Rona Aydin is the founder of Oriel Admissions, a Princeton-based college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy. An Oxford University graduate, Rona leads a deeply experienced team whose distinctive 360 approach treats every part of the application - academics, testing, activities, essays, and interviews - as one connected strategy.
The strongest leadership extracurriculars for college are defined by initiative and impact, not by an official title. How to demonstrate leadership without a formal position - founding, mentoring, problem-solving - and describe it on your application.
How many extracurriculars for college? There is no magic number. The Common App allows up to 10 activity slots, but selective colleges weigh depth, leadership, and impact far more than the count. A focused profile beats a long, padded list.
The Common App honors section lets a student list up to 5 academic honors, each with a 100-character title, grade level, and recognition level. Learn what counts, how to write standout entries, and where awards go versus the activities list.
Strong Common App activities examples lead with impact and concrete results within the 150-character limit. See weak vs strong rewrites that show role, action, and measurable outcome, plus how to order and frame your activities.
College counselors sort activities into four extracurricular activity tiers, from Tier 1 national distinction down to Tier 4 participation. At selective colleges, one or two top-tier activities outweigh a long list of lower-tier entries built on volume.
On the Common App, an extracurricular is any sustained activity outside required coursework, from clubs and sports to paid work, research, and family responsibilities, across 10 activities of 150 characters each. At selective colleges, depth, leadership, and impact matter more than the label.
Can a parent write a recommendation letter for college? In almost all cases, no - colleges expect objective letters from teachers and a counselor. The exceptions are homeschooling and the optional parent statement, plus what FERPA means for recommendations.
Dental shadowing is the most important extracurricular for a BS/DDS applicant - the clearest proof that an interest in dentistry is genuine. Here is how to find shadowing, make the most of it, and round out a combined dental profile with research and dexterity-building activities.
Penn's Huntsman Program admits a boutique class of about 50 students a year from a global pool, among the most selective dual-degree programs in the world. A strategic guide to the Wharton plus International Studies dual degree, the target language, the essay, Early Decision, and ROI.
Penn's Vagelos LSM program admits just 24 to 25 students a year, one of the smallest and most selective undergraduate programs anywhere. A strategic guide to the Wharton plus life sciences dual degree, the science-business focus, the essay, Early Decision, and ROI.
Berkeley M.E.T. admits roughly 40 to 50 students a year, one of the most selective undergraduate programs in the country. A strategic guide to the Haas plus Engineering dual degree, the entrepreneurship focus, the UC application, and ROI.
NYU Stern's BPE program admits a cohort of about 50 students a year, as selective as or more than Stern's BS in Business. A strategic guide to the specialized degree, its global London-and-Shanghai core, Early Decision, and ROI.
MIT admits to the Institute, not to Sloan, so there is no separate Sloan undergraduate acceptance rate - what matters is MIT's overall 4.6% rate. A strategic guide to getting into MIT, the Course 15 majors, Early Action, and ROI.
Penn's Jerome Fisher M&T program admits roughly 50 to 55 students a year from thousands of applicants, among the most selective undergraduate programs in the country. A strategic guide to the dual degree, its two essays, Early Decision, and whether the Wharton-plus-Engineering credential is worth it.
Choosing between a BS/DDS program and the traditional pre-dental path comes down to certainty versus flexibility. Here is how the combined dental route and the traditional path compare on risk, timing, and which student each one suits.
BS/DDS essays must prove a genuine, tested commitment to dentistry and a specific fit with the program. Here is how to write the why-dentistry and why-this-program essays for combined dental programs - and the mistakes that sink applications.