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What do you feel made you stand out as an applicant to the school you attend, or any scholarships you might have received?

I am a high school senior that is applying to very selective schools. I have high grades and many extracurriculars, but don’t all the other students? What do you think can make one stand out to a school?

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Stephanie LH’s Answer

When looking at college applications and separating yourself from the other potential students, grades are only part of the equation. The other parts are demonstration of self awareness, time management, soft skills, and agency. Agency being the decisions you make to establish and promote your personal brand, act as a student/employee/team member, or volunteer. Soft skills are the things that we cannot coach (timeliness, willingness to accept instructions, effort, passion, communication, being prepared, showing gratitude, problem solving, team work, autonomy, and conflict management). Time management is being prized more and more over grades as students will need this skill to be successful in all college majors. So students whom have lower GPAs and work/volunteer/do extra curricular activities demonstrate this skill. Especially if they acknowledge the things they are doing to manage and improve. Nothing replaces hands-on work experience to learn and build soft skills. Lastly, self awareness in terms of what you're saying interested in, your personality, values and goals. Also, do some internal reflection and think about the cultural capital specific to you that impacts your frame of reference (Are you a first generation student?, What's your family work history? Who are your influences? What jobs are hiring in your community? What's your personal culture?). By knowing these things you're much more likely to be in the 20% (yes it is that low) of students whom do not change their major once they start (which is a win for both you and the school).
Thank you comment icon Your advice was so helpful! Livia
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Michael’s Answer

Internships, volunteering and recommendations from counselors and/or mentors. With internships/volunteering you can get scholarships from those organizations as well.
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A. Michelle’s Answer

Princess - I was in the same situation when I was a senior. A few things that I believe helped me stand out to selective colleges:

* high grades in challenging courses
* leadership in extracurricular activities
* strong letters of recommendation from teachers in different courses
* essays that showcased my writing skills and helped show who I was aside from academics

I was also a first generation college student, which the schools to which I applied valued.
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Yanna’s Answer

To stand out among other applicants, it's crucial to emphasize what makes you unique. Remember, everyone is unique in their own way. You possess qualities that others may not have. Furthermore, consider how you can contribute to your community. This could involve helping the elderly, supporting homeless individuals, or assisting undocumented immigrants. Let your creativity shine through. Concentrate on addressing the challenges that your community, country, and the world face, including environmental issues.
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Malar’s Answer

I completely agree with the insights shared by Yanna, Michelle, and Stephanie!

Hey Princess, since you're only considering applying to selective colleges, I'd like to offer you a different perspective based on my own experience. When I was in your shoes, applying for universities, I was advised to diversify my applications. I applied to a mix of universities: some that I was confident I'd get into (possibly with financial aid), some that I was hopeful about and had a good chance of getting into, and some that were my dream schools, even though admission might be a long shot. This strategy gave me a broad spectrum of options and allowed me to gauge my abilities and plan my next moves accordingly. So, my advice to you would be to apply selectively but thoughtfully across a range of schools. This way, you'll have a variety of options to choose from once the admissions decisions come in. Best of luck!
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