A few years ago, I tuned in to an interesting Seth Godin podcast episode titled “How To Get Into a Famous College”. Given that goal is what a selection of my students are trying to accomplish, I thought it would be worth revisiting the ins and outs of this pursuit and share the takeaways for anyone curious about this sort of journey.
We all know GPA, Test Scores, and Sports are the premier resume pieces.
Yes, you need a strong GPA - but grade inflation means more is needed to be able to paint the student picture and level the playing field.
Yes, an impressive test score on the ACT/SAT is quite impactful - but how do students separate themselves from a long line of others who boast similar marks.
Yes, athletics can earn you acceptance and/or scholarships to these competitive schools - but again lines are longer here and standout talent is rare.
Let's say your student has a strong GPA and either boasts an impressive ACT/SAT score or isn't applying with one - how do they set themself apart in a competitive applicant pool where having those achievements is not much different than putting their name on the application? Where there may be more opportunity is the space reserved for people who are particularly interesting, have a special skill, or are coming from a special direction.
Enter Non-Teen Activities or NTAs:
An NTA is not being vice president of student council or a member of national honor society, but rather a more differentiating pursuit such as I flew to Thailand and spent 8 weeks figuring out how to make enough money to fly home or I started a successful small business in my garage. It’s about demonstrating that you are goal oriented, generous and self directed. That you can get something extraordinary done if you care about it.
A more accessible alternative is to be especially curious:
Find someone at the University that may have an overlap with the work that you’re interested in. Correspond with them about their work - ask interesting questions and try to build a relationship. Try to find a way to add value to that person. It can create an opportunity to ask - I’m thinking of coming to your University, do you know anyone in the admissions office?
Regardless of the outcome of these efforts, it is worth it to become the kind of young adult who organizes something, who builds projects that might not work. Having a body of work that is remarkable and actually changes things will always lead to knocks on your door.