<p>Throughout a lot of these threads, many people talk about standing out. This is rather vague, so mayb some1 could give me some examples of applicants that did stand out or experiences people looking at this thread had that they thought made them stand out.</p>
<p>I did some medical research that probably made me stand out (but it’s definitely becoming more common). Another example would be publishing a short story or collection of poems.</p>
<p>Anything that makes the adcoms firmly believe you have a passion or zeal for learning/life.</p>
<p>Passion for anything, be it trying to develop a HIV vaccine or designing beach cottages</p>
<p>anything that everyone else doesn’t have. Medical Research…NOT SO MUCH</p>
<p>Classic Examples (Extreme though)
Olympic athlete, not national whatever, you actually competed in the olympics</p>
<p>Published author</p>
<p>Business owner, about to go public</p>
<p>Published composer</p>
<p>You have held personal concerts for many people, fine line here. You know if they came to see you, or there were a bunch of people.
Etc.</p>
<p>1MX - that is totally extreme.</p>
<p>I started a rocket club at my school along with a business to fund it and we ended up being the largest student run club that I know of in the world. We also helped abused kids build rockets at a camp. Basically I was very passionate about what I did and had to overcome a lot for it to work. They want to see you are passionate about what you do. This activity worked especially well because it was multifaceted. I also did research in a lab for motorola last summer.</p>
<p>Being a good person.</p>
<p>Yes, it is extreme, that’s why it says (extreme examples) next to the post.</p>
<p>a solid essay</p>
<p>showing passion in your application through a combination of things: essays, recs, activities, supplemental materials, etc. you’d be surprised how many applicants do not show this</p>
<p>and 1mx, if the OP is asking for ways to stand out, he/she obviously isn’t any of those things you listed; otherwise it would be fairly obvious and there would be no point in this thread.</p>
<p>SHOWS UP IN BUBBLE WRAP!!!aa</p>
<p>If you are asking how you are going to stand out; you won’t.
It needs to be something that you are naturally passionate enough to excel at. That’s what separates good grade/good score candidates from those accepted.</p>
<p>I was going to streak through The National Gallery with the message “My body needs art” on my chest. Then I would procede to thrust my nude, flabby torso against the Richard Serra.</p>
<p>This way I would have an extra essay that I could craftily work into my explanation of my arrest. Showing both a passion for art and for free expression. Take that Ad Coms!</p>
<p>Though this technique might be more successful with the Columbia bunch.</p>
<p>Hahaha Trackster.
I think I stood out because I was so honest in my application. I didn’t let anybody read my essays before they sent them (except for one “famous” and carefully-chosen CC parent), so they were really raw and rather unedited (they didn’t have any typos or grammatical errors, but they weren’t exactly ‘refined’) and very “me.” I had no qualms about putting a quote from Mulan as my favorite quote. Every blank on the application, I personalized and made creative, from the “how did you spend your summers” essays to the “favorite recording” (Ben Harper performing Bob Marley’s ‘Get Up Stand Up’ with Damien Marley and his three brothers beneath a blazing September coral sunset, recorded from my cell phone from atop someone’s shoulders).</p>
<p>Also, I had a lot of really unique service experience. I didn’t volunteer in soup kitchens very often, but I spent a fair amount of my summers burning to death on rooftops in Mexico while re-shingling houses in 115 degree heat. </p>
<p>Just be passionate. I think that’s the most important (and obvious…and difficult) thing to be. Your vivacity is difficult to translate to paper, and if you can do it, then you might be what Princeton is looking for.</p>