article, this woman is 100% correct. If you want to go to an elite university, you have to be really good at something… that is why they are called “elite universities”. Colleges can easily tell if you do something for your resume, or if you’re actually interested in something. Elite colleges want someone who can be a leader, not someone who didn’t create a successful club or had their parents go into debt so they could be in a summer program, it shows you rely on other people doing all the work for you. You need to be the best at something! Honestly though, if you’re a rising junior this summer and you haven’t done much, you can forget about getting into an Ivy League college unless you are a minority(besides being Asian), have legacy, have some crazy life story, or be nationally ranked at something within the next fifteen months. Even then, your chances are slim to none. Best of luck though.
Summary of this article: 1) If you’re in sports, you must be naturally athletic and gifted, otherwise, it’s not your passion!? 2) We only accept elite lEaDeRs. Because, you know, GOOD kids are supposed to found entire organizations and rule the entire goddamn world. So you’re either a leader or a failure! Stop looking for leaders only. Leadership is not a bad thing, but if the world has too many LEADERS, the globe will be in complete chaos, because everyone will want to own the entire Earth and suck the living daylights out of people as well as their wealth and resources. So basically, colleges are trying to build a future mafia or something. Man, if they are this picky and expect me to be this perfect, I think I’m just going to have to study abroad, where they pick NORMAL teenagers that still had genuine passion and dedication throughout their high school career!
HONESTLY….. this advice really only applies if you are trying to get into an ivy league/top 20 school. Or other “competitive” programs. But the average kid going to the typical state school like me really the only thing needed is good grades in high school and a decent SAT/ACT score. Oh and a decent essay too.
Does anyone think that with an SAT of 970 I could get to UBC in Canada with this tips and giving it my all? It is my ultimate dream to go there. I cant think of myself anywhere else. I have good grades and 200 hours of voluntary work as well as lots of extracurricular activities and passion that defines me in the most unique ways. But my sat is so low! I am worried I cant go here. No one else believes in me. Help