{"id":61438,"date":"2024-05-31T12:04:12","date_gmt":"2024-05-31T04:04:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.ivy-way.com\/?p=61438"},"modified":"2024-12-17T11:03:23","modified_gmt":"2024-12-17T03:03:23","slug":"how-to-make-a-positive-impact","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.ivy-way.com\/en\/how-to-make-a-positive-impact\/","title":{"rendered":"How To Stand Out On College Applications: A Powerful Framework for Increasing Your Impact and Getting Into a Top Tier College"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It’s no secret that admissions to Ivy League Plus schools are hyper-competitive. One of the most common reasons that students are denied admission from selective colleges has nothing to do with a weakness or deficiency, academic otherwise. \u201cIt’s simply that there are\u2026 thousands of other strong students applying in a given year,\u201d says Yale Admissions Officer (AO) Mark Dunn. To be admitted to a place like Yale (or Princeton, MIT, Amherst) an applicant has to stand out<\/strong> among the pool of very strong applicants.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So the question remains: how can you stand out among other applicants?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Myths Busted: What Doesn’t Stand Out<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Before we address that question, let\u2019s take a look at what doesn\u2019t<\/em> work when trying to stand out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask the regular high school student, teacher, or even (sometimes) high school counselor and they might tell you one of these oft-repeated myths about how to stand out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \n
  1. More is better (it’s not)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    More AP classes, more activities, more recommendations, and more community service hours do NOT make you a stronger candidate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI read an application\u2026where 54 PDFs of awards\u2013going back to third grade\u2013were included,\u201d said AO Keith. \u201cWe want you to know that more isn\u2019t always better.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    While ambitious students tend to be involved in many activities, AOs aren’t looking for a laundry list of achievements. Instead, they\u2019re looking for a depth of commitment to one to two activities\/causes and critical reflection on those experiences (articulated on compelling college essays and in stellar letters of recommendation). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \n
    1. Maximize your GPA or standardized test scores (that\u2019s not the right strategy)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      College admissions officers don’t think that you’re a better scholar because your GPA is 0.04 more than the next highest-ranked peer. Nor are they impressed by a difference of 10 or 20 points on standardized exams. If you’re trying to maximize your GPA or test scores, you probably need to use your limited time more wisely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cWe aren\u2019t necessarily trying to determine who is the smartest, who has the tiptop GPA,\u201d says admissions officer Hannah. \u201cThat\u2019s not really our job.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      While grades (and to a lesser extent test scores) are important, they’re just not going to move the needle in terms of admissions to elite colleges. As many as 80% of candidates applying to these schools are academically qualified (meaning they meet the minimum threshold to do well). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      That means that to distinguish yourself from other applicants, you\u2019ll need to find a different approach. Think about the opportunity cost of that additional hour of studying. What else could you be doing to explore your interests, develop skills, and\/or increase your impact? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What Does Help You Stand Out? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      So what stands out to an Ivy League Plus AO? Two factors are particularly important: fit and impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Fit: Good team player <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      AOs at elite colleges look for students who are a good \u201cfit\u201d for the school. What does that mean? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cA student who\u2019s a good fit for Yale is someone who is interested in engaging with and learning from others. That\u2019s a huge part of our undergraduate experience,\u201d says AO Mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cSomeone who plays well with others, \u2026[is open] to sharing their own experiences,\u201d and a baseline sense that \u201cthey\u2019re collaborative, as opposed to competitive,\u201d added AO Mark.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Angela Dunnham, Former Assistant Director of Admissions at Dartmouth College, makes a similar point. \u201cIt’s not enough just to be smart at top schools. Students must also show that they’ll be good classmates and community builders.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Impact<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      The second crucial factor, and the focus of the rest of this article, is impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cWe get excited\u2026when an applicant demonstrates that they are a high-impact member<\/strong> of their community,\u201d emphasizes AO Hannah Mendlowitz. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      \u201cOne of my favorite lines to read in a letter of recommendation is, wow, the student will really be missed after they graduate, or this student\u2019s impact<\/strong> on the school or on the community will be felt for years and years and years after they leave.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The admissions team at Stanford agrees: \u201cIn general, we want to understand the impact<\/strong> you have had at your job, in your family, in a club, in your school or in the larger community, and we want to learn of the impact<\/strong> that experience has had on you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Key Takeaways<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Yale, Dartmouth, and Stanford (and most elite schools practicing holistic admissions) are looking for students who are a good fit and have made an impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      What does that mean for you? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Your goal should be to create meaningful, positive change in your immediate community and beyond. As you plan your activities and volunteering efforts, aim for depth and impact. This is what will help your application stand out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      How to Make a Positive Impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

