Starting early is imperative for US university admissions but starting properly is equally as important. While there is no one way to ‘do high school right’, I like to think the best way a student can go about school, in terms of setting themselves up for admissions success down the road but also in terms of broadening their horizons, is to follow something I like to call the Pyramid Approach. 

The Pyramid Approach isn’t a cookie-cutter, formulaic approach to doing things, but is something that any student can mould to themselves and their own interests. I’m not trying to dictate the way students should approach high school or even claim that this approach will lead to success, I’m merely articulating an approach that has been done, for the most part unconsciously, by students who have achieved their university admissions goals. Using the example of extra-curriculars can help us best visualize the Pyramid Approach and show that it isn’t a question of breadth versus depth, but breadth turning into depth.

Grade 8 is the base of the pyramid, the foundation that students will build up from for the rest of their time in high school. Thus, the importance of laying a foundation that is both solid and broad is crucial It’s the time for students to try out a wide variety of different clubs and sports and activities and a chance for them to step outside their comfort zones and enter roles without a huge amount of responsibility right off the bat. It’s also a time that lets students discover where their passions lie, either by joining a club that re-affirms their love for something or trying out something they’ve never done before and discovering a new passion.

From there, with the foundation laid, the pyramid gradually tapers upwards as students move through the grades and drop the activities they’re less interested in and start immersing themselves further in the ones they truly love. Their consistent involvement from early on shows more genuine commitment to their activities. Compare that to a student who suddenly started volunteering at a hospital in the beginning of their grade 12 year, conveniently right before they were about to start their applications, and you’ll get what I mean about genuineness. On top of this, students who have involved themselves for multiple years in the same activity stand a better chance of gaining leadership positions in the club and doing meaningful work with it, as opposed to new members with little experience.

And just as grade 8 was the base, grade 12 is the peak of this pyramid, the pinnacle of a student’s achievements and extra-curricular involvement where they hope for their years of dedication to culminate in admissions success. Like I said earlier, this by no means is a fool-proof method but the consistent commitment it encourages and the perspective it offers students as it pushes them to step outside their comfort zone is invaluable and can do nothing but help students in the long run, either as a student, a person or even in university admissions.