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Extracurriculars that landed him in Stanford
The world is noisy. You are constantly being bombarded with information about education, career and achieving success. If I could go back in time, the strategy below is what I’d tell young me to use to start “my thing,” and begin to leave my mark on the world. Most of you think that you will stand out and land your dream college, company by having a packed resume, straight As and lots of standard leadership positions (president of X, head of Y etc) Truth is admissions and even hiring manager doesn’t reward raw intelligence (sorry, school has lied to you…again) Getting all As in your AP classes will not guarantee you a spot at that research internship or at your dream college. Here’s the fun part: it’s not about working harder & being smarter. So what matters then? Getting into selective opportunities is about being uniquely impressive by creating VALUE in your community. By VALUE, I mean REAL product/service with USERS – not just another school club. See how his project amplified his interests (engineering + medicine = healthcare tech) and showcased his unique SKILL SET, which made him stand out from other candidates? Ofcourse your value adding activity is not limited to engineering projects. For example, if you’re an athlete who loves to write, you might combine these interests by finding a niche in sports journalism, such as starting a column for your high school newspaper. Or, if you’re a musician with a passion for helping your community, you could teach music lessons to children at your community center. If I was in school right now, I’d worry less about accolades for my resume & more about skills that I’ve built. I’d tell myself to start measuring the impact of my initiatives often. There’s no greater valuable lesson than learning, so I’d do more of that. Then watch the opportunities pour in. Lena |
Tinkering with OCE
Subscribe to OCE's weekly newsletter on tech, business and higher education...curated for the ambitious youth.
Everyone wants to build a community that people actually care about. Most fail. Why? Because they play it safe. They make nice programs.They write polite Instagram posts.They invite everyone to join. And no one gives a damn. Here’s the secret: magnetic communities aren’t built on niceness. They’re built on: Founder conviction – putting your personal stake on the line. A clear enemy – something worth rebelling against. But FIRST If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for...
You know that moment when you scroll past a post... about a fresh grad with a shiny degree from a top school, yet they’re bagging burritos at Chipotle? And somewhere in the comments, someone whispers: “Poor thing… lost their dignity.” Dignity. That neat, tidy little word we were conditioned to worship. School drilled it into us early: get into the right college, land the right job, earn the right title. Prestige. Pedigree. Meet the standard and dignity is guaranteed. Right? Wrong. But FIRST...
For most of our parents’ generation, the map was simple: Get a degree.Get a job.Buy a house.Build equity.Feel secure. If you followed the steps, things mostly worked. But the terrain shifted — fast. Today, Gen Z is stepping into a world where: College costs more than ever and guarantees less than ever Careers reset every few years Housing prices punish new entrants Stability is promised, but rarely delivered The old map doesn’t match the new world. And yet — we’re still being told to follow...