The modern university strives to assemble classes of students hailing from a variety of backgrounds and interests to create the “conditions for social transformation,” as Harvard’s mission statement imagines. Holistic admissions processes that assess character in addition to academic merit are vital to identify well-rounded students who can contribute to such a transformation. However, today’s college applicants have become increasingly narcissistic due in part to the psychological impacts of social media and the highly competitive job market. As a result, it has become difficult for colleges to cultivate communities that allow for “social transformation.” The Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE) recently brainstormed a way to fix this problem. Its report advocates for better recognition of students who have made meaningful and sincere contributions to their communities rather than just to their resumes. And it’s completely right.
While today’s educators increasingly subscribe to the idea that test scores are invalid metrics for vetting applicants, few recognize that extracurricular activities can be just as misleading. Historically low admissions rates at top colleges pressure students to prioritize resume accomplishments above all else. Assembling an impressive resume as a high school student can be strikingly formulaic as students seek positions of leadership and markers of achievement to stand out from the masses of other applicants. As a result, students often list off extracurricular activities on their resumes without truly engaging in meaningful or rewarding work. This temptation to remain competitive inhibits students’ moral development, as opportunities to serve are overlooked for a captaincy position. While volunteer work is currently evaluated in college admissions, the cursory nature of application review results in a focus on concrete accomplishments rather than the intent behind the service.
Not all high school students have the time or resources to found their own non-profits, but they can still make valuable contributions by working at existing soup kitchens or mentoring students at local after-school programs. The multibillion-dollar market for standardized test preparation services has raised concerns over the SATs and ACTs, but the quiet rise of dispassionate resume building has caused little concern among our educators. The HGSE report argues that today’s college process manufactures students focused on individual achievements rather than the communities around them. If the goal of our education system is to produce better citizens, shouldn’t colleges encourage students to serve a cause greater than their resumes?
High school students should also have the flexibility to explore meaningful extracurricular activities that historically haven’t been seen as magic tickets into elite universities. The definition of a meaningful activity varies among students, and I don’t mean to argue that avid debaters and committed student body presidents should change their tune; rather, I believe that volunteer work deserves a fair shot at making it into students’ routines. Finding a sense of purpose in service to others yields long-term benefits that extend beyond a single student and their chances of getting into a particular college. Students who use this flexibility to discover their passions and values in high school will glean more from their college years and more easily learn how to be effective “citizens and citizen-leaders for our society,” as schools like Harvard hope they will. Many college-bound students focus on the ultimate goal of attending a “good” school without pausing to develop themselves along the way, especially now that college admissions have become so competitive due to the abundance of strong candidates armed with bulletproof resumes. Meaningful work and service to others fall too low in the current hierarchy of extracurricular activities, and an admissions process that emphasizes these commitments could help reshape this value system and allow for better personal development in the formative years of high school. Maybe then college students could start working on the “social transformation” Harvard hopes they can create.