Many high school juniors are now deep in thought about applying to college, especially since many campuses now have early fall deadlines for early action.
And one issue that students struggle with is whether they have enough activities on their resumes to impress college admission officers.
But students should be less concerned with overloading a resume with clubs and activities and focus instead on what is important to them, according to the college counseling director of Woodward Academy.
"All too often the co-curricular life of young people becomes a set of chores that 'have' to be completed whether the student wants to or not. So the student adds to all the academic and standardized test and social demands a full complement of co-curricular ones, the outcome being a young life so utterly 'scheduled' by well-intentioned adults that little time remains for the student freely to choose avocations, to explore based on curiosity and whim, and yes, to experience the growth that comes from some measure of falling short and trying again," says Bryan Rutledge, director of college counseling at Woodward Academy in College Park.
Rutledge advises, “If your high school lacks appealing options, turn to civic or faith-based organizations in your community. Besides building a meaningful co-curricular life, this is great way to make friends. Parents and students alike should consult teachers, college counselors, and students and parents who have successfully navigated the shoals. Go-getters find answers more quickly than wallflowers.”
For more advice from Rutledge on building a college resume that will resonate with admissions officers and why students ought to begin this process as freshmen, go to the AJC Get Schooled blog.
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