@teleia These were free summer programs (some students also found research by independently applying for jobs or contacting professors) run by the local med school and other universities, and they were paid, given HS credit, volunteered if found themselves etc. Paid programs may exist in the US, but most of the admits to T20s from my school did not pay for any of these opportunities. Granted, I live in a less competitive region of the US (PNW,) so there’s a ton of opportunities available in my city at these universities if proactive (I didn’t do research, but I found a paid job at aforementioned med school doing public health education for clinical staff.)
This is a rare chance for me to say, imo, you each have some measure of truth in what you’ve posted. Lol, you’re all winners.
Top colleges are looking for a level of vision and then activation. Not “bumps on a log,” just going with the flow. But OTOH, you do not need to be a great mover and shaker in your high school or community. Small efforts of the right sorts can matter, add to a picture. It’s about the choices, levels, and balance, what that represents about awareness, energy, willingness, even your thinking. What do you go after that shows a little stretch, versus where you settle for what’s easily available. Of course, it can be some fun, some push.
In a world where researchers are willing to let kids in, whether to xerox, clean test tubes, or run the same work as grad students, yes, that bar edges a little higher. But it still depends on context and covid has brought many to a grinding halt.
So you look for other ways to express the interest and talent. Ways that are meaningful and representative to adult adcoms, at that college.
Add to that, many competitive high schools outright facilitate these research or internship opportunities. T20 adcoms know that (and which hs are notable for it.) Yes, it can alter the weight your research carries, as an EC. If a hs has no connections or there aren’t possibilities in your area, adcoms still look for the traits, how you pursued which drives, how you did get involved vs leaning back.
With the doc example, eg, not all kids are allowed to be hosp vols. But in traditional years, there are other ways to express the compassion, attention, dedication, etc, to those in need. Sorry, but I don’t mean offering manicures at the senior center. Or babysitting neighborhood kids (nice job, not a tip.) Etc. Or running a blog.
It’s all part of “show not just tell.”
So, the GC could note the internships an applicant went after or lined up, only to be thwarted by covid. Or some other efforts that make sense. Are you in stem activities within the hs, if they’re still running? Even remote is fine.
And so on. This dang covid requires all of us to tend to triage, focus on what we can do.
Thanks @lookingforward for summarizing each of our viewpoints and noting that essentially, context matters when it comes to selective admissions!
@biobiz At this point, there’s not much you can do about your extracurricular activities, given applications are due within the next few months. However, you can, as @lookingforward pointed out, make sure you are SHOWING, not telling colleges why you’re interested in x, y, and z fields, how you’ve explored them in HS, and plan to explore them in college.
Hope that helps! Good luck with admissions!