This is the most critical question students must address when submitting college applications. It’s not enough to simply state what you have done during your high school years—you also need to explain how these experiences have affected you! You went on a mission trip to Guatemala to build houses? So what???? You performed with the dance ensemble for 4 straight years? So what????? You decided to take AP Biology over Anatomy? So what?????? You played on the football team and rode the bench the entire time? So what! You spent the summer reading every single book your favorite author ever wrote? So What???
Take your story a step further and answer why you did it! What did you learn from any of these activities, what kind of impact did you make, how have these choices developed you as a person? How will it help you contribute as a vibrant & interesting student on their college campus? It’s critical that students take some time to look at everything they have done during high school and do some reflecting about what it all means.
Another way to look at this? Why did you make your choices? The weakest answer of all is “because it will look good on my college applications.” If you concentrate on doing what you love, exploring activities because they sound interesting—you will easily be able to answer the all-important question: so what? Four things matter when it comes to submitting strong college applications: Passion, Talent, Initiative, Impact. Spend some time pondering this and you will know exactly why your high school choices matter!
