4. High School Activities: What Matters Most, and What Strategy to Take for Success

“What are the best high school activities to invest time in?” This is a common question by students and parents. Unfortunately, there’s no algorithm or formula that spits out a specific activity that guarantees admission into a certain university.

If you haven’t listened to our episode on courage yet, please do so! When it comes to taking on tasks both inside and outside of academics, courage absolutely matters. We shouldn’t be content to simply follow the herd. At the same time, believing that doing something totally out of left field like beekeeping won’t get you into Harvard (at least, it’s not a strategy to hitch your wagon to).

In this episode, Thomas will talk about the importance of identifying your unique set of opportunities, privileges, and circumstances in order to determine the best activities for you. Some students are employed, some aren’t. There are trade-offs to both. In either case, the activities you take part in are those which offer you a competitive edge at the collegiate level.

To start with, look for an activity that you’re passionate about. It should be something that you can commit to regularly with increasing levels of responsibility over time. Finally, the organization or community you build has to be meaningful and have staying power, perhaps one that can even be passed on to the next generation. By creating something that has lasting impact, you can become an interesting and diverse candidate in the application pool.

Key Highlights

• Considerations around employed students
• Why you need to be objective about how good you are at what you do
• Deciding on activities that you’re passionate about
• Creating an organization with lasting impact
• Becoming an interesting and diverse candidate in the application pool

About Thomas

Thomas is a parent and alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania. After earning his MBA at the Wharton School in 2003, he moved to Silicon Valley. For three years, he was director of admissions and financial aid at Wharton School. He worked closely with admissions professionals, students, alumni, and professors to create the best possible MBA class.

Thomas has been an entrepreneur his entire life in the fields of finance, agriculture, wellness, and sporting goods.

As the founder of Global Education Opportunities, he works with diverse and underserved communities to help them become successful college students.

Thomas started the podcast Admittedly because he is passionate about demystifying the application process for parents and applicants.

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