How to Find Your College Application Spike! The Best Way to STAND OUT in College Admissions
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- Опубликовано: 21 авг 2024
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Related Keywords: how to find your college application theme, college application spike, college application theme, how to find, how to build, Stand Out in College Admissions, own the college admissions process, Extracurricular activities, activities colleges do care about, extracurricular activities for college acceptance, top notch extracurriculars
I made a worksheet that goes along with this video's brainstorming exercise! Find it here: irisfu.com/college-application-spike/
I hope you have a fun and rewarding time learning about what makes YOU unique. As always, leave your questions in the comments and I'll get to them as soon as I can! Also, please share this channel with a friend who you think would benefit. We're growing!! :)
Hi Iris I have a question, would the idea of helping people be too broad of a spike?
Wwwwwwwww
Hey! The link is not working? Can you please check that?
The link isn’t working….
the link isnt working :((
I just saw the Reddit feed with a bunch of people hating and calling you “arrogant” and stuff. I just wanted to say that me, along with 95% of your viewers, completely disagree. Most of us find your videos motivating, inspiring, and they push me to work harder. You’re by far the best college you tuber in the industry. Keep up the great work!
wait, what subreddit is this under?
This makes no sense, why would they be calling her that.
Don't even waste your time reading it- it is really false information. They be talking bs with no reason.
@Tyler Vazquez it was thankfully taken down. Here’s the link, the comments are still active www.google.com/amp/s/amp.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/comments/hm0j6o/thoughts_on_iris_fu_the_stanford_prefrosh_youtuber/
Essentially, the summary of the post was she was allegedly “arrogant” because in her Stanford day in the life she read an article about herself that her mom had sent her? Which is something I would have done too if I had press coverage. Also, they thought she was arrogant because she apparently called UCLA and Cal Berkeley “lesser schools”, which the cal part wasn’t even true and the UCLA one was completely taken out of context, and she later said UCLA was a great school (I think this is in the recent Q&A). Also people were mad because basically, she works way harder than they do, and they feel bad about themselves because of it.
This comment in the thread pretty much sums up my opinion on this matter:
This is the same as r/chanceme. If you get nervous and anxious when someone shares their achievements, stop dwelling on them. People who learn from others' successes can actually end up enjoying such content b/c they realize they are getting free advice from great people.
In some respects, it's like if you get a chance to speak with a billionaire or something and they are willing to tell you how they got there. Yes, they will have worked with CEO's, landed great internships, etc, and you have probably never done stuff like that. You have two choices: channel that to motivate yourself, or wallow in the fact that you aren't as impressive as them..
-
Ultimately I’m not gonna be the one who complains about someone who works 3 hours a day to post 100% free content on RUclips purely for my benefit 🤷♂️ anyways I hope this helps
@@buccavbasketball1275 yeah, just skimmed through most of the comments...idek
You are helping literally thousands of high schoolers with their college applications and I cannot thank you enough!!!! Love your videos!
Happy to help!
I'm literally planning to apply at stanford so yeah it does help a lot, matter of fact, i'd love to see something on financial aid and how does that work
To*
i love listening to you talk! to me, a "soft spike" is adjacent to a "theme" in your application. im overall weary of people doing things for the sake of college, so i really like the idea of doing what you like and packaging all of it later :)
yesss!!! that's the idea i hope everyone will embrace
You're honestly ahead of the game as a freshman. I'm just _now_ starting to to recount all the tips/tricks I learned in college (at 25). You're gonna kill it at Stanford!
hahah thank you!! def standing on the shoulders of giants
Damn if only I had resources like these when I was going into high school...Kinda too late for me now since I’m a rising senior lol
Hahaha honestly you still have an entire summer to boost ur app and synthesize that narrative!!! You got this 🙌🙌🙌
@@irisfu6929 now i understand..is there a way if you want to reapply after I got my acceptance can I so I can try to get a soft spike
lol same
did u get into college? Im also a rising senior and worried lol cause i have not done much
@@beezalis9135 same!same
So basically: if you are pre-med/stem student, and have medical science study abroad/research programs for 3 summers, take Ap bio, ap chem, ap physics, and write your essay about how you want to use medicine as an innovation to positively change this world, its pretty straightforward?
lmao kinda yeah focus on shining in one area, but also don't be afraid to have other "side interests" that you do just for fun!
