The Activities Harvest

I heard a great analogy today from a colleague.

He thinks of the activities students begin early in high school as crops. You “plant” activities/ideas, maybe even starting in the 9th grade. Only continue doing extracurriculars that are meaningful–you’re not just doing them for the hours earned, but your enjoyment. Except perhaps for scrolling on your phone, every activity has value. Don’t start thinking about what recipe you’ll make in four years, also known as “what you think colleges want to see.” Instead, 9th and 10th graders should sample a range of activities and engage with those for as long as that interest remains.

What will you choose to cultivate for 2, 3, or 4 years?

Parents and students ask about research and internships. It’s not easy for a 14 year old to have the opportunity to work in a lab on a professor’s research project, but that student could begin their own research by using credible sources to study any area of interest. One of my students who pursued aerospace engineering constantly watched videos on NASA’s website, and discovered other sources there. He may not have “published research,” which generally costs a good deal of money, but he proved his intellectual curiosity to colleges and wrote some compelling essays. Regarding internships, all are not equal. Some “official internships” offer students gruntwork with little opportunity to actually learn. Helping out in any kind of business for free can lead to a paying job, and even if it doesn’t, the experience gained is worth it. 

Be open-minded about jobs: nearly every type of employment gives students the chance to learn leadership and problem-solving skills, collaboration, and serving others. Some of the best essays come out of these experiences.

That brings us back to the activities garden. By senior year, take stock. Which activities did you dig into most deeply, and which will you harvest into your Common Application?