How can I make my college application stand out?

I would say to concentrate your effort; colleges love to see you explore some niche subject and really excel. Taking on more leadership, putting more hours in, trying to improve the organization, organizing events, or anything truly involved in the BETA organization and FFA would make you stand out.

Hi @Catherine_57!

There are two main ways you could improve your extracurricular resume. The first would be to continue your involvement in BETA and FFA — in particular, you'd want to cultivate high-level leadership positions in those organizations (preferably state or national) to give them more weight on your resume. From there, you could use those positions to organize events and drives that you could put on your application as accomplishments, further helping you stand out amongst other applicants.

The other main strategy would be to seek new extracurriculars, which would preferably align with your intended major. If you're premed, you'd want some shadowing experience; if you're going into CS, you'd want some coding experience; etc. Getting an award or leadership position here could help, but your main goal would be to show dedication to your major. It would also complement your participation in BETA/FFA, with each activity speaking to a different side of your interests.

In short, a "good" extracurricular is one that you show dedication and accomplishment in, and these are the main two ways you could further that on your existing application. I'd go with the one that is more attainable given your current time, position, and interests, but keep in mind your time is limited and you have to be strategic in using it. Of course, if you have any questions, feel free to let me know.

Good luck!

Fill your application with clubs, sports, events, etc. But most importantly, when writing your application essay- make it personal! Talk about how it affected you, your community, your family, and more. Did you go through anything when you did these activities? And remember there is NO minimum age limit for you to start talking about experiences.

Well, you should think more about what have you already done. If you have already done that, then I suggest you to talk with someone in your school if you can make something in exchange for your school time. Like working on the project during your boring classes. The project could be for internship or something like that. Hope that will help you.