Don't blame the school because you're unmotivated and not passionate. Teachers are supposed to encourage students to be self-motivated learners, but at the end of the day, your lack of passion and motivation is on you, not the school. But younger generations love not taking responsibility for their actions/shortcomings, so
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.
Late response, but as a scholar I have a hard time balancing school work and extra circulars. I already faced role stress and ended up failing because I took on too much
colleges have to find a way to weed out students because so many more are applying to college than before. plus, it's good to encourage students to focus on more than just school. There's always time for that kind of stuff
As someone just now deciding on a major and prehealth track as a junior in college, I understand why they look for this (not that I didn't in extracurrs in hs and college, bc I do a lot.) But I hope you take this advice: one thing I did not gain anything from are: video games, things that seem to add to your life but do not upon sitting and contemplating, and lack of morals leading to excess consumption (explore your purpose, philosophy, religion). Last, everything should be aligning beautifully, or you may want to explore other careers and majors
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!
@@thepersonwhohasnovideos6052 I didn't say great colleges. I said good colleges. Of course, not all perfect scores go to Harvard. But they definitely go to a good school.
Life tip: do what you want, if you have a passion for an activity do it regardless of whether or not it'll look good on an application. Life is more than the college admissions office
Man, it really is a shame that colleges only accept leaders. It's as if all the people that work under leaders don't matter at all :/. (i'm gonna stay on the volleyball team, even if i'm not good at it. because i LIKE it and i'm DEDICATED).
I have no “official” leadership experience that I can write down, no clubs, no extracurricular activities that my school recognises, nor a single hour of volunteer work. All I did was say I play the piano and swim occasionally. And I still somehow got into a descent college for engineering 🤷♀️🤷♀️
Dano focus on what you love. I did cross country and I was absolutely terrible, I had so many injuries it was insane. I still did it and I loved it. They want leaders but it doesn't mean you have to be the leader of everything you do. I do art independently but built a really strong portfolio and while I wasn't president of any clubs for science I got my biotechnology certification. So just take charge of your hobbies and what you love you'll be fine
To be fair though, if you dedicate yourself to volleyball and still aren’t good at it, what does that mean about anything else you dedicate yourself to? That you won’t be good or useful at it? I’m not saying this is the case for you because I don’t know you but the point of finding something that you’re passionate about AND good at is because you seem like a much better overall investment for a college if they believe you can do something well once you set your mind to it.
Dano colleges will accept a lot of things. It really depends on the school and how you spin it. Do what makes you happy and if a college doesn't accept you for it, then they were never the right college anyway.
Don't want to make you sad. This list primarily applies to those seeking admission to elite colleges. It doesn't mean these activities don't have value or that they add nothing, but they're often not the element that is a "hook" for a college that helps them settle decisions between a lot of students that all seem very much alike: dedicated, good grades, etc.
I did all of this. And I got into UC Berkeley with a 22 on the ACT. Take this video with a grain of salt and just focus on writing a really compelling admissions essay :)
I know right! An essay could easily get you in. Just put a tragic event that happened to you like a loved one passed or someone got cancer. Most would probably let you in because they would feel bad.
That was really the point of this to begin with RE: "compelling admissions essay". Check out the response video: ruclips.net/video/oeVHW8mCBug/видео.html
“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 from France. Someone from America once told me that our school hours were inhumane. I told her that basically forcing extracurricular activities they don't want to do down children's throats and teaching them that only being popular, a leader and fitting in with and doing organised activities with peers matters are what is cruel. When school was over and homework was done, my time was my own. An college bound American teen has no time of their own, it seems. Many of these children learn at the age of 14 that nothing they enjoy is "worth doing" and none of their time is their own. Down time as well as family time don't seem to be valued much. I saw blogs about extracurriculars for college that just made me mad. One teen said she had to babysit her toddler brother every night because her mother works long hours and the response was that her babysitting wouldn't *really* count and to do extracurriculars on the weekend. Um, if she has to babysit her brother this much, she probably has to do her homework/study on the weekend and everyone should have SOME down time, too.Another student said she taught herself Russian, and that too was somewhat dismissed because she did it alone, she should go to lessons or start a Russian club. HELLO? Teaching yourself Russian at home, with books and the internet, and holding yourself responsible, is a FEAT and shows true dedication. They say we put people in a box, yet it's US colleges that only want one type of person and people who dedicate themselves to learning alone outside of school or to helping people (volunteering), are dismissed. I think that it's cruel and it teaches the opposite of being innovative and original. You have to be innovative and original to figure out how to learn Russian or entertain a toddler all night, but I don't see anything innovative or original about running or a ball game. You are just following the rules. Also the only doing things you are "good" at things annoys me. It can take many years to become good at something and sticking with something when you DON'T show natural talent right away is true dedication, even if you never do become "good" at it. It's sad when you have to be "good" at something for it to bring you joy, too, but that's how it seems to be in America now. 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.
It's fine to do stuff you want... but if you're trying to get into a top tier college like the topic of the video... then you're going to have to make sacrifices
@@ceresrose8918 I see making sacrifies as studying more in your free time, not doing some activity you don't like to impress someone and never seeing your family. Not everyone is good with their peers, or super social or a leader. Doesn't mean that they couldn't do well in certain fields in college. The way US college selections are done feels very "interfering in all aspects of life". Then again, it just mirrors your work culture which seems to veer towards no work/life balance.
@@ceresrose8918 I'm not attacking her, the issue is the whole system itself (which is what I am attacking). She's just the messenger. I'd rather my kid go to a lesser known school then let the American college board run their whole life.
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.
Right? I'm so afraid of entering college thinking I can pursue my interests and use my talents for good, just to find myself working a nine to five in some stuffy corporate building. I know not everyone changes the world, but I really hope there is a way to not lose one's vison.
@@kaitlyng7850 Yes I am, but currently I'm focusing on reach colleges. The default option in my family is community college then transfer to a state school, but I really dislike the idea of attending college in my state. Don't freak out! There is a lot to do, I know, but the nice thing is that there are more options than ever and none are necessarily wrong. Do you have someone helping you apply or are you going it alone?
Have fun in high school. Get the best grades you can but don't be afraid to try new things. You'll never be able to go back once you graduate. Don't miss out on life experience just to try to look good for some admissions counselor. If you're a crummy swimmer but you love swimming ... do it!
Exactly!! I'm really not that fast but this was my first year and I held my own. I'm not that good and still have a lot to work on, but I love it and you should never say to quit it.
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. These things had no purpose but enjoyment and destressing. The closest I got was teaching myself languages (doesn't count, solidary), babysitting (doesn't seem to count) and learning the guitar (doesn't count again, because I was mediocre). Also, what does telling someone to only do what they are naturally good at already teach them, anyway? Someone who isn't naturally good at something sticking with it shows dedication. Not being good at something from the start doesn't mean that you cannot improve. But if you dismiss everything you aren't good at already, how would you know how awesome you could be if you showed dedication? My friend who is an amazing writer was pretty horrible at high school age...she is good at it now because she didn't give up.
As a korean, i totally understand!! Yes we study hard and work hard but at least we dont fake something to impress college. And for ppl like me who are introverts and also suck at sports dont really have an option. (I like volunteering but it doesnt count so..) I mean i get that they wanna see us being involved in smth and be passionate bout smth but even if u r not a leader nor good player, u can still be involved and passionate
I dont agree, even if you arent good at a sport doesnt mean it isnt a huge time commitment and it shows youre good at time mangement if you can get good grades and spend 3 hours a night on a sport, that means a lot
Not to say that sports are a bad extracurricular (I do track), but what she's saying is that top colleges are looking for those who are able to excel at what they love to do.
madeline mello I feel that applies more at schools like mine where there's so many extracurricular activities only about 15% of the school isn't involved in something so it's like a "what's your point so are 896 other students at your school some even have a job."
exactly, i suck at hockey but i also learned as a junior and am on a team that ended up in the state finals, regardless of whether i excel, it is still a huge deal that i was able to pick up the sport late and be a part of the team. not excelling doesnt mean you have no role. i was a huge part of the team and playing that sport is the best decision I ever made. i would NEVER trade it for something i might be better at.
tbh if your a senior on JV, I applaud you. That is hard to take as a senior but only the ones who truly love the sport will continue playing it because they love it.
Serena Lizinnqui Junior Varsity. It’s a step lower than Varisty (Which is where most seniors are placed) Usually those who aren’t as good at a sport are placed into JV teams with lower class men
@@ferddoesweirdthingsinlife1040 exactly in Germany it’s sick. If you wanna study psychology (like me) you’re screwed. So many people want to study this subject so the universities just put a benchmark (and it’s a extremely high one) and if you’re worse than that you’ll get rejected. To them you’re just a number, they don’t even care who you are.
@@lacampanella6172 omg really, i wanna study psychology as well but i'll go to the Netherlands. And yeah just checked the reuiqrement, i need to pass their selection test.
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'm not saying not to put activities down! Take credit for all activities yes!! This is more advice on which activities have less of a hook factor to elite universities and how to avoid the kind of activities that make for lame essays in many cases if you're still in a position to decide how to spend your time (because one of the greatest values of activities is as raw material for essays). And yes-- it isn't all black and white!! All of these ideas have exceptions.
Kayla Brown as my guidance counselor says, it's safer to put down more than less. Volunteering is something very important and helps to build your community. Colleges like seeing you give back to your community.