@@irisfu6929 lol, thanks! I attend a private boarding school- so I am kinda stuck on only being able to participate on what my school offers. Other than that- I have been doing Coursera and summer intern/study abroad programs.
David Girma nice that’s already really great! I’d encourage u (esp if you end up going to a new school like Phillips academy) to go one step further to create some new initiatives/programs (to show leadership and to just have fun haha)
Iris Fu Yes, definitely! My school has NHS, Youth in Gov, and like “Student Steering Committee” etc- of which I have leadership position in. Other than that- I have won state cross country and track- just some outside interests, but at the same time, I’m not looking to get recruited or anything. Plus I have those summer programs/ research and online courses and whatnot- I'm also currently working on a project, and a medical research which I will try to have published. - Including all my rigorous course load, I think this is "competitive enough" for Phillips Exeter- also tried my best either way haha. (i am upcoming sophomore)
But don’t be vague with it as well. Because a lot of people want to “change the world”, you want to make yours sound like how has medicine going to influence people’s lives, how people live, will it give us new opportunities?
You’re more helpful than my counselor 😂
😂😂 good to hear but also that sucks that your counselor is :/
I'm a freshman and I'm very grateful for your channel. This is very helpful and I love how you explained why you have to state why you do or chose the certain extracurricular. I'm so surprised you don't have a million subs but here is a special thank you keep posting 👍
Great video. If you can make a video about the international students and the their application process during this case it will be awsome
What about international students and this part of the app process? I think i'm always a little confused at these requests bc i'm not sure what would be different for international students. I'm pretty sure everything I said applies for both domestic and int students, but please let me know if I'm missing something! thanks :)
Look at the school you are interested website and look at the admission page there should be a international student tab and if that doesn’t help just email
It’s incredible how much you’ve helped me this year. I recently hit an obstacle in my academic life where I didn’t know where I was going or why I was doing things, and I’ve always been super ambitious to shine in school. You’ve helped me understand who I am and what I need to do to recenter myself; I cannot thank you enough ❤️❤️
Love that! Thank you for leaving this comment and you got this Miriam!! Keep chasing dreams ❤️
this helped me realize that my activities more more cohesive and interconnected than I thought! thank you!
Wonderful!
I paused the video to write this- I wanted to say that I completely disagree with all the haters calling you arrogant! I’ve been watching college videos almost nonstop for a year and your channel is by far one of the most helpful ones I have come across! What you’re doing is great and you deserve all the success that you have achieved. Personally, I do sometimes feel bad about myself when you talk about your accomplishments/show yourself being super productive. But I know that it’s all done with good intentions, and the way I feel doesn’t have anything to do with you! Overall watching your videos is super motivating and helpful for the college application process. Thank you so much 😊 p.s. the haters gonna hate!
ahaha thank you for this message!! i really appreciate it. and yeah, i hope ppl can come away with a feeling of can-do and motivation rather than feel bad about themselves :/ comparing yourself to others (i'm so guilty of this too) is always going to bring negative feelings, so lol we're all working on it together! (maybe i should even make a video about this). anyway, thanks again for this message! probs wouldn't have been able to bounce back from the haters so quickly without support like yours
i have been binge-watching videos about college admissions for the last six months, trying to navigate through the application process and working on my extracurriculars and this is honestly THE BEST and the most helpful video!!! Thank you so very much Iris, you're saving lives
hi iris!! i literally never comment on videos but this SAVED MY LIFE i’m starting senior year in like a month and i had no idea what spikes were until maybe a week ago, thank you for explaining this so clearly!!! love your videos so much and huge congrats on stanford :)
Yay! So glad this video helped you and thank you for leaving this message
My daughter and I have been binge-watching your channel as we navigate through the college prep process. It is, hands-down, the most helpful channel we've found. Thank you for all you do!!
