High school juniors interested in economics tend to have fallen in love with the subject through one of a few avenues. Either they had a teacher who emphasized economics or who taught an elective course fully focused on economics, and it was a fabulous class, or they are fascinated by the world of business and fell in love with economics through the lens of national or global markets. Possibly, it was both — a fantastic teacher and a penchant for following what’s happening in the markets and how policy and current events impact the economic landscape. And now you are a junior passionate about economics and only months away from writing your college applications. So, what do you do to stand out?
Standing out when you are applying to prestigious and highly-selective colleges is important and it is, fundamentally, simple. Yes, simple. Note that we didn’t say that it is easy, though. Economics is one of the most popular majors across top colleges, and the competition for spots at elite colleges is intense. Everyone has great grades. Everyone has strong scores. It’s what you do beyond those things that matters most to differentiate you from the other qualified applicants. That’s where extracurricular activities come in.
In this post, we are giving you a peek behind the curtain at how we advise our economics-minded students. We’ll break down the most important activities for you to be doing right now, and what to skip, to strengthen your applications ahead of submission.
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As a junior, you don’t have a ton of time. Right now, what you skip or step away from is as important as what you spend time on. Remember, creating space for deepening into a select group of activities is crucial if you want your application to pack a punch.
CLUB LEADERSHIP
As a junior, you need to be building towards becoming the head of a business or economics club. Ideally, you’ve been a member of the club for two years already, and so it isn’t absurd for you to be gunning for the top leadership position. But what if you haven’t already been involved? Well, then you need to put yourself on an expediated timeline. Schedule a meeting with the club head(s) to ask how you can best support them in achieving their goals. This will position you well to follow in their footsteps.
You don’t just want to be a club head, though. You need to build beyond it — and that can start today. Start a new program, initiative, or event within the club. This could be something like a panel bringing alumni who are business owners to campus, or a mentorship program for younger members. The purpose isn’t precisely what you are doing, but creating something that you can spotlight in your application that you can point to with confidence as being entirely yours.
INTERNSHIP
As a junior, it is also very important that you have an internship. Even if you have already done an internship, being a junior offers additional opportunities for learning and leadership.
If you have a connection to a straight economics internship, that’s awesome — but it’s also not realistic for most students. So, instead we recommend that juniors pursue an internship related to economics through one of two avenues: business or journalism with a business and economics bend.
For business, look for an internship with a local business or through a business owner that you have a connection to. The point isn’t to be doing anything fancy, but you do want the opportunity to be in meetings with leadership so that you can learn how they make decisions and juggle priorities.
For journalism, you want to be working with a journalist, or team of editors and journalists, as they report on business or economics. Either route is awesome, and you can find your path by looking around you. Sit down, and map out family friends, teachers, mentors, and acquaintances. Follow the thread of your connections to your best possible options. This may not be a business you are enormously interested in, but that doesn’t mean it should not be considered as an option.
RESEARCH
One of the most important things that juniors interested in economics can do, beyond keeping your grades up and working for high standardized test scores, is to conduct or participate in independent research. This can sound daunting, and if it does you should get in touch. We work with students to pursue meaningful research opportunities with the goal of publication or presentation.
Pursuing either, or both, of these goals is crucial. Doing research, or supporting a graduate student in their research, doesn’t really do anything for you if it doesn’t amount to anything tangible that you can highlight in your applications. You shouldn’t only be getting things done for the purpose of your apps, but it is important to keep in mind as you divvy up your small amount of flexible time.
ADDITIONAL COURSES
As a junior, you shouldn’t be signing up for a structured summer program full of younger students. Such a program may be a ton of fun, but it won’t do what you need your activities to do for you as a junior aiming for a top tier college.
Instead, look for a few additional courses, online or through a local college, that are focused on economics. Before committing to anything, ask your school if they would be willing to put a course on your transcript. They may give you a flat-out no, and that’s not a dealbreaker for whether or not to take the course, but they also might say yes, or a conditional yes based on how you perform. So, it’s worth asking.
If you want to get exceptional outcomes, like getting into a dream school, you need to do equally exceptional things. That includes pursuing college-level courses, completing an internship, and attaining a leadership position for a club with a connection to economics. You also need to start strategizing for how you will tell all of these stories. That’s where we can help. So, let’s make it happen.
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