7.5 What are the best extracurricular activities for college applicants?

This question was asked last week, when I spoke at the Princeton Club of New York.  Many of you are wondering which activities to schedule for the semester ahead."Which ones count for college?" people wondered.My answer: "Whichever ones YOU really care about."And rather than just putting one foot in front of the other and doing what everybody else in your class is doing, how about something original?Can you think of a problem that you really care about--and a way to solve it?International students and students who move around! Have you ever walked into the cafeteria of your new school and--oh, no! Who will let me sit with them? Awkward!Natalie Hampton, age 16, cared about this problem a lot. She sat alone for the entire year of seventh grade. She still remembers being bullied.Natalie created an app that lets a shy kid ask to sit with one of the popular kids who have been recruited as volunteers. "Sit With Us" is an app that guarantees that a lonely kid will not be rejected. Anyone can join an Open Lunch hosted one of the volunteers. Read more about "Sit With Us" on the Huffington Post.

Athena Advises

What do YOU care about? Do you see a problem you can solve?

Teenagers often dream of changing the world. We're counting on you! How about starting close to home?

Dr. Marlena CorcoranFounder and CEOAuthor of Year by Year to College, on amazon.com, amazon.de and many national amazon sites