Kayla Brown um, no. That's just wrong. As long as you get above a 3.9 GPA, 1550 SAT, and get into a higher level of an Olympiad (i.e JMO, AMO, etc) you can basically go to any college. I have a lot of friends who basically only put those on their application, and all of them got into top tier activities
Kayla Brown she never said not to put volunteer work in general down. She meant low commitment work, like doing a beach cleanup once or planting trees for one day of your life. If it’s something you’re passionate about, then that’s what’s going to impress schools. An example of something like that is what I’m doing right now. I’m very passionate about math and I’m planning on majoring in pure mathematics. So something I do a lot is I go to my local library and I volunteer to teach 1st-8th graders math and to share my passion on the subject with them.
if you are in national honors society and you have 65 hours of volunteer work (it can be from ANYTHING), is that considered a filler? the whole point of NHS is to give back to the community. but depending on what i choose to volunteer for, could that just be fillers?
Grades? Colleges don’t care SAT? Colleges don’t care Extracurriculars? Colleges don’t care Volunteer? Colleges don’t care Money? Colleges don’t- Oh wait. So how do you get in to college then?
Be an athlete. Colleges and schools in general prioritize sports over anything, meanwhile us orchestra kids have to do fundraisers and shit just to get by.
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.e. majoring) in at Harvard. Hopefully you have near-perfect (or perfect) grades and test scores. Being #1 or #2 in your class looks good. If you've taken AP or IB exams, it looks good to show them a bunch of 5s (or 7s on IB exams), and nothing below a 4 (6 on IB). It helps (a little) to be from an underrepresented state like Mississippi or Wyoming. It helps to express interest in an unpopular concentration like Linguistics or Anthropology, especially if your interest for that subject shows in your essays or activities. It helps to be a girl interested in a STEM major as long as your grades and test scores strongly back up your STEM ability. Oh, and if you're poor or even middle class (family income less than ~$70k or so), that helps quite a bit. Incorporate that into your essays somehow. Yes, they could just look on your FAFSA form to see your family's income, but they really like kids from poor or middle class (not upper middle, haha) backgrounds. They like kids who overcame adversity or lack of opportunities in their communities and schools. This won't overcome less than great grades and test scores, but it will definitely help. And if you don't get in, it's fine, really. Harvard (or Yale or any other school) is FAR from a guarantee of any success in life. You will have to make your own success in life regardless of where you graduate from college.
Is a black belt still exceptional given that there are so many martial art organizations that basically give out black belts within 2-3 years? I'm a black belt in Karate through more than 8 years of training and I'm afraid that my achievement will be diminished by how easily some groups give out black belts.
ANewLight I agree. I got my first black belt after ten years of training, but my karate school (sometimes) seemed to favor other people and just hand out belts. I was also delayed in my black belt journey due to a judge “losing” my testing forms. So yes, I would hope that colleges don’t do that. Maybe you could incorporate a way to say how many years you have been doing karate?
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 dont think this video'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
Hey dude, not trying to make you feel bad or anything but I definitely was "that guy" in high school and I had no idea any of it would help me for college. I just started stuff because that was what I was into. I founded my own web design firm when I was a junior in HS and it had made over $14k by the time I graduated. I grew up in the hood, mind you. Further, I was the president of 2 clubs, VP of another, captain of track & field, choir manager, and state-ranked at shot put. I ended up getting full ACADEMIC scholarships to several top schools (I wasn't good enough at shot put to be heavily recruited). If you don't think you're that ambitious, then a top school like Harvard or MIT may not be for you. I went to a school like that and what I can tell you is that the students on those campuses are either A) extremely ambitious, B) extremely good critical thinkers [or on track to becoming extremely good thinkers], C) extremely rich and spoiled, D) super geniuses who never had to try hard at anything and just understand things, or E) some combination of A-D. If you don't fit into any of those categories then you'll stick out like a sore thumb at a top-tier school (Like Stanford, Williams, Harvard,, Amherst, Princeton, MIT, etc.), have trouble fitting in, be miserable as a result, and probably get crushed by the course workload. Your course workload depends on which school you go to... schools like Williams, Princeton, MIT and UChicago have legendary workloads for students, whereas some top schoos like Harvard and Cornell have less stressful workloads. Regardless, if the specter of writing three 10-15 page papers per week, along with 100s of pages of assigned reading (often entire books in 1-2 weeks with reports), and some exams and projects thrown in seems dauting, then an elite school probably isn't for you. I say ambition is important because, even if you're smart, the idea of waking up every day and putting yourself through this gauntlet for 4 years will eventually overwhelm you (as it does many students at those types of schools) unless you're ambitious or passionate. I pulled all-nighters all the time. I once had a stretch where a group of my friends and I LITERALLY WORKED/SLEPT IN THE COMPUTER LAB FOR 2 WEEKS STRAIGHT WRITING PAPERS. We only left for showers, changing clothes and banging our significant others. We did this on at least 4 occassions I can think of, and we weren't the only ones. I don't say any of this to sound like an asshole, to brag or to discourage you. I'm just letting you know what it's like in that environment since I've been there myself. It doesn't only take ambition to get in, it also takes ambition to succeed in those environments.
rika miku Don’t envy. It’s usually a matter of discovering what motivated you and some kids find their motivation early in life. Also, it has been proven that the majority of high achieving students throughout high school crash and burn post college. They go off of the deep end once in their careers. They didn’t have any balance their entire life and they hit a wall and a sense of bewilderment usually.
exact;y, some "outstanding" activities need $$$, A LOT. we even cant afford the freaking college tuition, where the hell are we going to get the money for those ECs. total bs. sorry I'm three years late.
For people who don’t have much time: 1. Volunteer work 1:05 2. Mediocre activities 2:55 3. Doing something because someone told you it will look good 4:32 4. Summer camps, mission trips, and leadership seminars 5:30 5. Expensive summer programs 6:53
You don't have to be good or passionate about everything you need to do. Just do it. Put time and commitment into and you'll be good. Colleges aren't going to say "s/he's not enthusiastic enough" just don't sound dead while you describe while you do it.
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
And dont just engage yourself into something that you might not like just for the sake of having a "passion", but really think about what you want to do, spend days, weeks , or even months thinking/researching(use that device!)/investigating things you might want to spend the rest of your life doing, trust me it's worth it. You don't want to be 25 years old stuck working 9-5 wishing you had the time to do something with your life, it's just not worth it.
aleph rosso wish someone would have told me this my freshman year-I was in every club for 'college apps' jokes on me bc there's limited spots on the common app lmao😂
Hell Yea! But don't forget to act on what you feel passionate about! Unless you can't really act on it then you can at least write about it. Im glad that you feel this way :)
aleph rosso I agree with you I've been thinking about my future college since 5 years old and as a freshman I'm trying to find an important thing that appeals to my interests in the future. I'm working from freshman year to get into Harvard or Yale. Maintaining my perfect 4.0 GPA till senior year and making sure my future SAT score is beyond average.
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!!
There is no reason to take AP courses. The real suckers are the students who take 100 and 200 level coursework at a university at 4 times the cost of a college. University is meant for 300, 400, and 500 level coursework. Students who go directly into a university after high school deserve to be broke as fuck.
challenge yourself with things you actually feel PASSIONATE towards - as post secondary institutions are rummaging around your application to find what DEFINES u as in who u wish to be in this world years later, as well as seeing how you have challenged yourself recently, it therefore will (hopefully) kill 2 birds with that single stone
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.
Re: a "hook"-- yes that is the point. Activities that are competitive, even if you aren't the absolute best do count some-- but for top colleges you want at least one activity that you excel in or are a leader or competitor in (it doesn't have to be every activity you do) to put you in a better position than other applicants.
SupertutorTV. I am a volunteer with the Christian Appalachian project in Kentucky. I build and repair homes in the hills of Kentucky. I have been doing this for 2 year's now. Will this help me on my college application.
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 🤦
With my school they could. When I met with my counselor back in the day, she always asked me what my current extracurriculars were. She had a running list of everything I was involved in.
book.lion16 - be honest! but also show what kind of person you are. for me, i said that i like 70s music, watched downtown abbey, and in my essay mentioned that i dress pretty dated, so they could see that i like stuff from the past. you don't have to be cool, but you should be a person that's a character, not just someone who follows trends and watches/does what everyone else does. get excited about what you like.
I think Brooke makes a lot of good points here. If you think about it again, she clearly does make a lot of sense. It is just that the way she said them hurt people's feelings, hence the many dislikes. Sometimes the truth sucks.
Okay. I'm going to say this as an athlete who gives more than 2+ hours a day into their sport. I'm on the swim team, am a junior in highschool, and just because you are on JV means nothing about your passion for the sport. When you are in a sport, you are in it or the rest of the team will ostracize you because if you're not that passionate, it shows in the way you play. I just had one of my best races with swimming half a football field in 45 seconds. The first time I raced ever in my life I was over a minute. What got me there was my hard work and dedication to my sport. I don't just go to practice and do whatever. I work my ass off. And for someone to tell me because I'm not on varsity I am not dedicated? Fuck that.
so many of people in the comments seem angry because they aren't the target audience for this video. 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 video 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 video.