      But how can you ensure that your impact is both positive and meaningful on your community (and perhaps the larger society)? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

      The challenge lies, in part, in deciding what area to focus on. The standard advice is: just pick whatever you’re interested in or \u201cpassionate\u201d about. Here’s why that isn’t such good advice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \n
      1. What you’re passionate about changes. When you’re a kid you’re passionate about ice cream. Does that mean that you should go into an ice cream taste-testing as a career? Probably not. <\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. People rarely discover their passions in a vacuum. You’re not passionate about hockey or rugby and then try to join a team; rather you go play the game, find that you’re good at it, and then become passionate about sport as you surround yourself with fellow athletes and sports enthusiasts. Meaningful choices emerge from experience and reflection, just some pre-existing passion.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Following your interests blindly may lead you to stumble into areas that are already saturated, where your efforts won\u2019t have much of an impact, or where real progress is unlikely even over a lifetime of work. You’re likely to become frustrated and contribute little. Is there a better way to decide how to maximize your impact for the greater good?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u201c…if you choose a charity to get involved in without looking at the evidence, you\u2019ll most likely have no impact at all.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        As it turns out, there is an evidenced-backed approach that can help you evaluate potential paths so it aligns not just with what\u2019s exciting you at the moment, but will offer lasting fulfillment and social benefit. It\u2019s 80,000 Hours\u2019s framework<\/a> for choosing an area to focus on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        The 80,000 Framework: Preliminary Comments<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
        \"This
        Photo by Austin Chan<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        Why 80,000 Hours? Because that\u2019s the number of hours you\u2019ll have in your career (40 years x 50 weeks x 40 hours = 80,000 hours). Since that\u2019s such a big chunk of your life, your choice of career is probably the best opportunity you\u2019ll have to make a positive impact. While you can certainly make a difference outside of your career through things like charitable giving and volunteer work, according to the research<\/a> choosing the right career path can make you 100 times more effective (as an agent of social change). It\u2019s probably the number one driver of your impact.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        If you’re still in high school or college, you have an advantage in applying the framework. You still have a few years before you find yourself in the workforce. That means you can use the framework to think strategically about what major you might want to study and what activities you should focus on while still in school. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Stated differently, the framework can help you gain a clearer sense of how to take your interest and skills to make a meaningful impact this year, of your years of schooling, and over the long term. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Is it worth doing this kind of reflection? Think of it this way: if you take 5 to 10 minutes to decide on where you might have a 1-2h dinner, you’re saying that that prep time is worth it. How much time should you spend thinking about and prepping for your entire career? Many months to a few years is a reasonable amount of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        OK, I\u2019m Convinced! Tell Me About The Framework Already<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Career advice in one line: \u201cto have a fulfilling career, build useful skills and use them to tackle pressing global problems.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \u201480,000 Hours<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        \"impact,
        80,000 Hours Framework summary<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

