Hi, I’m a rising sophomore in high school. This summer I have an internship where I help work on a project by a team of researchers from my local university. Since the research is going to be commercialized, they’re applying for a patent, and my mentor says that I’ve contributed a sufficient amount that my name is getting put on the patent.
I’m pretty confident the patent will be approved by the time I apply for college, so how much, if at all, is this going to help my college application? (Note: there’s probably at least several other people listed on the patent)
It’s definitely going to help since not many students can say the same thing. However, just having the patent won’t be enough if you want to get into a top school. You’ll want to discuss your contributions, what you’ve learned, and how this experience has impacted you.
It’s helpful for your application, just like the things that everyone else are doing. This being said, you really can’t determine if it will set you apart enough. Everyone else applying to the same schools that you are will be doing comparable(or even better) activities than you are. At the end of the day, shoot your shot. If it doesn’t work out, that’s okay. Don’t stress.