Well, this doesn’t apply to all people who want to go to competitive schools. I got into 15 schools and ultimately chose to go to Stanford :) I did some of the stuff in this video, so take this with a grain of salt. I hate to see people getting discouraged like this video discouraged me when I first saw it while applying to college :(
it's depressing hearing I'm not doing everything that colleges want to hear. I go to a top public school, take several aps, am in debate and mock trial, but I'm not the best at any of these things even though they're my passion, and as a result it sounds like I won't get into any top school even though I know I have more dedication than some of my top scoring peers around me ://
@@yin4296 at the end of the day, I think what matters is if you’re really passionate about what activities you’re in. Personally, I like Harvard but I don’t think it’s THE dream school for someone like myself. I have heard how the culture is at that school and it’s depressing to know why so many teens transfer from the ivies to other schools that might be considered ‘mediocre.’ Parents nowadays think that the degree that their child gets will establish them with a great job, but again, the school name won’t matter to a medical school, law school, etc. It’s always who KNOWS their stuff and who actually cares about their job. Don’t get discouraged since at the end of the day, our life is like vapor - we come and go. Enjoy what you are most comfortable and passionate at. 😊💕
I'm a high school senior in Germany and stuff like this isn't at all relevant to college applications.... I'll get a spot anyway... why am I watching this
Kids, just get a high GPA, good ACT/SAT scores, and take AP/college coursework in high school. Do extracurriculars for fun and add as many as you wish! 😊
OneDerscore One it depends on what you consider a good college. For an ivy level school you need to be top or close to top of your class with near perfect test scores and amazing essays along with extracurriculars that show that you’re able to maintain a good academic standing and be the best at what you do outside of school. Like Brooke said, if you love swimming but are a bench warmer, that’s not really gonna help you on your apps. In contrast, if you’re the best swimmer in your region, then colleges will look highly at that.
I have several students who have worked with college professors or grad students (PHd's doing research-- or as interns in a lab -- at UCLA at Cal Tech and at other institutions in our area). You're right it's hard to find someone to work with or such a position, but I know from my students it's not impossible. One cold emailed 20 different researchers before getting a yes. Another had an in from his counselor at school. Some have had parents' friends help out. I've also worked with many students abroad who have done this in China. Obviously not everyone lives near a major research institution-- my point is that you should be going out of your way to find a way to actually engage with the ideas you want to be a part of -- and that there are other ways to enrich your learning besides expensive structured programs. I think some kids can't afford those programs and it's an encouragement to find other ways to get a similarly enriching experience-- one that may even show more initiative.
lilipad90 I'm a PhD student at a major research institute. We take high schoolers in the summer. Are they really getting their own project? Heck no. But they can get in and assist on projects.
lilipad90 it's not that hard if you work for it. This summer and next year I have a research internship because I wasn't afraid to put myself out there and work hard. And I'm not just shadowing either, I'm actually working to grow tumors, grow cell cultures, etc.
It's a matter of knowing the right people. I've been interning in an NYC ME office since I was 16 because my dad's frat brother's wife was a top prosecuting attorney, now judge. Sure I didn't do much besides clean equipment, automate old records and observe, but I had that experience.
Research in high school is extremely elitist. 99% of the time you only get the opportunity because your parents have a lot of money and connections, it isn't even about how talented you are.
Her point is that there is ‘volunteer’ work (patting kittens) and then there is Volunteer Work (ones that require long term effort that says something about you as a person)
yes, but what FOR is the question that is the important thing - 3 hrs of garbage cleanup crew per day likely isnt gonna strike as big the jackpot as even just 1 hr per day at the local animal shelter, senior centre, or empowering and being a positive influence for little kids
AbdulMalik 2024 it helps if it’s something you’re passionate about. A beach cleanup one day isn’t going to do anything for you. An example is what I do. Because I’m very passionate about math and I’m planning on majoring in pure mathematics or a similar field, I volunteer at my local library to teach 1st-8th graders math and to share my passion for the subject with them.
I did all of this, got straight As, internship, played soccer, meh ACT score but I’m at UC Berkeley now :)! It’s all about being passionate about something 🤗
Jenny Valdivia wait do you have any advice on how to write the essays? or what you wrote about?? because i only have volunteer work and summer programs oof but it relates to what i’m planning on doing in the future
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.
Ja dk There’s also Duke TIP that you must be recruited for and test into. They seek the Judd our nation wide in their muddle school years. My daughter is in it and it’s a big deal.
@@Trailblazers323 Yeah, I'm in John Hopkins CTY and they're basically the same idea. We must take the SAT test to get in. This counts for university/college, right?
If you want to volunteer at a pet shelter or be “a clog” then do it, nobody can say it won’t help. I just received a scholarship for my volunteer work. Do you, there’s no wrong or right here.
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?
Maggy Blue Hmm, I say go for it. Don't be overly weird or go for shock value though. I actually wrote one of my essays for a secondary application about the chemical analysis of toenails. LOL I got waitlisted, but the college was a reach anyway.
Maggy Blue it really depends. It sounds like you could get something from it! If you can show you actually learned something you can put towards real life or passion, then by all means write about it. I wrote about being a musician and abuse and how they went hand and hand, and I was accepted into all of my schools. Just make sure that there's something there worth writing about!
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 video 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.
*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.
Not really the point is that if you’re serious about something it will show in your application but if you’re clearly fluffing your application with clubs that don’t do anything sports that you barely play that won’t make a difference that’s very different than being captain of the swim team and being a 4 year varsity athlete or being the head of a community service club and raising 10,000 dollars for a club you founded those show commitment and passion but being part of a club that you don’t participate in doesn’t help you
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 started my school's Prom Drive through NHS, being in NHS really helped me organize it, and it's been my "passion project" for 3 years! I really love it and I've found someone to take it over when I graduate! We've been expanding it for 2 years and we're starting to actually make a difference!
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 video are true to some extent.
Precisely THIS. The key words being "IF they're special to you"... And that's the point Brooke was trying to make. If you're just on the swim team to be on it, then top colleges won't care. It's too competitive out there to just do things for the sake of doing them. There has to be a reason for the things you do, it has to mean something to you as a young person, not just to pad your application. We're glad you understood the message, Z W!
This video is so realistic. I participated activities in school basically just for fun, I never think about to join certain activities make my high school life stunning
i’m not a varsity runner but i am passionate about it. it’s hard to decrease your times quickly without injury. i’m not gonna stop running because i’m not the best. if a college doesn’t accept me bc of the fact that i wasn’t the best in my sport, which was very competitive, it’s not my loss.
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?
This is exactly the kind of volunteer work that students over estimate the value of. You won't learn how to be a doctor by getting patients cups of water at the hospital. Instead try to contact medical researchers in your area and see if you can intern on research study or a paper. That is much more impressive and will give you better exposure to some of what doctors actually do.
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 video, but you definitely make it seem like you shouldn't do any of these activities that can be perfectly viable.
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
I feel like the whole idea of “selling” yourself to a dream college is stupid in the first place. Long down the road nobody will care if you got into this school or that school, they care if you were a good or bad person. What a way to live your teenage years according college admissions.
Amen! Do awesome at the opportunities you have, whatever they are. After all is said and done, you’ll find smart folks who took all kinds of paths to exactly where you are. Sure, ivys are cool, but in the end, just a lot of debt and job offers you coulda had if you worked hard wherever else you would have been anyway. Personal experience talking.
Transh Hongoy There really is no secret to getting into college. I mean, yeah, you can’t sit around all day and expect to get into MIT or Harvard or whatever, but as for WHAT you do? There is no secret sauce. Yeah, of course schools look for big winners, but I literally wrote my college essay on how I keep doing stuff even though I seem to always lose, and came to the conclusion that I wasn’t really doing any of those things to win anyways. That essay, along with a couple others, got me into UC Berkeley, despite the fact that I was a bench warmer on the swim team. Soooo, do what you do, and embrace the fact that getting into any one particular school is as much based on luck as anything you’ve done.
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!
Terrible advice. You don't have to be 'good' at your activity. You develop charcter traits by being involved - commitment, teamwork, perspective. What an awful attitude she has.
true your passion isn't defined by titles or awards or how good you are, but as the other person said- it's the truth- I don't agree with this bs system either, but unfortunately it just works this way for top colleges and is impossible to change :(
Do important crap for you, do things for a long time, to show that you're invested. Colleges like consistency. Doing 50 things once is different than doing 4 things 50 times. Get and STAY involved.
I'm an illustration major and the fact that I was in the debate team for five years and became vice president helped me out more than anything art related I did on the side because the art stuff was like maybe one week of workshops... Commitment!
I completely disagree with 5:29. I had an experience like this for a week and I was able to cite that experience in order get a job in the summer to help pay for college.
+SupertutorTV I understand that, however I find that I am very passionate about leadership activities and helping others. Unfortunately, I was only afforded this opportunity once in high school as I had other time consuming extracurricular activities. I only took issue with the implication that listing these short lived activities doesn't show passion or commitment.
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...
what if I have been volunteering for a really long time and consistently?? Because I actually like where im volunteering and I go there because I really enjoy it. Also is Marching band also something colleges notice because I really like Marching band.
simplyrevising I've always volenteered since I was a little girl with my girl scout troop, I had way more hours then my documented 175 hours. If you enjoy something and it brings you joy, do it for yourself!