        According to the framework, an issue that you choose to work on should have a combination of three characteristics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          \n
        1. Big in scale. A problem being in scale would impact a large number of people, have an outsized effect on people affected, and\/or yield long-run benefits if the problem were solved. For e.g., climate change or educational inequality are problems big in scale.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
            \n
          1. Neglected. A neglected problem affects groups far away from us, non-human animals, or future generations. Few people are working on the problem and therefore there are opportunities to make progress with relatively little effort. For e.g., animal welfare or mental health and low-income countries tend to be neglected problems.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
              \n
            1. Solvable. An issue is solvable if there is lots of evidence (studies) that there are promising ways to make progress. For e.g., access to clean water and child vaccinations are relatively easy problems to solve.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              Another factor to consider is personal fit. To what extent are you motivated to work on the problem? And do you have the relevant skills and expertise? If not, are you willing to do what it takes to develop this expertise?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Applying the Framework: Making a Positive Impact<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              You can use this framework to think about broad problem areas (climate change vs threat of AI) or to compare specific areas within a larger area (criminal justice or redlining within racial disparities). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Let’s pick one issue and try to apply the framework.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Let’s start by asking: what are the options? It turns out that when you start thinking about the problems and issues, there are so many that it threatens to become overwhelming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n
              1. Climate change<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              2. War, violence, and domestic abuse<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              3. Hunger, malnutrition, and food insecurity<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              4. Poverty\/inequality<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              5. Infectious diseases and pandemics<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              6. Gender discrimination\/inequality<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              7. Racial\/ethnic discrimination and oppression<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              8. Educational inequality<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              9. Access to clean water and sanitation<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              10. Homelessness, housing insecurity<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                And the list goes on and on. Here’s 80000 Hour\u2019s list of the world\u2019s most pressing problems<\/a> and how to build capacities to solve them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Let’s choose the issue to analyze based on your current interests. Say that you are interested in studying medicine (a very popular choice, about 20% of undergraduates according to one estimate). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                First criterion: Is it big in scale? A problem has a greater scale:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \"impact,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                You look around your community and realize that substance abuse, in particular nicotine use, among young people is a big issue. What tells you it’s a big issue? Numbers. Numbers of people affected: you estimate that 1 out of 5 of the youths in your social circles either smoke e-cigarettes or some kind of nicotine product. A quick search on the internet reveals that the CDC reports that in 2023 \u201cabout 1 of every 8 high school students (12.6%) reported current use of a tobacco product.\u201d Also, the numbers in terms of benefits in solving the problem. The associated lifetime medical costs with smoking are enormous. Insurance companies often use smoking as the key indicator of bad risks. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that also 6 million people worldwide die due to smoking cigarettes each year. So you’ve met the first criteria: it’s big in scope, both in terms of the number of people affected and the financial\/social benefits of solving the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Second criterion, is it a neglected issue? Ask yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \"impact,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                Let’s take this one step at a time. \u201cDoes the problem affect neglected groups?\u201d Perhaps if we focus on the impact on vulnerable populations like low-income groups or areas with less strict tobacco regulations,. It doesn’t directly affect non-human animals or future generations in the same way climate change or emerging technologies might. However, the economic and health system burdens do have indirect effects on future resources. So, to a degree, it affects neglected groups or rather we can consider groups that are not the direct targeting. \u201cDo few people know about the problem?\u201d The harmful effects of smoking\/ nicotine addiction are widely known. There are many anti-smoking campaigns, especially in Korea and other smoking-prone areas (Kim, Park). California recently launched a big anti-smoking campaign, but there’s nothing like a large-scale effort for opiates. There are also smoking bans in public spaces, restrictions on advertising, and medical advisories about the risks of tobacco use printed right on the box. Overall, you decide, there’s a high level of awareness and therefore this isn’t a neglected issue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Third criteria: How solvable is it?  Ask yourself: <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \"impact,<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

