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<p>Find an unfulfilled need in your Chicago community and develop a way to fill that need – then you can call yourself the founder/president of the organization designed to accomplish it. You don’t always have to take the pre-packaged plan your school serves up for you. And top colleges LOVE when you venture off the beaten path!</p>
<p>This is one of the things my son did. He was accepted at Brown, Williams and Amherst, as well as Northwestern. Yes, he did have perfect raw stats, but it’s interesting that in his early-write acceptance letters at both Amherst and Williams, they both mentioned his commitment to his community rather than his academic achievements. Also, his Brown interviewer lit up when he told her about his community-service project. </p>
<p>Since you’ve been taking Polish classes for some years, you might consider looking into starting a weekend/summertime ESL program for new Polish immigrants. Round up a few friends, find a church basement, put out a few flyers, throw up a simple website. Then write about it in your Common App essay.</p>