First of all, if you truly enjoy it, you should do it regardless of whether it affects your application. Joy can be difficult to find, so grasp it when you see it. Secondly, in terms of this video, I think she is more referring to one and done type of projects. If you have been largely involved and committed to a volunteer organization like you've described, it is very good for an application. It shows commitment, time management skills, and moral values.
simplyrevising this is really late but anything associated with playing an instrument is extremely helpful for getting into college. It has been proven that playing an instrument helps you use your brain more and helps your academics
Lol so me grinding my ass off in debate for the past 4 years to finally get selected to go for a national extremely selective week-long seminar is just "fluff"
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.
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?
Don't be disheartened! Most colleges focus more on academics and test scores -- activities are only part of your application. This is aimed toward top universities (top 10-20) -- not ALL of them.
Something in me snapped when you said to quit swimming if you aren’t good at it, like why would you want to stop doing something that’s beneficial for life skills and exercise. I’m applying to ivies but I’m not going to change my life for them
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!
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).
I worried often about doing something I really loved when I was in high school and ended up working in entertainment but really not finding stability or happiness in those opportunities (no matter how many famous people I got to be around). Now I'm pretty much on a "Plan B" -- life can surprise you-- what you thought would be boring can actually be interesting and rewarding and what you thought you dreamed of can actually be disappointing and stressful. Don't just ask yourself what you want to be or what you're passionate about-- look out in the world and ask yourself what needs can you fill and what problems can you solve? It's not all about you -- it's also about the world around you and what opportunities it has to offer. Good luck-- you'll figure it out eventually!! Only 40% of people end up in careers related to their college majors-- so many people have to try things out to see what they like.
You could also double major if you feel that a STEM field is something you;d be good at. I'm currently double majoring in Molecular Genetics and Communications. Don;t get me wrong, I'm really interested in Genetics, but I'm passionate about Public Relations. So I'm doing both until I start looking for a job.
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.
My university literally asks for 3 things only. 2 standardized tests and your high school certificate....thats it ...and instead of paying, we get paid by the uni 😊 bless
So basically, I need to form like a really big passion, do about 10 activities for that while also committing to school full-time. Well, let me just cry silently.
Every person in the comments section: "LIAR! Community service and volunteer work are EXTREMELY important in an application!! They are what makes ME special!"
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.
Grace B Get the Barrons SAT books. Take good notes in math class and KEEP THEM so you can study off them later. Do kahn academy SAT prep. If you can, join an SAT prep class at school if offered. When pre-bubbling before the test, DO NOT elect to send ur scores to colleges for free because you may not like your score and if the college receives low scores they'll throw ur app in the trash (if ur aiming for a good college). Send your scores after u get your scores back (it costs money tho). SAT retakes are in August and October also, DO NOT SLACK, do sports, get involved in 1-3 activities now that you will continue throughout highschool, take AP classes and good luck. (I'm a junior, I took my SAT yesterday).
I took the 2400 point test so my advice might be outdated, but this helped me go from 154 on the PSAT to 2040: -Make sure you understand the math. Tutoring could help you here if you don't. -Use your calculator whenever you can. You don't need to but it helps. -For the reading parts, find a method that works and stick to it. I would say though that if one question asks "in paragraph three…" don't read past paragraph three before you answer it. They get you like that. - Guess because you can now. -Learn the essay rubric. It's not about how well you can write. I'm a good writer and I couldn't get above an eight but my friend can't write and she got a nine on one essay. I didn't put nearly enough time into this and my grade suffered. - TAKE PRACTICE TESTS. It helps so much. I was always the last one out during a test and I had ADD and I was able to finish critical reading and the writing every time. And my grade went up. - Get a digital watch to keep track of time. - Bring snacks.
I felt this video was directed at me when it said I should quit the swim team if I’m not a stand out. But I’m not going to Bc it is hard to stand out when half of the team is amazing and 5 are all Americans
I saw the devastation of my dreams, my struggle to grow better everyday and thoughts of make a change in my life in those 11:00 minutes. I’ll come back again if I ever/never received an offer letter from college.
Hello, I mentioned everything you told not to and guess what I have an unconditional offer from Queen Mary University of London. I know this is based on what you might have seen or experienced but that’s not all. It depends upon how much keen you’re to studying the subject in a particular university too. Good luck!
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.
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Want to read instead of watch 👀supertutortv.com/informational/5-activities-that-dont-help-your-college-application/
She talks about passion as if school hasn't already mercilessly robbed me of my sense of motivation and passion.
yubiie facts lmao
Them: Follow your passion!
Also them: Noh, Not that..
True
Facts homester
Don't blame the school because you're unmotivated and not passionate. Teachers are supposed to encourage students to be self-motivated learners, but at the end of the day, your lack of passion and motivation is on you, not the school. But younger generations love not taking responsibility for their actions/shortcomings, so
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.
Late response, but as a scholar I have a hard time balancing school work and extra circulars. I already faced role stress and ended up failing because I took on too much
colleges have to find a way to weed out students because so many more are applying to college than before. plus, it's good to encourage students to focus on more than just school. There's always time for that kind of stuff
As someone just now deciding on a major and prehealth track as a junior in college, I understand why they look for this (not that I didn't in extracurrs in hs and college, bc I do a lot.) But I hope you take this advice: one thing I did not gain anything from are: video games, things that seem to add to your life but do not upon sitting and contemplating, and lack of morals leading to excess consumption (explore your purpose, philosophy, religion). Last, everything should be aligning beautifully, or you may want to explore other careers and majors
@@sawyerrachor8504 This comment is not even coherent.
Daesung Mars I use clubs for fun! I love volunteering! I’m in Key Club and HOSA, love it! 💕
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!
I don't think that was the point... but it seems everyone around me except me is like this so all I can do is cry lol
@@sanya5538 wrong no one is like that
bruh if u get near perfect scores on ur ACT or SAT (SAT Subject tests as well) ,don't worry, ur going to a good college.
Denis Brown
not true bc affirmative action, asians who get near perfect or even perfect sat/act scores don’t always go to great colleges
@@thepersonwhohasnovideos6052 I didn't say great colleges. I said good colleges. Of course, not all perfect scores go to Harvard. But they definitely go to a good school.
Life tip: do what you want, if you have a passion for an activity do it regardless of whether or not it'll look good on an application. Life is more than the college admissions office
Sneha :) are you sure about that
thank you! that help me alot
its true.
college is a scam if ur smart u know it already
Sneha :) word
Man, it really is a shame that colleges only accept leaders. It's as if all the people that work under leaders don't matter at all :/. (i'm gonna stay on the volleyball team, even if i'm not good at it. because i LIKE it and i'm DEDICATED).
I agree :(
I have no “official” leadership experience that I can write down, no clubs, no extracurricular activities that my school recognises, nor a single hour of volunteer work. All I did was say I play the piano and swim occasionally.
And I still somehow got into a descent college for engineering 🤷♀️🤷♀️
Dano focus on what you love. I did cross country and I was absolutely terrible, I had so many injuries it was insane. I still did it and I loved it. They want leaders but it doesn't mean you have to be the leader of everything you do. I do art independently but built a really strong portfolio and while I wasn't president of any clubs for science I got my biotechnology certification. So just take charge of your hobbies and what you love you'll be fine
To be fair though, if you dedicate yourself to volleyball and still aren’t good at it, what does that mean about anything else you dedicate yourself to? That you won’t be good or useful at it? I’m not saying this is the case for you because I don’t know you but the point of finding something that you’re passionate about AND good at is because you seem like a much better overall investment for a college if they believe you can do something well once you set your mind to it.
Dano colleges will accept a lot of things. It really depends on the school and how you spin it. Do what makes you happy and if a college doesn't accept you for it, then they were never the right college anyway.
This video made me sad
Don't want to make you sad. This list primarily applies to those seeking admission to elite colleges. It doesn't mean these activities don't have value or that they add nothing, but they're often not the element that is a "hook" for a college that helps them settle decisions between a lot of students that all seem very much alike: dedicated, good grades, etc.
I did all of this. And I got into UC Berkeley with a 22 on the ACT. Take this video with a grain of salt and just focus on writing a really compelling admissions essay :)
I know right! An essay could easily get you in. Just put a tragic event that happened to you like a loved one passed or someone got cancer. Most would probably let you in because they would feel bad.
That was really the point of this to begin with RE: "compelling admissions essay". Check out the response video:
ruclips.net/video/oeVHW8mCBug/видео.html
How the fuck do you get a 22 on the ACT?
Jacob you must be black or Mexican.
Dylan Wedel Are you calling a 22 impressive or repulsive?
“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 from France. Someone from America once told me that our school hours were inhumane. I told her that basically forcing extracurricular activities they don't want to do down children's throats and teaching them that only being popular, a leader and fitting in with and doing organised activities with peers matters are what is cruel.
When school was over and homework was done, my time was my own. An college bound American teen has no time of their own, it seems. Many of these children learn at the age of 14 that nothing they enjoy is "worth doing" and none of their time is their own. Down time as well as family time don't seem to be valued much.
I saw blogs about extracurriculars for college that just made me mad. One teen said she had to babysit her toddler brother every night because her mother works long hours and the response was that her babysitting wouldn't *really* count and to do extracurriculars on the weekend. Um, if she has to babysit her brother this much, she probably has to do her homework/study on the weekend and everyone should have SOME down time, too.Another student said she taught herself Russian, and that too was somewhat dismissed because she did it alone, she should go to lessons or start a Russian club. HELLO? Teaching yourself Russian at home, with books and the internet, and holding yourself responsible, is a FEAT and shows true dedication.