The most underrated channel
🥺🥺
Thank you so much, I've been trying to think and get ready for junior year. I promise you school don't explain things like this.
Hahaha I feel you. Good luck!! 👍
you're an actual college admissions god (i have a playlist devoted to your videos because they're so helpful). thank you SO much for sharing this knowledge, you and other highschool/college youtubers at your tier are the best guidance counselors and do it for free! love all of your videos and your general attitude
Recently found your videos and I've been binge watching them since. I'm a rising junior and I always felt like I wasn't doing enough to stand out to colleges. Thank you so much for making amazing and helpful content!
Omg me too😭😰
Of course!!
Iris, You're amazing! Thank you for always going out of your way to help us all. You are killing the game and don't let anyone tell you otherwise!
thanks for this message! rly appreciate it ❤️
Hi Iris, RUclips just recommended one of your vids to me and now I just can’t stop watching! Thank you for making them and they are so helpful to someone who’s stressing out about applying to the us as an international student. So...I am actually the head of the Student Council at our high school (Dulwich) and I thought if we can share your videos with our students, it will definitely inspire them a lot! Would you mind if we translate your videos and play them to our students when we get back to school?
Hi Emma! So glad the algorithm brought you here :) welcome, and you can definitely share these videos with your students! They’re meant to motivate, help, and inspire, so please use this channel’s videos as a resource! Take care xx
This def applies for grad school applications too. It’s funny because I was already doing this and didn’t realize it in my applications prep now.
oh wow i didn't know this applies to grad school apps! Good thing bc I'll use these when I start applying to grad schools ;) good luck with your applications!
I just came back to say that I finally figured out my spike! Don't wanna linger too long on it, because it isn't what I want to talk about. What I want to say is that figuring out my spike, finding a uniting purpose in what I have done, was actually a moment of self discovery for me. Almost like piecing little bits of me together to see something I didn't before. I understand myself way better now.
Hey, I’ve been trying to find my spike for so long.😭 How did you do it?
@@shrawanipal literally sat and thought for a very long time. It helps to consider how your skills would apply irl- what did being in a club give you?
Congrats bailey! Good for you 🙌🙌
Wow, watched 2 of your videos so far, and they are great! Will share with my daughter, as I think they are super helpful! Love the speed of your speech and presentation:) Others can be slow and drawn out. Many thanks!!
Thank you for this comment, Linda! I’m glad to hear that, and I hope your daughter will find this channel helpful 👍
Not yet in high school, but you give such great advice that is really helping me brainstorm my interests, and common denominators! Thank you Iris!
That’s awesome! Glad this helped
Hey Iris!! Thanks for the advice. I didn’t really know how to do it but I just wanted to thank you. I had published a book a couple months ago thanks to your advice and now it is being sponsored by a national congenital heart disease organization and being reviewed by the Children’s Heart Foundation. Sometimes I barely can believe any of this is true😂. Anyways, thank you!!!
Which topic did you write about it .i am interested in medicine and i really wanna write a book but have no idea what should i put inside
That really is up to you. Find a topic that you are really interested in and I recommend researching it for at least 6-7 months before writing anything. When it comes to the world of medicine, it is important to first establish your credibility in the field before writing anything related to the field. For example, I did 2 years of independent study under a professor who approved the accuracy of my work. Then only was I allowed to write a book.
@@meghanad.2929 alright thank you for the advice but i haven't lot of time i think i have just 4 or 5 months to write it..and what's your book title?
I’m assuming you are an incoming senior. Same 😂. If I were you I would try doing something that you know you can accomplish within that time period and execute well. Maybe try brainstorming ideas related to topics you are interested in first. Once you have done so this process should become easier. You can probably do independent research or any other idea you come up with, as long as it is feasible and executed well!
