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My Thoughts on College Applications – Stacking Up on ECAs
When I was younger, my teachers at school used to encourage us to take up various activities. I remember one teacher in particular mentioned college applications as early back as Class 5. She pitched the question to us “Who would a college find more interesting – someone with straight As and nothing much else, or someone with mostly As and some Bs, but who plays a sport, or a musical instrument, or takes part in performing arts, debating, learning a different language, or even community service?”

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Times have changed since then. Anyone who knows they are college bound abroad do much more than “merely study”. Students with a huge list of extracurricular activities seem to have become the norm, and no one “stands out” just by participating in ECAs. Now the rush seems to be taking part in “non-traditional” activities. This is after all, the age of innovation.
The ambitious high school kids who I’ve met in the US are out to do something “different”. Perhaps learning fencing would be more interesting than plain old karate; or learning Chinese would be a refreshing change from learning French. Daring to be different, I suppose, shows that you’re not afraid of a challenge, that you’re willing to try new things, and perhaps at the end of the day, you have an innovative mind, all of which are qualities that might interest the admissions committees.
Trying to be “different” from everyone can be stressful, I know. But think about it: what is the best way to be different from others around you? The answer just might be being YOU. Everyone’s different, and everyone’s special. We just each need to figure out what makes us special.
In your high school years, it is important to be involved with various activities, and it is important