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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.
Hey changemakers, Have we gotten soft? Today, the typical youth adventure in Southeast Asia is a backpacking trip — a farewell tour before “real life” begins. The biggest decision? Which island has the best yoga retreat backdrop for Instagram. But the real builders? They see Southeast Asia differently. Not as a vacation destination, but as the arena — a place to test ideas, face failure, and wrestle with challenges that matter. They show up, get the market wrong again and again, but never...
Let me tell you how I know there’s still a bubble... and why surviving the next decade will require more than just “getting a job.” A friend in San Francisco told me people are engaging in bidding wars just to rent an apartment. Not to buy a home. To rent a 600-square-foot apartment with zero equity. Meanwhile, auto insurance premiums are skyrocketing post-COVID. Used car prices? Still inflated. Tariffs on imports? Coming soon—prices on essentials will go even higher. And income?Flat.If you...
Let’s talk facts. Being young in North America is like starting a race 10 years late.Everyone’s already doing something. Tech is crowded. Ideas are recycled. Your spot? Taken. And the odds of launching something? Shrinking by the minute. But not everywhere looks like this. But FIRST If you are new, welcome to OCE’s weekly newsletter curated for the ambitious youth…here are some articles you missed from previous weeks: 📈 Why No One Successful Wants to Mentor You Read More → 🎨 Best tools for...