Video Transcript

“Hi, my name is Stephanie. I’m a former admissions officer from Northwestern.

I’ve read thousands and thousands of applications and I’ve helped hundreds of students with their applications and their essays. So, I want to give you the top tips for the activities section of your application.

Tip #1 is don’t neglect the activities. They’re extremely important and you need to spend a fair amount of time not only remembering what you did, but flushing them out completely.

Tip #2 is to treat the activities like a tweet. But first write out everything that you did in the activity and then compress it and try to fit in as much as you can using abbreviations that the admissions committee will actually understand.

Tip #3 is don’t describe the activity, instead describe what you did in the activity. So, don’t tell me what the debate team is, for example, but instead tell me what your impact on the debate team was. Did you bring in new debaters? Did you win debates? What did you do to make the debate team successful?

Tip #4 is to look up and actually use resume power words. Words like “led” the debate team. Words like “organized” this session or words like “initiated” such and such. So those are the kinds of words you want to use in your activities section.

Tip #5 is have someone who doesn’t know you and has admissions experience read your application before you submit. The firm that I work for, AdmissionsCheckup.com, does just that.

We’re admissions officers from 60 schools who will read your application and actually give you brutally honest feedback, before you submit.

Better application. Better chances of admission. Better chances of scholarship.

Good luck.

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