Max's College Admissions Journey

As I look back at high school from the perspective of a graduating senior, I can’t help but reflect on my perception of the seniors when I was a freshman. I recall glimpsing at the Milton Academy Class of 2022 matriculation page, wondering how all of those seniors became so smart and achieved what they did. Their success in extracurriculars, academics, and college seemed unreachable for me, and I pondered what I would have to do, what I would have to change about myself, to achieve that layer of brilliance and perfection.

Midway through sophomore year, I began to feel the pressure of college admissions, mainly around my extracurricular development. At this point, I occasionally attended one or two clubs and held very few leadership positions. Even though I had straight A’s across the board, I felt this immense and constant pressure to “do more.” Immediately, my mind tried to come up with extremely ambitious, and frankly, impossible, goals, I thought to myself at one point. After that completely wild idea, I jumped to the prospect of developing new HVAC systems to align with sustainability goals. Keep in mind that my total engineering experience at this point was zero.

However, after this sophomore-year panic, I began to subconsciously involve myself in various activities that I actually had the resources to pursue. I’ve always been fascinated with the weather and climate, and the summer after freshman year, I interned at the Blue Hill Observatory, the longest continuously running weather observatory in the country. Most of my summer consisted of sweeping floors, moving junk around, and mowing the lawn. But I used that summer of manual labor to establish myself among the scientists at that observatory. The following summer, I continued interning and volunteering there, observing the scientists and giving tours to visitors. The summer after that, I worked with the chief scientist to publish a meteorological paper on a weather phenomenon that fascinated me. I didn’t do anything extraordinary. I was consistent and passionate, and those were the only two things I needed.

I sit here today, as an incoming Ivy League student, still feeling like I didn’t do anything out of the ordinary to get accepted into one of the most highly selective institutions in the world. However, one thing I utilized effectively was time management, and I truly believe the college process would have walloped me without it. Starting with schoolwork, I did all of my assignments days in advance and paced my studying for tests over a week-long period. When I had free time during the day or in the evening, I utilized it almost every time. The summer before junior year, I realized that I had extra time on my hands and decided to prepare for the ACT, which I took in early September of that year and earned a 35 on the first try. With college essays, I crafted my personal statement in June before senior year and completed all my Early Decision and Early Action supplementals by the start of the school year.

The most fundamental aspect of this whole process that I gleaned was: don’t force it. Don’t feel the need to join that club because your friend did, or sign up for a summer program because your cousin attended. Chart your own path and build your résumé around your skills and abilities. Embrace who you are and identify the impact you can make on the people and communities around you. In nearly every case I’ve seen, the kid who is passionate, driven, and consistent wins the college admissions game. It worked for me, and there’s no reason why it can’t work for you.

Written by Max Donovan