Distinctive

By – Nora Lessersohn

This admissions cycle, as COVID-19 has forced over 55% of colleges to go “test optional,” “test flexible,” or “test blind,” you will need other parts of your application to help you stand out from the crowd. With any luck, testing will soon be a thing of the past, and finding ways to stand out without test scores will be more important than ever. So, short of submitting your application IN ALL CAPS (please don’t do that!), what can you do to show colleges how distinctive you are?

While your high school transcript will always be the most important element of your college application — think of your good grades as an athlete or artist’s mastery of the ”fundamentals” — your extracurriculars are where you can add your own personal stamp. Like any great athlete or artist who becomes free to improvise once they’ve nailed the basics, you can use your extracurricular explorations to show an admissions committee what makes you YOU. 

When it comes to extracurriculars, we often hear from students that they think they need to do debate or play a sport because “that’s what colleges want to see.” We understand that thought process, but in fact, colleges aren’t looking for you to be like everyone else — they want you to be different. 

In order to stand out, you just have to remember one thing: don’t be scared to be creative. 

Being creative doesn’t (necessarily) mean wearing all black and reciting spoken word poetry to a room (or Zoom) of attentive listeners — but if that’s your thing, certainly go for it. Being creative means being willing to think outside the box and take initiative. Follow your passions, wherever they take you.

For example, if you’re a student who is fascinated by international affairs and looks forward to having a career in diplomacy, you could start a podcast dedicated to discussing current events with members of your town who have different perspectives on the issues at hand. 

If you have a flair for languages, you could show off your Arabic language skills by conducting and translating interviews with a local Syrian refugee population, or use your fluent Russian to create new translations of your favorite Robert Frost poems. 

If you’re a student who hates cleaning but loves chemistry, work to develop an all-natural cleaning spray that will make your chores a snap! 

Or, if you’re a born teacher, a budding biologist, and a devoted yogi, create a webinar series that integrates yoga lessons with extra information about the poses and their relation to the body. 

For maximum effect, your creative passion project should be something you do consistently and deliberately. Ideally, this should become “your thing” or “one of your things.” Such a project will not only demonstrate to schools that you are curious, passionate, and interesting, but that you are committed and proactive — i.e. that you are able to make an impact. 

When they read your applications, colleges are looking for members of a class and a campus. They aren’t interested in students who will just be another “bump on a log,” as the saying goes. They want you to come to their school and make things happen. The best way to show them that you will do that is to show them that you’ve already done it. And with just a little creativity, you’ll be able to make your mark in no time.