@@meghanad.2929 yeah i am ..thank you again
what if i don't have a theme? I love reading, biology, figure skating, and violin. These are things I genuinely love doing
UPDATE: I found what I love: Biology, specifically Neuroscience and reading. I'm thinking of creating my own blog and doing STEM programs and experiments in my backyard
I’ve been trying to figure this out for a while now, and this video was actually so helpful! Thank you!!!
Glad it helped!
I have watched so many college videos and nothing helped me more than this. Great job ! Lots of love❤️
Hey Iris! For my passion project I wanted to something involving colorism, within our world, society, and even within our own cultures/people. It's a topic I'm very passionate about, especially at a time like this with the BLM movement. I was thinking about doing a book but then thought of the idea of making a documentary. Like interviewing different races, generations, genders about how they feel about the topic. Kind of like an informative video to help younger generations realize that your color doesn't matter. I wanted to see if you thought it was a good idea or not? Thank you
xx
that's an awesome thing to be passionate about. A documentary sounds one of a kind, and more unique than a book (maybe bc i talked about books on this channel, but now it seems like everyone is writing a book haha). I think 110% make that documentary, and keep me updated!!! Good luck :) I think this is going to be awesome
I definitely will keep u updated:)) Thank you so much!!
Hey Iris! Can you do a video on different passion project examples or ideas for different intended majors?
wooo that sounds kind of fun! Maybe I can do a passion project interview series or something with my stanford friends who did some really cool projects in hs! thx for the idea 💕
you’re videos are all so helpful and your voice has CRAZY calming effects thank you so much for sharing!!🥰
You're so INSPIRING ❤
aw thanks houda :)
Hi Iris! Could you consider doing a video about broad activities you can alter to steer towards your spike? For example a youtube channel, a blog, etc. I have a few activities I can alter to my spike but I need more ideas. Thanks, btw loved this video, it helped so much!
i think my answer to this would be to just adapt the broad activity to an interest that fits your spike. for ex, make a youtube channel about college apps if your spike is education, make it about politics if your spike is politics, etc. lmk if you have more questions though, bc i'm not sure if i fully answered what you're looking for
Hey Iris, you’re so inspiring and you have motivated me to start my organization and write my book (both a work in progress, but I know I’ll get it done :)). And on top of that, start and finish my common app essay. No other youtuber does what you’re doing, so thank you. I really have this confidence that I’ve never had before, so thank you a ton. Don’t let the haters get to you ❤️
Thank you, I really appreciate that ❤️
This is such an amazing video! Most of the videos I watched just talk about having a “spike” without clarifying what it is and how we can build our own. Thank you so much Iris~ I hope you have a great day! 💕
Of course!! I hope you have an amazing day as well 💕
Could you do a video about the outline that u gave to your teachers for your letter of rec? I feel like LoR are underrated.
Ooo yeah I think they’re kinda underrated too - I’ll put that idea on my content calendar!
You’re saving applications out here lmao, thank you for the content
Anytime!! Good luck Anmol!!
I love your videos! They are so good and I really get to understand everything! If it is not so offtopic, I'd love to see how you edit your videos :D Thank you for all of what you are sharing!!
this video helped me so much!
great to hear that, ashley!
I enjoy your videos so much and thank you for making helpful content like this! I have been struggling to find my spike and this video helps. ☺
sending love
ur vids are incredibly helpful, pls post videos as many as u can :(
Thank you so much for posting this video; it's very helpful!!
Yay I’m really glad you found it helpful!
thanks for the tips iris! can u make a video about the common application process and how to fill it out?
Sure thing! Was there anything specific you'd like me to address in the video?
could address how to correctly describe the activities under the word count given?
@@irisfu6929 Thanks for replying! If possible, can you give tips on the activities' description wording. (ex. Should I list the goals of the organizations I participate in, my achievements in that organization, etc.). Also, if you have an activity but you don't participate in a club/organization for it, can you just title an activity as "composition" or "sculpture"? Thanks:)
Your channel is really starting to take off congratulations!
ahh thank you!!! you the og tho
@@irisfu6929 I think you are finding your voice. Great to see the channel develop.
