Dear student,
An undecided cause? What exactly do I mean?
Colleges accept students of course based on merit, but a large aspect of their decision depends on their confidence that the student will be able to better the reputation of the school. For example, a Stanford alum who receives a Fields Medal adds to the prestige of Stanford and their math department. That is not to say they are looking for future Nobel Prize laureates; however, they are looking for impressive students capable of bringing positive change into the world.
How exactly can they predict this? After all, even Albert Einstein (my favorite Nobel Prize laureate) probably would not have givens signs of the entire capability of his genius in a standardized college application. My suggestion? Work to better a cause. Find something that greatly affects and/or interests you. Causes range from Tasmanian Devil facial cancer to global warming. Discover one, and reach out to help it.
How can you help? A few obvious answers: donating money, volunteer work for a charity for that cause, etc. A few less obvious solutions: research the problem online and through watching documentaries and spread awareness. Talk to your school, town council, and anyone. Awareness is the greatest step toward achieving a worldwide solution.
Some of these causes lead directly into majors in college. Environmental problems will likely lead to an environmental engineering major, ocean pollution to oceanography, etc. Some are a bit more obscure. Colony collapse disorder (a field I have begun try to spread awareness about) within bees does not exactly translate to a major. However, it is much more beneficial to you to go into college with a cause in mind, rather than a major. A cause will forever affect; you are likely to discover new academic interests in college.
Now, I have rambled enough, I suggest you look into causes. A project to benefit the world will be a gem on applications.
Have fun helping out!
-TOC
An undecided cause? What exactly do I mean?
Colleges accept students of course based on merit, but a large aspect of their decision depends on their confidence that the student will be able to better the reputation of the school. For example, a Stanford alum who receives a Fields Medal adds to the prestige of Stanford and their math department. That is not to say they are looking for future Nobel Prize laureates; however, they are looking for impressive students capable of bringing positive change into the world.
How exactly can they predict this? After all, even Albert Einstein (my favorite Nobel Prize laureate) probably would not have givens signs of the entire capability of his genius in a standardized college application. My suggestion? Work to better a cause. Find something that greatly affects and/or interests you. Causes range from Tasmanian Devil facial cancer to global warming. Discover one, and reach out to help it.
How can you help? A few obvious answers: donating money, volunteer work for a charity for that cause, etc. A few less obvious solutions: research the problem online and through watching documentaries and spread awareness. Talk to your school, town council, and anyone. Awareness is the greatest step toward achieving a worldwide solution.
Some of these causes lead directly into majors in college. Environmental problems will likely lead to an environmental engineering major, ocean pollution to oceanography, etc. Some are a bit more obscure. Colony collapse disorder (a field I have begun try to spread awareness about) within bees does not exactly translate to a major. However, it is much more beneficial to you to go into college with a cause in mind, rather than a major. A cause will forever affect; you are likely to discover new academic interests in college.
Now, I have rambled enough, I suggest you look into causes. A project to benefit the world will be a gem on applications.
Have fun helping out!
-TOC