7 High School Activities That Won’t Help You Stand Out

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7 of the Worst High School Activities to Pursue Students and their parents always ask for my advice about what high school activities they should pursue. Answering this question well means knowing the kid, knowing the opportunities available, and knowing the goals. It’s easier to advise generally what not to pursue. I cannot emphasize enough […]

Categorizing Your Extracurricular Activities for College Applications

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Categorizing Your Extracurricular Activities for College Applications Too many applicants rush through their Common App activities list. A slap-dash mention of how you’ve spent your time for the last four years is not going to get you into your dream colleges. Everything about your extracurricular activities for college applications matters: the titles, the descriptions, the […]

Additional Information on the Common App: 5 Do’s and Don’ts

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Spewing TMI (too much information!) on your application might seem innocuous, but exceeding limits can actually be quite detrimental to your candidacy. When I was applying to college, I presumptuously believed that admissions officers were exaggerating when they implored visiting students to follow the word limits precisely and not send unsolicited additional information. Turns out, […]

Expert Tips for Developing Your Common App Activities List

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Developing Your Common App Activities List When you’re completing your college applications, you will be asked to fill in the Common App activities list. While your test scores and academic performance are important, admission offices are also interested in your character. What could be more revealing about a person than how you spend your free […]