They say we put people in a box, yet it's US colleges that only want one type of person and people who dedicate themselves to learning alone outside of school or to helping people (volunteering), are dismissed. I think that it's cruel and it teaches the opposite of being innovative and original. You have to be innovative and original to figure out how to learn Russian or entertain a toddler all night, but I don't see anything innovative or original about running or a ball game. You are just following the rules.
Also the only doing things you are "good" at things annoys me. It can take many years to become good at something and sticking with something when you DON'T show natural talent right away is true dedication, even if you never do become "good" at it. It's sad when you have to be "good" at something for it to bring you joy, too, but that's how it seems to be in America now. 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.
It's fine to do stuff you want... but if you're trying to get into a top tier college like the topic of the video... then you're going to have to make sacrifices
@@ceresrose8918 I see making sacrifies as studying more in your free time, not doing some activity you don't like to impress someone and never seeing your family. Not everyone is good with their peers, or super social or a leader. Doesn't mean that they couldn't do well in certain fields in college. The way US college selections are done feels very "interfering in all aspects of life". Then again, it just mirrors your work culture which seems to veer towards no work/life balance.
@@mchobbit2951 dont attack the creator of the video because she speaks true facts about getting onto college.
@@ceresrose8918 I'm not attacking her, the issue is the whole system itself (which is what I am attacking). She's just the messenger. I'd rather my kid go to a lesser known school then let the American college board run their whole life.
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.
Thats the tea!
Exactly, it's absolutely ridiculous.
Right? I'm so afraid of entering college thinking I can pursue my interests and use my talents for good, just to find myself working a nine to five in some stuffy corporate building. I know not everyone changes the world, but I really hope there is a way to not lose one's vison.
Serena yeah fr though. Are you currently applying to college right now? Cuz I am and I’m like freaking outttt
@@kaitlyng7850 Yes I am, but currently I'm focusing on reach colleges. The default option in my family is community college then transfer to a state school, but I really dislike the idea of attending college in my state.
Don't freak out! There is a lot to do, I know, but the nice thing is that there are more options than ever and none are necessarily wrong. Do you have someone helping you apply or are you going it alone?
Have fun in high school. Get the best grades you can but don't be afraid to try new things. You'll never be able to go back once you graduate. Don't miss out on life experience just to try to look good for some admissions counselor. If you're a crummy swimmer but you love swimming ... do it!
Preach
Then if you keep swimming poorly. you would end up drowning and die.
Exactly!! I'm really not that fast but this was my first year and I held my own. I'm not that good and still have a lot to work on, but I love it and you should never say to quit it.
Jason Briski exactly! I’m not a good swimmer but I still do it. I’m prob the worst swimmer in our school’s varsity lol
We don't have a swimming team, our elective classes are nothing but a waste for me and I rather not be in them so I can focus on band and AP classes
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. These things had no purpose but enjoyment and destressing. The closest I got was teaching myself languages (doesn't count, solidary), babysitting (doesn't seem to count) and learning the guitar (doesn't count again, because I was mediocre).
Also, what does telling someone to only do what they are naturally good at already teach them, anyway? Someone who isn't naturally good at something sticking with it shows dedication. Not being good at something from the start doesn't mean that you cannot improve. But if you dismiss everything you aren't good at already, how would you know how awesome you could be if you showed dedication? My friend who is an amazing writer was pretty horrible at high school age...she is good at it now because she didn't give up.
That’s the thing though, we’re supposed to live doing it though even though plenty of us don’t we just fake it till we make it
you sir just made my day
As an introvert this is something that really stresses me out.😖
I wish I could give this a hundred likes❤❤❤
As a korean, i totally understand!! Yes we study hard and work hard but at least we dont fake something to impress college. And for ppl like me who are introverts and also suck at sports dont really have an option. (I like volunteering but it doesnt count so..) I mean i get that they wanna see us being involved in smth and be passionate bout smth but even if u r not a leader nor good player, u can still be involved and passionate
I dont agree, even if you arent good at a sport doesnt mean it isnt a huge time commitment and it shows youre good at time mangement if you can get good grades and spend 3 hours a night on a sport, that means a lot
Not to say that sports are a bad extracurricular (I do track), but what she's saying is that top colleges are looking for those who are able to excel at what they love to do.
madeline mello but what if you have a jo
job
madeline mello I feel that applies more at schools like mine where there's so many extracurricular activities only about 15% of the school isn't involved in something so it's like a "what's your point so are 896 other students at your school some even have a job."
exactly, i suck at hockey but i also learned as a junior and am on a team that ended up in the state finals, regardless of whether i excel, it is still a huge deal that i was able to pick up the sport late and be a part of the team. not excelling doesnt mean you have no role. i was a huge part of the team and playing that sport is the best decision I ever made. i would NEVER trade it for something i might be better at.
tbh if your a senior on JV, I applaud you. That is hard to take as a senior but only the ones who truly love the sport will continue playing it because they love it.
What is JV?
Serena Lizinnqui Junior Varsity. It’s a step lower than Varisty (Which is where most seniors are placed)
Usually those who aren’t as good at a sport are placed into JV teams with lower class men
@@nathanielowusu7688 Ah, I see. Thank you for explaining.
Watching this at 1:00am just feeds into my anxiety
:(
Same 😭😭
Lol it hit exactly 1:00 am when I read this
literally 1:05 as i type. i feel u
Here at 1:09 am
You can try to get to a good college as much as you want, but remember:
*mental health before success*
healthy mind will lead you to success
100th loike
If only my mom thought that 😂
*mental health? i haven't had that bliss in 5 years*
2 categories *holds up 8 fingers*
At Supertutortv, we count in dog years
Neris B like a boss
I think she meant to hold up two hands
P
Sweetfly Rachel r/whoosh
I wish colleges in America were like in Europe where you just have to pass an entrance exam and not do all these petty bullshit extracurriculars
Eh. I’d say that I prefer the American system. Your grades aren’t everything.
But, let's say you're not so good at studying and overall academics. Your extracurriculars would step in to show your "potential," I think.
I want to go to college in America and I'm from Europe hahaha
@@ferddoesweirdthingsinlife1040 exactly in Germany it’s sick. If you wanna study psychology (like me) you’re screwed. So many people want to study this subject so the universities just put a benchmark (and it’s a extremely high one) and if you’re worse than that you’ll get rejected. To them you’re just a number, they don’t even care who you are.
@@lacampanella6172 omg really, i wanna study psychology as well but i'll go to the Netherlands. And yeah just checked the reuiqrement, i need to pass their selection test.
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'm not saying not to put activities down! Take credit for all activities yes!! This is more advice on which activities have less of a hook factor to elite universities and how to avoid the kind of activities that make for lame essays in many cases if you're still in a position to decide how to spend your time (because one of the greatest values of activities is as raw material for essays). And yes-- it isn't all black and white!! All of these ideas have exceptions.
Kayla Brown as my guidance counselor says, it's safer to put down more than less.
Volunteering is something very important and helps to build your community. Colleges like seeing you give back to your community.
Kayla Brown um, no. That's just wrong. As long as you get above a 3.9 GPA, 1550 SAT, and get into a higher level of an Olympiad (i.e JMO, AMO, etc) you can basically go to any college. I have a lot of friends who basically only put those on their application, and all of them got into top tier activities
Kayla Brown she never said not to put volunteer work in general down. She meant low commitment work, like doing a beach cleanup once or planting trees for one day of your life. If it’s something you’re passionate about, then that’s what’s going to impress schools. An example of something like that is what I’m doing right now. I’m very passionate about math and I’m planning on majoring in pure mathematics. So something I do a lot is I go to my local library and I volunteer to teach 1st-8th graders math and to share my passion on the subject with them.
if you are in national honors society and you have 65 hours of volunteer work (it can be from ANYTHING), is that considered a filler? the whole point of NHS is to give back to the community. but depending on what i choose to volunteer for, could that just be fillers?
Grades? Colleges don’t care
SAT? Colleges don’t care
Extracurriculars? Colleges don’t care
Volunteer? Colleges don’t care
Money? Colleges don’t-
Oh wait.
So how do you get in to college then?
Just be perfect and have rich parents lol
Money lmao
Be an athlete. Colleges and schools in general prioritize sports over anything, meanwhile us orchestra kids have to do fundraisers and shit just to get by.
Either move ball fast, be rich, or just be perfect. That’s really all it is
Be good at football
she did not come to play with y’all on the mediocre activity segment
746 key club members disliked the video lol
Lmao key club is gay
lmaooooo
the key club at my school is so stupid they can buy ice cream as a count for volunteer hours
Key club is sooo involved @ mine we do way toooo much
What is a key club?
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.e. majoring) in at Harvard.
Hopefully you have near-perfect (or perfect) grades and test scores. Being #1 or #2 in your class looks good. If you've taken AP or IB exams, it looks good to show them a bunch of 5s (or 7s on IB exams), and nothing below a 4 (6 on IB). It helps (a little) to be from an underrepresented state like Mississippi or Wyoming. It helps to express interest in an unpopular concentration like Linguistics or Anthropology, especially if your interest for that subject shows in your essays or activities. It helps to be a girl interested in a STEM major as long as your grades and test scores strongly back up your STEM ability.
