IMPACT is one of the buzz words we’ve been hearing a lot from college admission officers over the last few years, and the Thanksgiving season seems to be an appropriate time to think about the ways you impact others.
Impact is defined as the strong effect of one object or individual on another. By our actions and our words, we all impact the lives of others, both positively and negatively. By a kind word or the offering of support, by an act of random kindness, you have the power to make another person’s day so much better.
Since the issuing of the 2016 Harvard report, Turning the Tide, many colleges have resolved to encourage applicants to show more meaningful contributions to others, through community service and engagement for the public good.
Why do college admission officers care so much about impact? Their job is to build a community of scholars students who live together and learn together, and who continuously impact one another. Through their actions in the dorms and dining halls, by their input and effort in the classroom, and by the service they offer to the surrounding community, college students can positively affect the lives of many others.
As you give thanks for all you’ve been blessed with, resolve to ramp up the positive impact you have on your schoolmates and community. Are you the student who offers help to someone who is struggling; do you positively engage in the classroom; do you step in to make a difference before being asked?
In what ways are you engaged in the extracurricular life of your school – through clubs, sports teams, student government, performing arts groups? What impact do you have on your family – through childcare, helping out at home, caring for extended family?
How can you have an impact on your community – by volunteer work with a religious organization, an afterschool program, local sports teams, community theatre, philanthropic organizations or hospitals?
Each of us can make a difference – find your niche and add force to the impact you have.
Trying to figure out how to stand out to prospective colleges, especially prestigious ones, can seem like an overwhelmingly daunting task. Marie can help to make sense of your options and bring clarity and peace of mind. Schedule a 20 minute discovery call with Marie today.
