Folks, it’s important to remember that blanket advice typically doesn’t cover all schools. At many relatively selective schools that admit by school/major, the student needs to have some activities that support that major. Sure, it can be paid work when we are talking about business, but there are so many HS clubs that are business/business adjacent…DECA, FBLA, JA, BETA club, investing clubs, etc etc.
Like I said above, the more selective the school, the more likely a competitive applicant needs some supporting activities (and it’s important to think broadly about business-y type roles, which can be found on robotics teams, to take one example.)
Can one get into Tippie without business activities? Yes. Gies? That is much more difficult. Wharton? Forget it.