Hey Guys I have a question that I like Model UN, Debates, and Coding (as a hobby) but what I hear is that these activities are not good, overdone and not eye catching but these are the things I am good at and what my interests are so what should I do? I am from a developing nation so the opportunities are scarce
You might benefit from considering this classic advice from MIT:
About activities, they say:
- Pursue your passion. Find what you love, and do it. Maybe it’s a sport. Maybe it’s an instrument. Maybe it’s research. Maybe it’s being a leader in your community. Math. Baking. Napping. Hopscotch. Whatever it is, spend time on it. Immerse yourself in it. Enjoy it.
If those things are what you love to do, then they are NOT the wrong things to do. Your focus should be thinking about how to really immerse yourself in those things.
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And another question I have is that I like coding but I dont want to do it as a major or job but still I got an idea to make a website for my debate/MUN circuit to add documents and streamline the process in general so is it still ok to learn coding and make it in my summer break? For context I have not decided what I want to do but it might something related to maths and physics something like engineering, accounting, etc
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Absolutely a good use of your time. A basic understanding of coding and how it can be used is potentially relevant to many professions, not just coders themselves.
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Stick with what you are authentically interested in and have talent for. Focus on depth and quality.. Are you “hearing” from family, friends, online forums that you need to do more? Listen to yourself!
There are many colleges to consider. Find one that fits you, rather than trying to fit yourself to imagined criteria for certain schools.
I can imagine the pressure coming from a developng country. You can write about llmited resources in your essay. There is free essay help here on College Confidential.
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Agree…do the things that interest you and work towards making a meaningful contribution.
If you are interested in creating that website, go for it (perhaps discuss with club advisor in advance to be sure there is interest, to get input about the structure, etc.).
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Do what you love, and love what you do. Your ECs should be things you genuinely enjoy doing, not things you think will impress some college adcom.
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Have ECs of tenure and depth - gaining responsibility over time. Btw many colleges, maybe even most - don’t even look at ECs so dependent upon your list of schools, they may not even matter.
But you don’t need to fake things. Just be who you are - and dig in when you find something you enjoy.
Authenticity matters. Do what you like as well as you can.
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You should keep doing those things because you enjoy them. Including coding.
You say you have limited opportunities where you live. If you are applying to US schools, most colleges are primarily interested in two things. Yohr grades and your ability to pay.
If you are considering applying to colleges that meet full fianical need for international students, yes, you will find it much more difficult without the very best grades, most rigor, and impressive EC’s. So find ways to maximize whatever you enjoy doing. Maybe help recruit fellow students to MUN or Debate, or teach younger kids how to code, or go into your wider community and maybe get a few other kids on board to host a discussion on MUN topics with local senior citizens, or present a debate in a senior living community.
Maybe those ideas aren’t realistic where you live, so keep thinking outside the box about how to enagge with others beyond your school. The full meet need colleges want to see engagement and persistence, in addition to everything else.
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You received some excellent advice on your other thread (really asking the same question). You might want to read the responses there again.
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funny thing here there are no such things as clubs. There is school, classes and thats it. Last year I presented the idea for a debate club but got shot down by someone more senior in hierarchy than the principal. Could try that again but still living in a place where competitions are rare makes things very hard as to attend a competition I have to travel on my own expenses
sure thanks
First of all, I agree with many other answers. You should do what is right for you, and whatever you do, you should do it well. Be authentic. Do not try to be anything other than the best version of you.
Also, your ECs do not need to be through your high school. They can be through pretty much any organization. Anything constructive that gets you involved with other people is an EC. A job is an EC (and often a very good one). Looking after younger siblings or an elderly grandparent or great-grandparent is an EC.
Great grades plus an ability to pay will get you into many very good universities in the US. For a tiny handful of the highest ranked and most selective (aka “rejective”) schools doing what is right for you is going to be the best EC, whatever that is.
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Don’t underestimate the power of a part time job. It is a respectable EC because it shows your experience with time management skills, punctuality, job performance, along with social skills. All three of my children had part time jobs in high school and college.
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I understand but in my country part time jobs are considered jobs for lower class people and I am not saying because I am racist or anything like that but thats how things work here. Secondly for actual jobs and internships are given to uni students and are rare for high school students
In the end, your record is your record and you don’t have much time to change it. For 99.9% of internationals, I’m guessing a full ride doesn’t happen. Find the affordable - whether it’s Minot State or U of Alabama or Southern Miss or wherever. They’ll not care one iota about ECs in regards to admitting you.
Understand how this looks to an outsider (or possibly an admissions committee at a college): “I’m looking for someone else to fully pay for my college education but I’m too proud to do any work myself to help save up for it” (and yes I realize what you might save is a drop in the ocean compared to the cost of a US college education, but the optics still look bad).
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Yeah, I fully understand culture mismatchs like that may be tough to negotiate, but I don’t know if these colleges will necessarily be very compromising on what they want to see.
This is a problem. I’d bet that most american high schoolers have some kind of job before they start college, even if it’s babysitting or shoveling snow from the neighbor’s driveway.
I would bet that admissions officers are aware that the types of students applying to US colleges from your country don’t typically have jobs. You want a free ride to an American uni? Be the outlier.
What I’m hearing here is an unwillingness to make yourself stand out. There are no clubs at your school? Make a club. Take your own initiative to speak with the principal of the school. There has to be some way you can get involved in your community.
I just asked gemini this question: what can a teen do in a developing country to have an impact?
You can google to find your own answers to this question (go beyond the AI result), but no one here is going to hand you a free education without you doing something to earn it.
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