Oh, and if you're poor or even middle class (family income less than ~$70k or so), that helps quite a bit. Incorporate that into your essays somehow. Yes, they could just look on your FAFSA form to see your family's income, but they really like kids from poor or middle class (not upper middle, haha) backgrounds. They like kids who overcame adversity or lack of opportunities in their communities and schools. This won't overcome less than great grades and test scores, but it will definitely help.
And if you don't get in, it's fine, really. Harvard (or Yale or any other school) is FAR from a guarantee of any success in life. You will have to make your own success in life regardless of where you graduate from college.
Is a black belt still exceptional given that there are so many martial art organizations that basically give out black belts within 2-3 years?
I'm a black belt in Karate through more than 8 years of training and I'm afraid that my achievement will be diminished by how easily some groups give out black belts.
Thank you very much.
Thanks
"Having scientific research published in a peer-reviewed journal..."
Lmao
ANewLight I agree. I got my first black belt after ten years of training, but my karate school (sometimes) seemed to favor other people and just hand out belts. I was also delayed in my black belt journey due to a judge “losing” my testing forms. So yes, I would hope that colleges don’t do that. Maybe you could incorporate a way to say how many years you have been doing karate?
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.
Jacqueline Rivera that community college, is it dvc? Im also wondering if that transfer is guaranteed, as long as u get above a certain gpa
Do you think that be young ambassador to the Unicef is useless to get in Ivy League, Stanford....?
i dont think this video'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
bruised leg there were kids who were entrepreneurs at my school, it is possible
Hey dude, not trying to make you feel bad or anything but I definitely was "that guy" in high school and I had no idea any of it would help me for college. I just started stuff because that was what I was into. I founded my own web design firm when I was a junior in HS and it had made over $14k by the time I graduated. I grew up in the hood, mind you. Further, I was the president of 2 clubs, VP of another, captain of track & field, choir manager, and state-ranked at shot put. I ended up getting full ACADEMIC scholarships to several top schools (I wasn't good enough at shot put to be heavily recruited).
If you don't think you're that ambitious, then a top school like Harvard or MIT may not be for you. I went to a school like that and what I can tell you is that the students on those campuses are either A) extremely ambitious, B) extremely good critical thinkers [or on track to becoming extremely good thinkers], C) extremely rich and spoiled, D) super geniuses who never had to try hard at anything and just understand things, or E) some combination of A-D. If you don't fit into any of those categories then you'll stick out like a sore thumb at a top-tier school (Like Stanford, Williams, Harvard,, Amherst, Princeton, MIT, etc.), have trouble fitting in, be miserable as a result, and probably get crushed by the course workload. Your course workload depends on which school you go to... schools like Williams, Princeton, MIT and UChicago have legendary workloads for students, whereas some top schoos like Harvard and Cornell have less stressful workloads. Regardless, if the specter of writing three 10-15 page papers per week, along with 100s of pages of assigned reading (often entire books in 1-2 weeks with reports), and some exams and projects thrown in seems dauting, then an elite school probably isn't for you.
I say ambition is important because, even if you're smart, the idea of waking up every day and putting yourself through this gauntlet for 4 years will eventually overwhelm you (as it does many students at those types of schools) unless you're ambitious or passionate. I pulled all-nighters all the time. I once had a stretch where a group of my friends and I LITERALLY WORKED/SLEPT IN THE COMPUTER LAB FOR 2 WEEKS STRAIGHT WRITING PAPERS. We only left for showers, changing clothes and banging our significant others. We did this on at least 4 occassions I can think of, and we weren't the only ones.
I don't say any of this to sound like an asshole, to brag or to discourage you. I'm just letting you know what it's like in that environment since I've been there myself. It doesn't only take ambition to get in, it also takes ambition to succeed in those environments.
KvnDWr dang, you are the type of person that I envy. Someone who is truly passionate and ambitious
rika miku Don’t envy. It’s usually a matter of discovering what motivated you and some kids find their motivation early in life. Also, it has been proven that the majority of high achieving students throughout high school crash and burn post college. They go off of the deep end once in their careers. They didn’t have any balance their entire life and they hit a wall and a sense of bewilderment usually.
exact;y, some "outstanding" activities need $$$, A LOT. we even cant afford the freaking college tuition, where the hell are we going to get the money for those ECs. total bs. sorry I'm three years late.
For people who don’t have much time:
1. Volunteer work 1:05
2. Mediocre activities 2:55
3. Doing something because someone told you it will look good 4:32
4. Summer camps, mission trips, and leadership seminars 5:30
5. Expensive summer programs 6:53
Thanks
don’t tell people to quit things if they’re not amazing at it. if it brings someone joy they should go for it.
You don't have to be good or passionate about everything you need to do. Just do it. Put time and commitment into and you'll be good. Colleges aren't going to say "s/he's not enthusiastic enough" just don't sound dead while you describe while you do it.
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
And dont just engage yourself into something that you might not like just for the sake of having a "passion", but really think about what you want to do, spend days, weeks , or even months thinking/researching(use that device!)/investigating things you might want to spend the rest of your life doing, trust me it's worth it. You don't want to be 25 years old stuck working 9-5 wishing you had the time to do something with your life, it's just not worth it.
aleph rosso wish someone would have told me this my freshman year-I was in every club for 'college apps' jokes on me bc there's limited spots on the common app lmao😂
Hell Yea! But don't forget to act on what you feel passionate about! Unless you can't really act on it then you can at least write about it. Im glad that you feel this way :)
aleph rosso I agree with you I've been thinking about my future college since 5 years old and as a freshman I'm trying to find an important thing that appeals to my interests in the future. I'm working from freshman year to get into Harvard or Yale. Maintaining my perfect 4.0 GPA till senior year and making sure my future SAT score is beyond average.
I was involved with many out of school organizations and I had no problem getting into an Ivy...
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!!
There is no reason to take AP courses. The real suckers are the students who take 100 and 200 level coursework at a university at 4 times the cost of a college. University is meant for 300, 400, and 500 level coursework. Students who go directly into a university after high school deserve to be broke as fuck.
Tank you
How did u apply for your scholarships?
challenge yourself with things you actually feel PASSIONATE towards - as post secondary institutions are rummaging around your application to find what DEFINES u as in who u wish to be in this world years later, as well as seeing how you have challenged yourself recently, it therefore will (hopefully) kill 2 birds with that single stone
Whole Food Plant-Based Man dumbass
yo honestly high school should be about having fun with the activities that you enjoy doing, even if it’s pep club or ur terrible at swimming
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.
Re: a "hook"-- yes that is the point. Activities that are competitive, even if you aren't the absolute best do count some-- but for top colleges you want at least one activity that you excel in or are a leader or competitor in (it doesn't have to be every activity you do) to put you in a better position than other applicants.
IN RESPONSE TO YOUR CRITIQUES -- Check out the response video to this somewhat controversial topic for more:
ruclips.net/video/oeVHW8mCBug/видео.html
What do you call an academically successful slice of bread? An honor roll.
SupertutorTV is a pretty lady! 8-D
SupertutorTV. I am a volunteer with the Christian Appalachian project in Kentucky. I build and repair homes in the hills of Kentucky. I have been doing this for 2 year's now. Will this help me on my college application.
@@tylermoody1130 a narrative is what matters most. Are you showing leadership? Initiative? Can you tell a story?
SupertutorTV do you have an email where I could ask more questions?
I'm 14 and already worried lmao
Elmy Yee S A M E
same
Your 15 now lol
I’m 14 now
Jœy_ JåñX I’m 10
same
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 🤦
Can you do a video on the extracurricular portion of the common app? I find it so strange and difficult to fill out...
book.lion16 yes please do this!!
Yes please!!
Please
With my school they could. When I met with my counselor back in the day, she always asked me what my current extracurriculars were. She had a running list of everything I was involved in.
book.lion16 - be honest! but also show what kind of person you are. for me, i said that i like 70s music, watched downtown abbey, and in my essay mentioned that i dress pretty dated, so they could see that i like stuff from the past. you don't have to be cool, but you should be a person that's a character, not just someone who follows trends and watches/does what everyone else does. get excited about what you like.
I think Brooke makes a lot of good points here. If you think about it again, she clearly does make a lot of sense. It is just that the way she said them hurt people's feelings, hence the many dislikes. Sometimes the truth sucks.
Thank you, Devin! It's amazing how many people can just completely miss the point and then react so negatively. Oh well, Le Internet strikes again.
devin the I agree this helped me so much. I'm just a freshman and I'm taking in all the information I can to make it into an IVY league college.
Okay. I'm going to say this as an athlete who gives more than 2+ hours a day into their sport.
I'm on the swim team, am a junior in highschool, and just because you are on JV means nothing about your passion for the sport. When you are in a sport, you are in it or the rest of the team will ostracize you because if you're not that passionate, it shows in the way you play. I just had one of my best races with swimming half a football field in 45 seconds. The first time I raced ever in my life I was over a minute. What got me there was my hard work and dedication to my sport. I don't just go to practice and do whatever. I work my ass off. And for someone to tell me because I'm not on varsity I am not dedicated? Fuck that.
I agree too
@@thisperson3787 you go 👏
so many of people in the comments seem angry because they aren't the target audience for this video. 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 video 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 video.