I'm new to your channel but I really enjoy it and I've learned quite a bit!
I'm so glad! Welcome aboard!
Wow, blew through 3k and halfway to 4k. Way to build you channel!!
I know right!! and thank you for being an og supporter ❤️
This is super helpful! Thank you !!
Glad it was helpful!
I literally love you! Love from KAZAKHSTAN)
What if the spike and ec's are completely unrelated to the intended major??
For example, your spike is solving the water shortage but you want to apply for say computer science then, won't the admissions officers be confused??
Yes, I'm personally a little confused bc water shortage is lk academic and so I'm wondering why you don't want to study environmental science or something. But if you address the water shortage with a cs solution then cs would totally make sense. Things like family background/culture would make more sense as spikes totally unrelated to you major
your advice is way too good lol
ahaha flattered but thank u for supporting the channel
Hi Iris! I have been following you on RUclips for some time now and your videos have been very inspiring and helpful for me! My dream school by a long shot is Stanford and I am hoping to study comp sci there. I was in a similar situation as you- I was too well rounded but especially during this quarantine I came up with a personal statement of combining STEM, arts, and tech to bring down barriers in educational inequity in order to further sustainability and build community. And I am doing that through my initiative Melodies for Math(explaining K-12 math concepts through short original songs and building the first Music x Math interdisciplinary community), my web development business which have assisted people in 3+ countries get resources and build a brand, a sustainability app in the works based on my United Nations winning essay, interning in the tech sector at the UK based website/app Climate Science, etc. You are like a role model for me and your channel had a strong personal impact on my life. I hope to somehow get accepted to Stanford and meet you on campus one day.
Best regards,
Swetha T.
Hi Swetha! Thanks for sharing your goals and ambitions with me! You sound super ahead of the game and definitely someone I'd like to meet in the future. I hope you come to Stanford!
1 time Winner at international essay competition and story competition is soft or hard spike ..i am winner at national essay competition and story competition too
Love this ! 🧡 u are so amazing :(
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it
Hi Iris! I organize and teach art and design clinics at my city’s central library for little kids who are socioeconomically disadvantaged; I founded the clinic (also given the circumstances of living in a small southern city, we lack free programs that helps kids explore their creative interests)! I’ve hosted these clinics consistently. How would you rate this as a passion project and what can I do to adapt it for it make a bigger on my college apps? Edit: wanted to add that you have inspired me to do so much with the time I have right now! You’re such a kind, motivated person and I can’t believe you keep posting videos that are soooo awesome, thank you so much fam!
wow! that's already really amazing. never heard of any high schooler start a clinic. if you want to take it one step further, i encourage you to start more branches of you clinic in other regions as well, kind of like a chain. Also, reach out to some press for them to cover your story bc it's truly very impressive and interesting. i already feel it that you're going to do big things! pls keep me updated with how your clinic goes!
Iris Fu also I think there might be some confusion over what the actual program is! I mean I call it an art clinic, but I don’t know if that’s the right use of word, do you think I should just stick to the word program? The word “clinic” usually refers to a medical center and I don’t want my program to be confused with one.
Iris Fu thanks
John Liu maybe?? I guess I’m not 100% sure what your program is like rn, but I’d call something a clinic if it’s a program with a set physical location. If not, I’d stick to program 👍👍
Iris Fu okay got it! Yeah my art clinic is held at the same central library every time it takes place!
Your videos stress me out, but in a good way
This is such a helpful video thank you so much!!
Glad u found it helpful!
I have SO many interests and through this video, I figured out that I am interested in Health Science/Nursing, Math, Mental Health, Arts (Especially Performing acting and music). And I also love performing on stage which sounds a bit cliche but it is kinda true! Sounds like a lot, but still trying to figure it all out!
Any suggestions on extracurriculars and classes?
