Setting Yourself Apart – Mature Activities

There are methods and techniques when implemented correctly will have colleges wanting your student to attend their institution. In this post we’ll reveal the ins and outs of how your student can effectively set themselves apart from the others competing for admission. Being unique or different gives your student a competitive edge.

It may appear that a prospective student is asking for the privilege of attending an institution during the college search process but the fact is that they are in more control than you might think.
How does one begin to compete against others with higher GPAs and test scores?

The answer is….MAs. I’m not talking about the degree. An “MA” is mature activity that demonstrates adult behavior to the college decision makers that your student interfaces with during the admissions process. As a demographic most high school students are lumped into the category of pizza eating video game-playing teenagers.

While it is unfair to paint that kind of a picture many of the admissions decision makers at colleges start the process that way. To get a competitive edge your student’s MA will set them apart and get them noticed in a positive light.

High school activities such as volunteering for yearbook, playing in the band, and participating in sports are typical school activities and are expected of above-average students. These are not bad things to do but demonstrating MA is engaging in activities or interests that people associate with adults.

Being on the school newspaper staff is typical while serving as the Editor of the newspaper is better. Developing a highly successful advertising campaign, writing a marketing plan, and plotting the return on investment is the MA or best way to be part of the staff.

If your student has an interest in entomology, stamp collecting, raising homing pigeons or even quilting, these are activities where high school students don’t commonly invest time or energy. Discuss ways that your student can elevate their current activities to MA status or they can explore new interests in local government or green initiatives. Starting a business or charity is another MA.

Babysitting is a typical high school job but creating a service company with an established database of available sitters, individual qualifications, and safety certification while developing marketing and advertising to offer reliable babysitters in the area is an MA that will get schools to take notice.

Displaying entrepreneurial initiatives are viewed positively by admissions officers in the more competitive and selective schools.
The student that transforms their interests into a passionate endeavor may reveal that through their essays and submitted college applications.
They should connect those interests with real-life skills such as research, categorizing, and follow-through which demonstrate that they are the type of person that will overcome unforeseen challenges in order to accomplish their goals.
The tenacity to achieve is a winning attribute for elite schools because it demonstrates that your student won’t give up in the face of adversity.

If your student becomes passionate about starting a business they will want to consider which schools appreciate students with entrepreneurial vision. If they enjoy the research and cataloging involved in collecting anything there are different schools that value those interests.

Every college has their own DNA.

Some colleges want brainiac students, some want above-average students with strong civic service aptitudes, while others may focus on those with strong leadership experiences.

When your student’s interests align with the college’s DNA the school will consider them a sound investment.
Suddenly GPA, test scores, and other standards begin to fade in comparison with the MAs and the potential achievement that individual students display.

How can you discover each college’s DNA as you and your student begin to look beneath the surface of the colorful brochures and canned presentations?

What is each school looking for? It’s time to start asking questions.
Each student has unique interests, skills, and potential that translates to their own individual DNA to offer colleges.
This puts them in more control than they might originally have thought.

We’ll answer that question and more in the follow-up post to this one.