                Again, let’s take it one at a time. \u201cIs there rigorous evidence for solutions?\u201d Yes, many evidence-backed solutions show small, incremental improvements in helping people quit smoking. These include nicotine patches, gums, behavioral therapy, and even prescription medications (drugs like Wellbutrin). What’s the potential for making a massive impact? Since the problem is so massive, even a relatively small impact can improve the quality of life for a large number of people. It seems like the contribution might be related to testing promising new strategies for smoking\/nicotine treatments. For example, a smartphone app that helps you quit smoking would make for a promising although unproven approach. Something like that could become the focus of a project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Given that analysis using the framework for choosing a social problem to work on, a project focused on the cessation of nicotine\/tobacco use among young people could have a big impact. It’s big in scale: nicotine addiction among young people is widespread and the benefits from solving the problem would be far-reaching both in terms of the number of people helped and the amount of healthcare cost reduction. It’s not a neglected area, but a targeted strategy on, say, young people in Taiwan might represent a gap in corner efforts. It’s solvable, at least to a degree: there are good evidence-based solutions and the project could contribute to that by testing a program specifically designed for young people like a smartphone app.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Final Thoughts<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                How can you stand out and improve your chances of admission to Ivy League and other selective colleges? By being a good team player and having a high impact. Maximizing your impact requires you to think strategically about where to focus your efforts. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                It\u2019s time to move beyond the conventional wisdom of looking only to your passions. The 80,000 Hours framework offers a practical way to increase your impact, through your current activities. You\u2019ve seen the criteria of the framework\u2014scale, neglect, and solvability\u2014and an example of how to apply it to a tangible issue\u2014nicotine addiction among young people. Now it\u2019s up to you to take action by applying this powerful tool to thoughtfully analyze an issue you\u2019re concerned about and ensure your efforts have the most meaningful impact. By doing so, you\u2019ll enhance your college application and also contribute positively to your community and society.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                \n\n\n\n

                References<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

                Butterly, Joel. \u201c7 Admission Officers Share the Things They Never Tell Applicants<\/a>,\u201d Business Insider, Feb 8, 2018.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                CDC, Smoking And Tobacco Use Youth Data<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Kim, Dan Bi et al. Association between anti-smoking campaign types and smoking cessation attempts<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Kurtzman, Laura. \u201cCalifornia\u2019s Anti-Smoking Push Spurs Big Savings on Health Costs<\/a>,\u201d UCSF, March 16, 2023. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

                MacAskill, W. What We Owe The Future: A Million-Year View<\/em>. London: Oneworld Publications, 2022.Todd, Benjamin. \u201cWant to do good? Here\u2019s how to choose an area to focus on<\/a>.\u201d 80,000 Hours, last updated May 2023, first published April 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Moon, Kat. \u201c4 Reasons Following Your Passion Is Overrated (Plus, What You Should Really Follow to Be Happy)<\/a>,\u201d themuse.com, 6\/19\/2020.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Todd, Benjamin. \u201cWant to do good? Here\u2019s how to choose an area to focus on<\/a>.\u201d 80,000 Hours, last updated May 2023, first published April 2016.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Stanford Undergraduate Admission, \u201cAdmission Overview: Holistic Admissions<\/a>,\u201d Stanford University.\u00a0Yale, \u201cEpisode 13: What Stands Out<\/a>,\u201d Inside the Yale Admissions Office Podcast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

                Yale, \u201cEpisode 13: What Stands Out<\/a>,\u201d Inside the Yale Admissions Office Podcast.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                It’s no secret that admissions to Ivy League Plus schools are hyper-competitive. One of the most common reasons that students are denied admission from selective colleges has nothing to do with a weakness or deficiency, academic otherwise. \u201cIt’s simply that there are\u2026 thousands of other strong students applying in a given year,\u201d says Yale Admissions […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":61608,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","is_share_social_media":0,"is_publish_medium":0,"language":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3036,2231,2117,2124,2397,2356],"tags":[2986,2985,3064],"class_list":["post-61438","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-activities-en","category-college-admissions-en","category-debunking-myths-en","category-free-resources-en","category-in-depth-analysis-en","category-uncategorized-tw","tag-activities","tag-extracurricular","tag-impact-2"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/blog.ivy-way.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/05\/Ivy-League-Free-Education.jpg","views":{"total":96,"cached_at":1731988690,"cached_date":1776357590},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.ivy-way.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61438","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.ivy-way.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.ivy-way.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ivy-way.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ivy-way.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61438"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ivy-way.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61438\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":62597,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ivy-way.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61438\/revisions\/62597"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ivy-way.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61608"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.ivy-way.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61438"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ivy-way.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61438"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.ivy-way.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61438"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}