Another great video w/actionable tips! Sorry that reddit ppl hated on you for no reason, I didn't even think you were flexing :( I was wondering if I'd have a hard spike since I have international and national debate awards, but debate isn't an academic field like chem or math, so how do you think debate could function in my app?
I've also done environmental studies/urban studies advocacy, journalism, art, and CS stuff, hoping to major in urban studies. Should I major in comms instead and put urban studies as a secondary major?
this is pretty cool! i think from the surface, comms does fit better with your debate narrative. I think you could have a softer spike/theme of using communication to (insert a problem you're passionate about)--where debate, your journalism, and advocacy can be part of that. You have a really interesting narrative rn!!
@@irisfu6929 thanks for replying!!
i love all of your videos
thank you 💕lmk if u ever have questions or video ideas you want me to do!
@@irisfu6929 love it ;)
omg already on your way to 4k! great job as always :D
So close! thanks for being an og supporter sania!!
ofc! tbh I don't need to watch ur videos (cuz im in 8th grade lol) but ur personality and how accomplished u are makes me never want to miss one of your videos. I hope that when I grow up im as awesome as you!
Sania B Aw thanks for your support and sweet message! I know you’re going to do big things in HS and beyond 🤩🙌
thank you iris for helping thousands of people across the globe. I am currently a high school and I inspire to get into any of the ivy league colleges, my question is does learning a different language stand out as an extra curricular?
thank you so much!
Is doing a non-profit organization (online tutoring service in STEM) in a country with no such student-run services still not "impressive" or doesn't make you stand out? P.S: Are national golden awards (top 10 in the country) at science competitions and 1st places at national research competitions (also aiming for international awards) in Slovenia - EU country) - enough for making a hard spike?
hahah just saw this but replied on the other vid!
This is genuinely so helpful, thank you! When you say explicitly write it in your application, do you mean in our common app essay or within supplements? :)
Either or both! I believe I kind of implicitly hinted in my common app, then very, very explicitly said it in many of my supplements for different schools.
Hi Iris! I’m a rising sophomore interested in exploring the intersection between advocacy and tech. What are some ways I can use my CS skills for good? PS. Thank you for always giving such good advice :)) I’ve learned so much these past months!
Yes of course! You could build a civic engagement app esp for this coming elections, or another tech platform that helps engage you people in the election/political process
Explicitly state I am doing all this for this purpose or theme. State that so they don’t miss it!
amazing video my friend :)
Thank you:)
For the spike/theme, should it also be related to your intended major/honors program that you're applying for, and be pretty academically related (even if I'm rather good at piano, I don't plan on majoring in it & it's a pretty common EC ig)?
It should be kind of related to your major, but it doesn't have to be academic. For example, I had a soft spike of bridging the gap in diff areas (non academic), and my majors were economics, international relations (which were still related to my theme w/ the gender gap in econ and bridging diff cultures). I think your theme and major will come together, and remember that most schools will allow you to pick 2-3 intended majors, so you can have say, stem and communication as two potential majors. I hope that makes sense! lmk if you have more questions tho
@@irisfu6929 Thank you!! I might be scheduling to hop on a Bullseye session w/ you soon :)
Really..... Thanks a ton!
Damn, your outro is so cool. I don't know why I'm sooo familiar with it, could you tell me which outro are you using?
Hi Iris! I just want to say that your videos have been so helpful, thank you so much🥰 Also I wanted to ask if I already wrote my personal essay but didn't include a lot about my spike, is there any way to put more emphasis on it somewhere else in my application? Thanksss
You could in ur supplemental essays, add info, and activities list!
Are you one of the first female Eagle Scouts? I found your channel while searching for Eagle Scouts and college admissions.
Hi Iris!!! Most of my extracurricular accomplishments have in common how I'm trying to expand the knowledge that my country exists since we are barely noticeable on the map and many just see us as that one island (Puerto Rico). For example, I lead a youth robotics team to internationals, I've started an SSL (Spanish as a second language) tutoring service to help kids moving here adapt to the language, assisted my country's only synthetic biology competition team with their project (this is a college team), among others. Would my soft spike be geared towards my goal of gaining recognition for my country or more towards helping others? I'm undecided for my major but am leaning towards biology or psychology. Thank you for all the help through your videos!!!