Well, this doesn’t apply to all people who want to go to competitive schools. I got into 15 schools and ultimately chose to go to Stanford :) I did some of the stuff in this video, so take this with a grain of salt. I hate to see people getting discouraged like this video discouraged me when I first saw it while applying to college :(
Araliz Ledesma what were your extracurriculars
it's depressing hearing I'm not doing everything that colleges want to hear. I go to a top public school, take several aps, am in debate and mock trial, but I'm not the best at any of these things even though they're my passion, and as a result it sounds like I won't get into any top school even though I know I have more dedication than some of my top scoring peers around me ://
@@yin4296 at the end of the day, I think what matters is if you’re really passionate about what activities you’re in. Personally, I like Harvard but I don’t think it’s THE dream school for someone like myself. I have heard how the culture is at that school and it’s depressing to know why so many teens transfer from the ivies to other schools that might be considered ‘mediocre.’ Parents nowadays think that the degree that their child gets will establish them with a great job, but again, the school name won’t matter to a medical school, law school, etc.
It’s always who KNOWS their stuff and who actually cares about their job. Don’t get discouraged since at the end of the day, our life is like vapor - we come and go. Enjoy what you are most comfortable and passionate at. 😊💕
im a freshman in high school why am i watching this
it's good to get a head start in the college search
ENJOY FRESHMAN YEAR WHILE YOU CAN
I'm a high school senior in Germany and stuff like this isn't at all relevant to college applications.... I'll get a spot anyway... why am I watching this
MIANHAE BILLBOARD
AYEEE ARMYYYY I'm stressing about my AP Gov class
Kids, just get a high GPA, good ACT/SAT scores, and take AP/college coursework in high school. Do extracurriculars for fun and add as many as you wish! 😊
Yeah, do this if you don't want to get into a good school!
James Mallette how do you get into a good college
OneDerscore One it depends on what you consider a good college. For an ivy level school you need to be top or close to top of your class with near perfect test scores and amazing essays along with extracurriculars that show that you’re able to maintain a good academic standing and be the best at what you do outside of school. Like Brooke said, if you love swimming but are a bench warmer, that’s not really gonna help you on your apps. In contrast, if you’re the best swimmer in your region, then colleges will look highly at that.
@@jamesmallette1391 I think I'll get a national bench press record, does that matter?
OneDerscore One based on the fact that you post Minecraft videos I doubt that but yes that would totally be something a college would like.
my heart dropped when she said summer camps and leadership seminars :( literally all i signed up for this summer
most college students can't get into lab research, I don't know any professors who would let a high schooler
I have several students who have worked with college professors or grad students (PHd's doing research-- or as interns in a lab -- at UCLA at Cal Tech and at other institutions in our area). You're right it's hard to find someone to work with or such a position, but I know from my students it's not impossible. One cold emailed 20 different researchers before getting a yes. Another had an in from his counselor at school. Some have had parents' friends help out. I've also worked with many students abroad who have done this in China. Obviously not everyone lives near a major research institution-- my point is that you should be going out of your way to find a way to actually engage with the ideas you want to be a part of -- and that there are other ways to enrich your learning besides expensive structured programs. I think some kids can't afford those programs and it's an encouragement to find other ways to get a similarly enriching experience-- one that may even show more initiative.
lilipad90 I'm a PhD student at a major research institute. We take high schoolers in the summer. Are they really getting their own project? Heck no. But they can get in and assist on projects.
lilipad90 it's not that hard if you work for it. This summer and next year I have a research internship because I wasn't afraid to put myself out there and work hard. And I'm not just shadowing either, I'm actually working to grow tumors, grow cell cultures, etc.
It's a matter of knowing the right people. I've been interning in an NYC ME office since I was 16 because my dad's frat brother's wife was a top prosecuting attorney, now judge. Sure I didn't do much besides clean equipment, automate old records and observe, but I had that experience.
Research in high school is extremely elitist. 99% of the time you only get the opportunity because your parents have a lot of money and connections, it isn't even about how talented you are.
VOLUNTEER WORK DOES HELP I have read many online essays
bait? or not bait. the real question
Her point is that there is ‘volunteer’ work (patting kittens) and then there is Volunteer Work (ones that require long term effort that says something about you as a person)
yes, but what FOR is the question that is the important thing - 3 hrs of garbage cleanup crew per day likely isnt gonna strike as big the jackpot as even just 1 hr per day at the local animal shelter, senior centre, or empowering and being a positive influence for little kids
Do you think that be young ambassador to the Unicef is useless to get in Ivy League, Stanford....?
AbdulMalik 2024 it helps if it’s something you’re passionate about. A beach cleanup one day isn’t going to do anything for you. An example is what I do. Because I’m very passionate about math and I’m planning on majoring in pure mathematics or a similar field, I volunteer at my local library to teach 1st-8th graders math and to share my passion for the subject with them.
I did all of this, got straight As, internship, played soccer, meh ACT score but I’m at UC Berkeley now :)! It’s all about being passionate about something 🤗
Jenny Valdivia that’s right go Bears !
Jenny Valdivia wait do you have any advice on how to write the essays? or what you wrote about?? because i only have volunteer work and summer programs oof but it relates to what i’m planning on doing in the future
People seriously need to stop putting red bars at the bottom of their videos. It makes me think i watched it already lol
It's not red, it's Salmon Pink, one of SupertutorTV's official colors.
@@SupertutorTV thank you, but i am colorblind
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.
Ja dk There’s also Duke TIP that you must be recruited for and test into. They seek the Judd our nation wide in their muddle school years. My daughter is in it and it’s a big deal.
@@Trailblazers323 Yeah, I'm in John Hopkins CTY and they're basically the same idea. We must take the SAT test to get in. This counts for university/college, right?
If you want to volunteer at a pet shelter or be “a clog” then do it, nobody can say it won’t help. I just received a scholarship for my volunteer work. Do you, there’s no wrong or right here.
YEAH YOU DO YOU!
Was that convincing enough for all you dishearted puppies?
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?
Maggy Blue Hmm, I say go for it. Don't be overly weird or go for shock value though.
I actually wrote one of my essays for a secondary application about the chemical analysis of toenails. LOL I got waitlisted, but the college was a reach anyway.
Maggy Blue Sounds interesting! Maybe not for the safety schools but try it out for your reach schools?
Maggy Blue it really depends. It sounds like you could get something from it! If you can show you actually learned something you can put towards real life or passion, then by all means write about it. I wrote about being a musician and abuse and how they went hand and hand, and I was accepted into all of my schools. Just make sure that there's something there worth writing about!
Definitely write about 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 video 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.
Sidney Glasshoff my school requires 30 hours
Sidney Glasshoff my school did but i went to a private catholic school so that’s probably why
IB requires 240ish hours of CAS
I'm an admissions counselor and I once I had a student listed "Going to the beach" as an extracurricular... Needless to say, don't do that please
*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.
What even is this? This takes out basically everything that you can do to get into college except for grades.
Not really the point is that if you’re serious about something it will show in your application but if you’re clearly fluffing your application with clubs that don’t do anything sports that you barely play that won’t make a difference that’s very different than being captain of the swim team and being a 4 year varsity athlete or being the head of a community service club and raising 10,000 dollars for a club you founded those show commitment and passion but being part of a club that you don’t participate in doesn’t help you
These SAT books in the background are making me anxious.
why the fuck am i watching this i am not even going to college
ryan sanders deadass
ryan sanders i already got accepted. And i joined 1 club.
marisa, damn right
i'm in my second year of university. why am i here
then get out lol
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 started my school's Prom Drive through NHS, being in NHS really helped me organize it, and it's been my "passion project" for 3 years! I really love it and I've found someone to take it over when I graduate! We've been expanding it for 2 years and we're starting to actually make a difference!
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 video are true to some extent.
Precisely THIS. The key words being "IF they're special to you"... And that's the point Brooke was trying to make. If you're just on the swim team to be on it, then top colleges won't care. It's too competitive out there to just do things for the sake of doing them. There has to be a reason for the things you do, it has to mean something to you as a young person, not just to pad your application. We're glad you understood the message, Z W!
To everyone reading this: please don’t rely on luck. Rely on prayer and you will win in life!
@@cynn8854 I agree! No matter what, God's kingdom is the most important think. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his soul?
RudeTheNoob yes! You got it!!!❤️
This video is so realistic. I participated activities in school basically just for fun, I never think about to join certain activities make my high school life stunning
i’m not a varsity runner but i am passionate about it. it’s hard to decrease your times quickly without injury. i’m not gonna stop running because i’m not the best. if a college doesn’t accept me bc of the fact that i wasn’t the best in my sport, which was very competitive, it’s not my loss.
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?
This is exactly the kind of volunteer work that students over estimate the value of. You won't learn how to be a doctor by getting patients cups of water at the hospital. Instead try to contact medical researchers in your area and see if you can intern on research study or a paper. That is much more impressive and will give you better exposure to some of what doctors actually do.
Brooke Hanson thank you!! You da bomb
Brooke Hanson yikes it’s too late for me then ig.. what if i shadowed a doctor and volunteered at the hospital?
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 video, but you definitely make it seem like you shouldn't do any of these activities that can be perfectly viable.
