Here's something that's been shifting in college admissions over the last few years, and most families haven't caught on yet.
Admissions officers at schools like Stanford, MIT, and the Ivies are putting less weight on traditional volunteering and more weight on what they call "demonstrated initiative." That means they want to see students who went out and created something, built something, or worked in a real professional environment before they even graduated high school.
A student who spent a summer sorting donations at a local nonprofit looks very different from a student who spent that same summer doing market research for a venture-backed startup. Both are good people. But one of them tells a much more compelling story on an application.
So if you're thinking about how to spend your time this year, here's the framework I'd use:
Ask yourself, "Can I explain what I learned from this experience in a way that sounds different from every other applicant?" If the answer is no, it might be worth reconsidering where you're putting your energy.
The students who stand out aren't necessarily the smartest or the most connected. They're the ones who made intentional choices about how they spent their time, and they can articulate exactly why.
That's it for this week. One idea to sit with.
Ready to make your move?
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See you next time,
- Matchtern team