Dear Mr. Bradshaw,
Our daughter will be a freshman this fall. She has been an honor student in the seventh and eighth grades. We are seeking guidance about leadership activities in which she might participate as she enters her high school years.
Our goal is to help her prepare for the college admissions process by supporting her current interests and strengths while exposing her to projects and activities that will enhance her knowledge of career opportunities and areas of study.
Concerned Parent
Dear Concerned Parent,
First of all, congratulations for your forward thinking on behalf of your daughter. Early planning will certainly reap benefits for her in the long run because her high school years will fly by and her course work and activity selections are critical in her college acceptance chances.
I have several thoughts…
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It will be important for your daughter to have study areas of interest already in mind. Given the fact that this will be her first year of high school she will not be familiar with how clubs are organized or what activities are available at her school, I would encourage her to “shop” a few of the clubs that catch her attention. This process should give her an idea of what areas of interest are available to her and she can then build a participation strategy around that knowledge with confidence. It would be best for her to pursue extracurricular activities that have a connection with her career aspirations.
Down the road, should she wish to consider starting an organization in an area of special interest to her, she has several routes that she can take. For example, she could gather a small group of people that are interested in the same general topic such as the environment, diversity, traveling, cultures, etc.
I would suggest that she work with the school’s faculty and staff to increase awareness of her project. This can be done in a number of ways — she might consider creating a niche publication, making videos that are both stimulating and entertaining for a high school audience, creating an impactful grass roots special interest campaign to spark conversation, or inviting a prominent figure from her area of interest to speak at her school and entertain questions from students. As conversation and interest grows, she should be able to recruit new members and enlarge the initiative. Successful participation and leadership in special interest activities will also give your daughter a solid basis for an engaging application essay that will resonate with the admissions staff — particularly at top colleges.
Participation in sports or activities in the arts will also enhance a student’s profile, and a letter of recommendation from a coach or club sponsor will be a great addition to her college application. Evidence of team work and creativity are good predictors of success in college.
The important point is that the activity she chooses to pursue is something that she is genuinely interested in knowing more about. Her curiosity and ambition will be two key qualities that will allow her to grow an organization successfully.
Gerald Bradshaw is an international college admission consultant with Bradshaw College Consulting in Crown Point.