I remember back in the day when a 2.5 was seen as a great GPA. Now it’s all about the 3.0 and up
When was this
🤣🤣🤣🤣
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
I feel like the whole idea of “selling” yourself to a dream college is stupid in the first place. Long down the road nobody will care if you got into this school or that school, they care if you were a good or bad person. What a way to live your teenage years according college admissions.
Amen! Do awesome at the opportunities you have, whatever they are. After all is said and done, you’ll find smart folks who took all kinds of paths to exactly where you are. Sure, ivys are cool, but in the end, just a lot of debt and job offers you coulda had if you worked hard wherever else you would have been anyway. Personal experience talking.
Lmao just go to community college and don’t waste your money
your literally contradicting yourself.
if your'e not the best on a team, but you stay on it ITS DEDICATION AND A COMMITMENT
Transh Hongoy There really is no secret to getting into college. I mean, yeah, you can’t sit around all day and expect to get into MIT or Harvard or whatever, but as for WHAT you do? There is no secret sauce. Yeah, of course schools look for big winners, but I literally wrote my college essay on how I keep doing stuff even though I seem to always lose, and came to the conclusion that I wasn’t really doing any of those things to win anyways. That essay, along with a couple others, got me into UC Berkeley, despite the fact that I was a bench warmer on the swim team. Soooo, do what you do, and embrace the fact that getting into any one particular school is as much based on luck as anything you’ve done.
well doesn't dedication get you to be the best on the team
Just a fan No such thing as first. You can be practicing for hours and hours. Come back from games and practice until 9pm and still be 2nd or 3rd
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!
What about colorguard?
@@hueyfreeman8865 I'm not sure but I'd think it would be included
Just have high SAT scores like a classmate of mine. He was not involved in anything and got into MIT
Really?
Yeah I heard of a few people like that. Sometimes that actually works but it's always good to find some extracurricular to increase your chances
lol nah thats bs.
@@badereric Did MIT in 3 years and now makes 300K working for Microsoft
he's 1 in a million 😩😩
Terrible advice. You don't have to be 'good' at your activity. You develop charcter traits by being involved - commitment, teamwork, perspective. What an awful attitude she has.
Well she is just giving honest advise as a college prep counselor person. Sometimes the truth hurts. The top schools don’t want mediocrity.
true your passion isn't defined by titles or awards or how good you are, but as the other person said- it's the truth- I don't agree with this bs system either, but unfortunately it just works this way for top colleges and is impossible to change :(
I'm an Eagle scout and I was surprised to find 5 other Eagle scouts in my suite of 14. The admissions office knew the dedication and work This takes.
Do important crap for you, do things for a long time, to show that you're invested. Colleges like consistency. Doing 50 things once is different than doing 4 things 50 times. Get and STAY involved.
I'm an illustration major and the fact that I was in the debate team for five years and became vice president helped me out more than anything art related I did on the side because the art stuff was like maybe one week of workshops... Commitment!
I completely disagree with 5:29. I had an experience like this for a week and I was able to cite that experience in order get a job in the summer to help pay for college.
That's great that it helped you get a job, but that's not what this video is about.
+SupertutorTV I understand that, however I find that I am very passionate about leadership activities and helping others. Unfortunately, I was only afforded this opportunity once in high school as I had other time consuming extracurricular activities. I only took issue with the implication that listing these short lived activities doesn't show passion or commitment.
See this video that helps clarify some of Brooke's points:
ruclips.net/video/oeVHW8mCBug/видео.html
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...
ah you should definitely make another channel for college app advice
Not a bad idea...
I
what if I have been volunteering for a really long time and consistently?? Because I actually like where im volunteering and I go there because I really enjoy it. Also is Marching band also something colleges notice because I really like Marching band.
simplyrevising I've heard there are schools that give people scholarships for being good at marching band. Also, volunteer if you like to.
simplyrevising I've always volenteered since I was a little girl with my girl scout troop, I had way more hours then my documented 175 hours. If you enjoy something and it brings you joy, do it for yourself!
Do what you love! I’m the drum major of my marching band & I got into Princeton, brown, & dartmouth so you tell me if they like marching band 😂😅
First of all, if you truly enjoy it, you should do it regardless of whether it affects your application. Joy can be difficult to find, so grasp it when you see it. Secondly, in terms of this video, I think she is more referring to one and done type of projects. If you have been largely involved and committed to a volunteer organization like you've described, it is very good for an application. It shows commitment, time management skills, and moral values.
simplyrevising this is really late but anything associated with playing an instrument is extremely helpful for getting into college. It has been proven that playing an instrument helps you use your brain more and helps your academics
Lol so me grinding my ass off in debate for the past 4 years to finally get selected to go for a national extremely selective week-long seminar is just "fluff"
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.
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?
I guess im not going 2 college. :(
Don't be disheartened! Most colleges focus more on academics and test scores -- activities are only part of your application. This is aimed toward top universities (top 10-20) -- not ALL of them.
same
Me: *accepted into college, leaving in the fall*
Also me: *clicks video anyway*
life is too short to think this way smh just do what you love and don’t listen to people who try to tell you otherwise
Something in me snapped when you said to quit swimming if you aren’t good at it, like why would you want to stop doing something that’s beneficial for life skills and exercise. I’m applying to ivies but I’m not going to change my life for them
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!
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).
I worried often about doing something I really loved when I was in high school and ended up working in entertainment but really not finding stability or happiness in those opportunities (no matter how many famous people I got to be around). Now I'm pretty much on a "Plan B" -- life can surprise you-- what you thought would be boring can actually be interesting and rewarding and what you thought you dreamed of can actually be disappointing and stressful. Don't just ask yourself what you want to be or what you're passionate about-- look out in the world and ask yourself what needs can you fill and what problems can you solve? It's not all about you -- it's also about the world around you and what opportunities it has to offer. Good luck-- you'll figure it out eventually!! Only 40% of people end up in careers related to their college majors-- so many people have to try things out to see what they like.
You could also double major if you feel that a STEM field is something you;d be good at. I'm currently double majoring in Molecular Genetics and Communications. Don;t get me wrong, I'm really interested in Genetics, but I'm passionate about Public Relations. So I'm doing both until I start looking for a job.
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.
doing your eyebrows darker will also help you get into college
LMAOOOO
This is just horrible. Having to sell yourself to get in to college, why can’t your grades speak for themselves. It’s all utter bollocks.
Always be the top 1% students with passion that can only change the your community or the world.
Haha, good point
My university literally asks for 3 things only. 2 standardized tests and your high school certificate....thats it ...and instead of paying, we get paid by the uni 😊 bless
So basically, I need to form like a really big passion, do about 10 activities for that while also committing to school full-time. Well, let me just cry silently.
Every person in the comments section: "LIAR! Community service and volunteer work are EXTREMELY important in an application!! They are what makes ME special!"
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.
Video made me sad, comments made me happy again. Good job guys.
hehe glad we could help, even though you probably couldn't see my comments lol
I went to Guatemala and gave 500+ children Dental Care. Honey, that WILL help me get into college.
did it help? where did u get in
I'm a freshman, and I was wondering how I can start prepping the SAT? (I would like to start this summer)
Grace B Get the Barrons SAT books. Take good notes in math class and KEEP THEM so you can study off them later. Do kahn academy SAT prep. If you can, join an SAT prep class at school if offered. When pre-bubbling before the test, DO NOT elect to send ur scores to colleges for free because you may not like your score and if the college receives low scores they'll throw ur app in the trash (if ur aiming for a good college). Send your scores after u get your scores back (it costs money tho). SAT retakes are in August and October also, DO NOT SLACK, do sports, get involved in 1-3 activities now that you will continue throughout highschool, take AP classes and good luck. (I'm a junior, I took my SAT yesterday).
Grace B I believe someone else already said this but Khan Academy has a FREE program for SAT prep and partnered with colleges to do so. Try it out!
amari murphy Thanks you sm! My dream school is Stanford, and your tips definitely are going to help me!
Jane H Thank you sm!
I took the 2400 point test so my advice might be outdated, but this helped me go from 154 on the PSAT to 2040:
-Make sure you understand the math. Tutoring could help you here if you don't.
-Use your calculator whenever you can. You don't need to but it helps.
-For the reading parts, find a method that works and stick to it. I would say though that if one question asks "in paragraph three…" don't read past paragraph three before you answer it. They get you like that.
- Guess because you can now.
-Learn the essay rubric. It's not about how well you can write. I'm a good writer and I couldn't get above an eight but my friend can't write and she got a nine on one essay. I didn't put nearly enough time into this and my grade suffered.
- TAKE PRACTICE TESTS. It helps so much. I was always the last one out during a test and I had ADD and I was able to finish critical reading and the writing every time. And my grade went up.
- Get a digital watch to keep track of time.
- Bring snacks.
I felt this video was directed at me when it said I should quit the swim team if I’m not a stand out. But I’m not going to Bc it is hard to stand out when half of the team is amazing and 5 are all Americans
I saw the devastation of my dreams, my struggle to grow better everyday and thoughts of make a change in my life in those 11:00 minutes.
I’ll come back again if I ever/never received an offer letter from college.
Hello, I mentioned everything you told not to and guess what I have an unconditional offer from Queen Mary University of London. I know this is based on what you might have seen or experienced but that’s not all. It depends upon how much keen you’re to studying the subject in a particular university too. Good luck!
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.