Admissions officers see thousands of identical activity lists. Depth beats breadth — here's how to build it.
The principle: a spike, not a list
A coherent "spike" — a clear theme backed by real work — is far stronger than ten shallow clubs. Pick a direction and go deep.
The building blocks
- Competitions for objective signal (e.g. USACO, AMC).
- An original project or research paper for depth — see our research program.
- A narrative that ties them together.
A realistic timeline
Start in grades 8–10 with skills and competitions; convert to research and leadership by grades 11–12. Compounding is the whole game.
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