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Caroline Koppelman

Best Extracurriculars for High School Freshman Interested in STEM

Having excellent grades isn’t enough to get into an elite schools as a STEM major. Majors in the science, technology, engineering, and math fields are often among the most competitive. If you dream of attending a top college, great grades and scores are just the first steps. You also need to have amazing extracurriculars. It’s never too early to start building a stand-out extracurricular resume. But how? Don’t worry; we are here to break it down for you.

University of Southern California (USC) Legacy Policies and Guide

The University of Southern California (USC) is a private research university located in Los Angeles, CA. Students who want to study business, communications, and film are drawn to this school, and it’s known for having a robust campus culture and a real work-hard, play-hard vibe. If you’re reading this, though, you probably know this, because one (or both!) of your parents went to USC, and you want to go there too.

University of Pennsylvania Legacy Policies and Guide

The University of Pennsylvania, or Penn, is a top-tier American university and member of the famed Ivy League. The University offers one of the only undergraduate business programs of the Ivy League, and certainly the most iconic nationally. Rooted in Philadelphia, the Penn experience is dynamic, intense, and famously full of opportunities to push oneself beyond perceived limitations. Penn puts it well: “Penn is a place for people who want to do something big.” It’s unsurprising, then, that they get a lot of love. Penn received 65,236 applications for the Class of 2028, and offered admission to 5%, or 3,523. For the Class of 2029, it got even more competitive. Penn received 72,000 applications. While they have not released the acceptance rate, it was almost certainly less than 5%.

The University of Michigan Legacy Policies and Guide

The University of Michigan is regularly ranked in the top 5 public universities in the United States. The undergraduate program offers top-tier academic programs alongside an iconic on-campus culture. Mich has always been popular within the state of Michigan, with a little over 50% of first-years coming from the state, but it has also become extremely popular for out-of-state applicants. This has driven the acceptance rate down to 15.6%. However, if an applicant is not living in Michigan the acceptance rate is still misleading. Because the in-state acceptance rate can be assumed to be much higher than that for out-of-state students (they don’t actually report it), it skews the average. In reality, getting into Mich from outside of Michigan is like getting into an Ivy League university.

Vanderbilt Legacy Policies and Guide

Located in the Music City (Nashville, TN, for the uninitiated), Vanderbilt University is a private research university that was founded in the wake of the Civil War by railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt. The school is extremely popular with students looking for a work-hard, play-hard environment and with students who want to study business or law, and has become incredibly competitive over the last few years. In 2024, their regular decision acceptance rate was 3.7%, and their ED acceptance rate was 15.2%. But if you’re here, you probably know at least some of this, because one (or both) of your parents went to Vanderbilt and you’re looking to follow in their footsteps.

Best Extracurriculars for High School Freshman Interested in Humanities

Don’t listen to the haters; getting an undergraduate degree in the humanities is a valuable pursuit. There are so many great humanities majors at elite schools. However, if you are eyeing a top school, you need to make sure you are a top candidate, which means building a great extracurricular resume in the humanities. It's never too early to get involved in the humanities outside of class. If you don’t know where to start, don’t worry: we have you covered.

Duke Legacy Policies and Guide

Duke is a highly respected research university in Durham, North Carolina. The top five majors at Duke are Computer Science, Economics, Biology, Public Policy, and Psychology, and students are drawn to the university by the strong community culture paired with exceptional research opportunities. The experience is in high demand. They receive over 50,000 first-year applications annually, and the acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 was only 5.4%. As a prospective legacy applicant, it’s possible that you already have a favorite spot on campus. Now, though, you need to get in.

Yale Legacy Policies and Guide

Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, is one of the eight Ivies, the third-oldest college in the US, and one of the nine schools founded before the American Revolution. In a word: storied. Yale is extremely popular with Ivy League hopefuls and extremely competitive – last cycle, they had a 3.9% acceptance rate. However, if you’re reading this, we assume you know this. You’re here because a parent (or both!) went to Yale and you want to follow in their footsteps. Let’s talk about it.

Best Extracurriculars for High School Freshman Interested in Business

So many students want to study undergraduate business. It is quickly becoming one of the most popular majors. This also makes it one of the most competitive, especially at elite schools. If you are serious about studying business, you need to put in the work. Good grades aren't enough in most undergrad business programs; you also need great extracurriculars. It’s never too early to start working on an impressive extracurricular resume, and we are here to help!

Harvard Legacy Policies and Guide

Harvard is, well, Harvard. As one of the most famous universities in the world, offering degrees that many see as golden tickets to a prosperous future, they definitely don’t need us gassing the school up. And they aren’t wrong. Going to Harvard offers students access to a learning experience, community, and, perhaps most importantly, network, that is only available at a handful of schools in the world. But you almost certainly know this, as you have a parent (or two) who already went to Harvard.

MIT Legacy Policies and Guide

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology, or MIT, is an exceptional university, and an iconic school for students looking to go into the STEM fields. Located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, MIT is also located in a hotbed of academic excellence, rubbing shoulders (and crossing paths) with Harvard. The overall acceptance rate for the Class of 2028 was a mere 4.5%. Students who attend MIT are best known for launching careers in technology, engineering, mathematics, and the sciences, and an MIT degree is recognized as a spot in the fast lane to professional success.  

Dartmouth College Legacy Policies and Guide

Dartmouth College is an outstanding undergraduate college within Dartmouth University, and part of the famed Ivy League. The college receives over 30,000 applications each year, including 31,657 for the Class of 2028, and the acceptance rate for the same class was only 5.4% — a record low for Dartmouth. The college is especially known for combining an exceptional academic program with an iconic community and social life. Students study hard, and they have lots of fun along the way. They have the most significant Greek Life of any Ivy, a historic athletic tradition, particularly in winter snow sports like nordic and downhill ski racing, and Hanover, New Hampshire is a beloved college town. Dartmouth is also known for a super tight-knit alumni community, and legacy admissions plays an important part of that.