| To the OP:
I used to think this too, and it was discouraging. I am not impoverished, but I go to a rural school with little funding and did not have the resources to take prep classes and pay to go to those awesome-looking things you get in the mail.
Colleges know what you paid for and what you earned. I was selected for 2 national programs during my high school career: one was an all-expenses paid study trip to Germany based on language skills, and the other was a Japanese studies program from Stanford for which I received credits upon completion...again, free. Those were the two most impressive elements of my resume, and I earned them. I did not buy them.
People are right: colleges want to see that you did the most with what you had. If your high school is super competitive, obviously you will have to make the most of it and do a ton of stuff to stand out to colleges. If you go to a smaller, less wealthy school, you can still go to an awesome college if you go the extra mile to find opportunities you can afford (read: that are free). There is a lot out there, you just have to look for it. |