I’ve written before that when you’re applying to college, it’s important to share the stories behind what you’ve done in high school. A college isn’t as interested in your list of activities as they are in what you actually did–how you showed initiative, how you made an impact, what you learned from your successes and, yes, your failures. You’re far from the only kid who will write “French Club” or “Yearbook Editor” or “Varsity Tennis” on your application. But the stories behind those activities are yours alone.
As you go through high school, it’s a good idea to take the time to write those stories down as they happen so you can remember them more clearly when the time comes to apply to college. How much money did your fundraiser bring in? What did your dad say to you before your first game as a varsity pitcher? What exactly happened that day at the yearbook staff meeting when you learned that you have to be better about how you give constructive criticism? These are valuable moments in your life and colleges will be interested in learning about them.
I know it seems like you couldn’t possibly forget those details, but when you’re facing an application deadline and a question about the activity that’s had the most meaning for you, or a time you failed and what you learned from it, you’ll be glad to have those memories written down somewhere.