I’m sorry but I’m just going to defend myself a little bit because I feel like what you said sounded sort of condescending.
I didn’t take away time from my academics to “cultivate followers”. My tiktok account isn’t just me posting videos of myself and trying to get compliments— I post study tips for students and content about school, studying, exam prep, stationery, etc.
The followers were a plus, the paid partnerships with the well known companies, the signing to an agency, it was all a plus. I didn’t start the TikTok as a resume booster or as something to spend my time on throughout high school as an extracurricular— I did it purely out of love and passion for helping other students and sharing my study techniques.
Like I said, I know my stats could’ve been better. I lost my 4.0 junior year when my mom left the country for a month and 2 weeks and my dad, who drives an Uber for a living, couldn’t be home for most of the day and I had to take care of my brother while my grandmother I hadn’t seen in years died. I know a 3.86 unweighted isn’t extraordinary but it’s certainly within range.
Obviously the 1440 wasn’t good. However a lot of kids get into a lot of the schools I applied to with around the same GPA with a test optional status so I didn’t think it would completely shut me out. I studied for the SAT and took it a few times, I tried. I didn’t go on TikTok all day, I studied and I tried.