Question

Improving my overall image for college?

Where do I start?

What is the best method?

I would ask my counselor but she isn't willing to explain anything, and extremely lazy.

@e.mccormick any advice? :-).

Answer 1

Preetha and I replied to almost that same thing here:
http://openstudy.com/study#/updates/52fc2672e4b05fa976fe6694

I think her advice is more to the point than mine is.

Answer 2

Thank you, again :-).

I have two question.

First question, I am generally a quiet kid and do not participate in school after-electives. Though I do take a kung-fu class with a family friend, does that benefit me in any way? Am I able to include that as an after school elective?

Second question, I love programming many of my programs are open sourced on GitHub, does this negatively or positively help my chances for getting into a college? (Assuming I even put it on my resume.)

Answer 3

While kung-fu is not the typical activity they look for, it does show a few things. This is especially true if you market it right. For example, most martial arts training includes discipline, which is needed in college. There is also overall fitness, which is a sign of a good student because they will be able to survive some of the rigors that a college life can place on a person in terms of less chance to eat right, higher stress levels, etc.

For a computer science program in a hard to get into college, a portfolio of code is a help. Even if it does not help you there, it is a good thing for the coder job market.

You also have OpenStudy as a tool. You can show your involvement in a world wide community. Make sure to have plenty of good activities doing positive tutoring where you are helping people find their answers. This will show academic integrity, willingness to help, and leadership by example.

If possible, find another thing you can be involved with to get a little more edge. This is especially true if any sort of leadership role is available. This is not always possible, but it is worth looking into if you can balance it in the schedule. However, high grades are more important, so don't over commit!