Iris, your link is broken. Is your worksheet still available? I'd love to see it :)
Hey iris thank you for this resource
What would you say my “theme”/common demonator
National Circuit Debator
Have certificates of completion in coding
Youth group student board member
Teacher assistant for religious school
Organized carnival games with board
I blog
With my youth group I attend a seasonal regional conference
And post Covid I’m going to likely get myself a service job.
Can you recomend a demonatator?
I’m interested in engineering
I'd ask you what's your purpose of pursuing engineering? What community would you like to impact? A potential theme could be "using innovation to help (insert community)" or "using creativity to serve others". I highly encourage you to reflect a bit more on your motivations/impacts in your involvements! I wouldn't really know your theme without understanding your motivation/goals, and you know yourself the best. I hope those suggestions are some kicking off points. Good luck!
Iris Fu I really want to combine data/computer with engineering so an innovation track? Thank you! Also have you heard of collegevine it’s a great resource for me
Speedster14 5 yes!! I used collegevine obsessively haha
Speedster14 5 and innovation sounds great! But make sure to add a social component to it - why are you pursuing innovation? For what purpose?
Hey! I had one question. So, I am pretty strong in one subject area and have received awards in that area but I have 0 activities that relate to that subject area. And I want to study in that subject area in uni...so..what exactly should I do?
pursue some activities related to that subject area!
I only did one club freshman yr and covid closed up sophomore year so I basically have 0 ecs…pls help me I wanna get into a top college. I have interest in psychology,human rights and business and I’m a rising junior I’m freaking out I don’t have any ecs related to this
Notification gaang
yuhhhh😫🤗
I LOVE figure skating, but I started at a late age (11, which is considered late in the skating world) so I don't think I'll make any accomplishments. I enjoy reading and biology, but I don't know what accomplishments I can do with that. I also play violin, but started at a late age (13). I'm only 13, but I really want to go to Harvard or Yale
I'm having trouble finding my spike, could you help me? My big things are:
-Being the captain of a relay for Life team that raised over 18k across two years, 3k of which I raised independently
-Starting a pandemic tutoring group with over 20 students and 10 tutors
-Editor in chief, treasurer, and layout editor (at different times) of the schools lit mag, which my friends and I revived after a 5 year hiatus
-President of English National Honor Society
-Shadowing a plastic surgeon, who is writing me a letter
-Honorable mention for poetry in the southeast region of the Scholastic writing competition
-A handful of state and local Latin awards in mythology
-5 straight years of microbiology science fair projects, but I never qualified for state fair until this year, when it was cancelled
-1st place regionally for epidemiology HOSA, state qualifier but it was cancelled
I want to study English and cellular/molecular bio in college, although I'm not sure how to communicate both of these intrests to a college. I guess I should put it in my essay?
I just want to say thank you so much-your videos are SO HELPFUL. I could not have gotten my internship by cold-calling / cold-emailing without your help!!
Hi Iris!
I've been loving your videos and awesome advice!
I have a little dilemma: I am also a bit of a jack-of-all-trades and do not have a significant hard spike in any area. Though I do have some interests, they are mostly in the arts with a side of video games. Thinking from not only a university but also a career standpoint, I feel like my current interests will make it difficult for me to find a suitable/viable career. For this reason, I've been considering focusing more on something like economics, medicine, or computer science (I don't know much about any as of now) throughout high school and start narrowing activities down a little so I will have an obvious spike when it comes to college applications. Do you think this is a good idea for someone just entering high school? If not, what do you think I should do? Thank you so much! :)
Hey! sorry I didn't see this earlier. Yes, you are still so early in the game. Definitely explore all three areas and then narrow down to one by 10th/11th grade. Good luck!
