How can I take advantage of an interest in astronomy for college apps?
I have a great interest in astronomy, and I was wondering what I could do to improve my chances at an elite university. I have taken up astrophotography as a hobby and I started my own astronomy club where I teach students astronomy. But I don’t really know what else to do to really express my interest in astronomy. I was wondering how helpful citizen science research participation would be in college apps. Same thing with creating social media accounts dedicated to my photos.
Any and all advice, including some additional suggestions, would be greatly appreciated.
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2 answers
Citizen science research and your social media idea will help your application, but not to a large extent. Here are some other activities you could do:
- Create an educational blog or website about astronomy. You could include your photos in the content you produce
- Join an educational or non-profit organization that promotes the study of astronomy, e.g. IAU
- Find an internship or summer program related directly to astronomy, such as NASA opportunities for high school students.
Hope this helps!
I'd advise against wasting your time on citizen science research. It'll just not look all that impressive, because usually only simple and repetitive tasks are outsourced to citizen scientists.
Creating a social media account may be useful in terms of college apps, but do try to do something unique with them. Don't just post your pictures; I think that'll not really help you stand out either.
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Conduct research under the guidance of a professor if you're really only interested in astronomy!