Achievements: All State Selections in High School

Hey folks, I'm in my junior year and just received an 'All State' selection for my sport. I'm stoked, but also wondering how much weight this could carry in my college application. Any insights on the impact of all state selections on college admissions? Has anyone with this type of recognition seen it positively impact their applications?

Congrats on your All State recognition! In terms of college admissions, it's definitely an accomplishment that can beef up your application. It falls under the Tier 2 extracurricular activities, which showcase high levels of achievement and leadership.

However, the impact varies depending on several factors. For instance, the selectivity of the college you're applying to, your intended major, and how the rest of your application looks in terms of academic and other extracurricular achievements. If you're applying to highly selective colleges, your All State achievement is a strong addition, but it's also important that you have solid academics and other compelling extracurriculars.

It's worth noting that many colleges would like to see how your involvement in the sport has shaped you more broadly. They want to see evidence of character growth, resilience, teamwork, leadership, and commitment. So when you're writing about your sport, don't just focus on your achievements. Talk about what you've learned, the challenges you've overcome, and how the sport has shaped other areas of your life.

Lastly, if you're planning to become a recruited athlete, the All State selection could significantly affect your chances of admission. In such cases, you'd want to reach out to coaches at the colleges you're interested in to start a conversation about potential recruitment. Generally speaking, though, this accomplishment can speak to your dedication, commitment, and oftentimes, leadership abilities which are all traits that colleges value.

Best of luck with your applications!