Don't do things just for college, do things because they're fun. If you're planning on making economics your spike, make sure you're going to be happy doing economics for the rest of your life
thank you sososososo much
You’re welcome! :)
What if I play a sport? How would I be able to tie that into my theme?
Hmm this is difficult. I think sports (if you’re not world class at it) might be one of the activities that you list toward the bottom. Otherwise, if you’re into sports medicine, sport therapy, or some other derivation of sports, that could become part of your tjeme
Okay, thank you!!
It's my understanding that colleges have recruiting deficits that they try to fill on campus which change from year to year. For example, they may be high in computer science majors but low in vocal arts majors on campus and want to fill that area. How can you find this information out per university? Wouldn't knowing this information be a competitive advantage in helping you position your spike in your application? Also, does it make sense to come in as a double major if your passion is your spike but you plan to major in something else?
the answer is you can't :/ it would be a competitive advantage, but unfortunately the college apps process is not the most transparent. Do what makes sense to you--if you feel passionate and genuine about pursuing a double major or whatever other major, and you can do a good job explaining it, then it will probably make sense to others as well.
Just like how you connected your activities with the theme of bridging people together, I want to do the same with my activities except my theme is helping others who are in need using science and medicine. How did you incorporate this in your essays and application so I can do the same in mine?
That's awesome! I wrote my common app about bridging divides in my family, another essay on bridging the gender gap, etc. I think just use every piece of the application to describe an example that you've used to achieve you theme/goal, and always conclude with how that specific example helped you achieve your theme/goal.
@@irisfu6929 So do we say the best 1 or 2 in the essay that supports the theme ir all of them?
@@irisfu6929 Also, thanks for replying
Quarantine makes it uncomfortable to see you so close to the screen 😂
Lol 🥺😂
thankssss
💕💕
Can I have two soft spikes, food issues(obesity, food insecurity, food waste)-I don’t have a backstory to this I just am really passionate about food and since it plays such a big role in staying alive it feels only natural to care about it, and language:communication:understanding the people around us(cross cultural awareness, language classes, funding for the illiterate-my grandma is illiterate, helping immigrants with English- my parents are immigrants,marching band/music- music is a universal language). How would I bring those two together somehow, have any ideas??? Is it okay to have two soft spikes I want to develop? Anyone that has an idea please feel free to answer!!! I’m an incoming sophomore (10th)
hey iris tysm for the advice! I'm just wondering how I would be able to communicate the soft spike through the UC piqs, which have four questions we have to answer. Should they all have to conclude with a message gearing towards the same soft spike, or should I emphasize four completely different aspects of myself, instead elaborating on the soft spike when listing out the ec's?
You can write about diff aspects in each essay but then come to the general conclusion at the end of each essay which can be the same/similar
Thank you so very much for this! I'm a senior and I've always done so many activities in many categories because I have so many interests, so I'll definitely have to figure out where my soft spike is! Would doing well at state competitions help with a hard spike? Even if it's not part of your future career goal?
class of 2021 has it rough huh, no senior year and now even lower acceptance rates :(
Im in 8th grade and my mom is making me watch this video...
Just a time stamp 8:04
Thanks....... 😊
Would a good idea for a soft spike be creating more equality or would it be too broad and basic?
I think it’s a good idea if you’re making a difference and initiating a change in the world. How exactly are you creating the world more equal-in terms of socioeconomic status, womens rights, education, access to basic necessities, racial inequality ?? Are you soft spiking in a specific area or do all your activities go under creating equality-~if so you’re doing great//
Hey. I love the way you're the most informative college youtuber out there. I have a lot of experience and extracurriculars in the field of literature but I've been meaning to apply for psychology. Is there any way I can make my application more psychology-centric with new extracurriculars (if yes, how?) or can i tweak my application to make it seem that I would be a good psychology candidate?
I'll be applying for Princeton, Yale and Stanford mostly :)
Hi! I was curious on how you applied to college as a junior in high school?
The process is basically the same! The only thing diff was that I was in 11th grade, but nothing about the process was different