Advice on application strengthening/Standing out?Answered
Hi, I am currently a sophomore. And I'm trying to get a head start on strengthening my application. I would really appreciate it if anyone has any advice for me.
Here are some of my stats:
Leadership:
- Secretary for a local teen advisory board (President and VP are both seniors so I'm pretty much guaranteed to get promoted)
- Community service officer for the school's Interact/Rotary club (Essentially club for volunteering if you don't know what it is)
Clubs
- Student council
- Finance club
- Women's business association
Projects
- Lead, hosted, and planned a program called 'Skill Studio'. The program had 10 meetings, where we did various activities. There was an overall attendance of 55+ teens.
- Tutoring MS students weekly on Wednesdays for an hour
Volunteering
- 35+ hours through school's Interact club
- 10 hours through Skill Studio
- 13+ hours outside of school/clubs
Overall 58+ hours
GPA/Classes
I've never really been locked in on my grades, instead focusing on ec's. These stats are just from Freshman year. So this year I will be attempting to lock in (wish me luck y'all-I get distracted so easily).
- 3.572 Unweighted GPA
- 3.714 Weighted GPA
Took- Honors English 1 (+Honors English 2 for this year)
Recommendation
I already have one letter of rec, for a club I applied to, but reads fluidly. I know another person who will give me a strong letter or rec, as I have her for a class & she is the sponsor of a club I'm part of the exec board for. (Also typically how many letters of rec do people get for applications?)
I know that I should focus on specific clubs. So this year I will try to narrow down some of the clubs that I'm involved in. Also do you have any recommendations on whether I should take AP Lang or AP Lit? Because I'm not sure what the difference is and I feel like everyone asks that question. Also which is considered easier/harder? Lastly, what are your thoughts on AP Gov & Politics if you took the class. Because I'm considering taking it.
Sorry, I know that was a lot of information. I would appreciate any feedback or advice you have to give. Thanks!
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2 answers
You’ve got plenty going on already. You should work on the grades before worrying about adding more activities. You have time, and a strong junior year will help a lot.
Skill Studio is the one you should keep building. You already have something concrete there instead of another club title, and 55 people attending is a decent start. If you enjoy doing it, see where you can take it next year.
You shouldn't worry about recommendation letters yet. Most colleges only want one or two teachers anyway, and some schools have their own requirements.
For Lang vs Lit, ask students at your school who have taken both because the teacher makes a huge difference. Lang is more writing and nonfiction, while Lit is more focused on reading and analyzing books. Pick whichever sounds less miserable to you.
Hello! I'm a senior currently applying for colleges. It depends on which college you are applying to, but generally it's only one letter of rec, and for bigger Colleges, like Ivy League, you may need 2+. Although they only require 1 you can still include more to strengthen your application, just try to have each letter showcase your different strengths. For example, if you have one from your club it would talk about how involved you are, and your work for the club, etc. I would have the 2nd one focus on other things like character, kindness or how you never give up, stuff like that. It's just so the admissions officer will be able to know you better and get a better idea of who you are. My advice for you right now is to lock in on your grades, I know you can do it! Focus on grades and getting a good score on the SAT or ACT and you will be all set for any college you want to apply to! Best of Luck!
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Thank you, this is very helpful!