Kids can’t fool their way into college by starting an app or landing a big-name internship — here’s what works instead

If you’re beginning to feel like every teenager at your child’s high school is the CEO of a start-up, a non-profit founder, or a social justice advocate, you’re not wrong.

These days, teenagers aren’t just biking around their neighborhoods or going to the movies — they’re interning at major tech companies, cultivating bespoke brands, and building AI-powered apps. But just because these activities impress the parents at the country club doesn’t mean they impress college admissions officers. 

In fact, they might even tank a student’s chances at an Ivy League acceptance. 

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When a student interested in evolutionary biology starts a lucrative tech business, or one who wants to study classics miraculously lands an internship at Google, the message they send to colleges is clear:
They don’t care about developing their real passions or bettering their community — they just want to get into an elite university. 

Every admissions cycle, countless families try — and fail — to develop a compelling application through flashy, contrived resume items.

Frantic parents ask questions such as: “Should I build an app for food insecurity in Cambodia? Or do you think it’s better to launch a sustainable jewelry brand on Shopify? Should my kid take up cricket? Will they have better chances of admission if they apply as an anthropology major?”

But these questions reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of what admissions officers at Ivy League and other elite universities are looking for today. Rather than artificially curated resumes packed with global impact and buzzwords, top colleges are looking for the one thing you can’t fake: authentic passion. 

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The ‘Teen CEO’ is Still a Teen

With the explosion of pay-to-play programs, admissions officers have become increasingly savvy at
spotting inauthenticity. They know when a student’s brand-name internship resulted from a family connection, not a cold email, or when a research publication was paid for, not peer-reviewed. And they raise their eyebrows when a student’s nonprofit has 10,000 Instagram followers but no measurable impact … and zero engagement.

This is not to say that standout activities aren’t necessary. Participating in a competitive, merit-based
summer program, founding a school club, starting a small business, spearheading a volunteering initiative, or earning a prestigious prize in your field of interest are all essential for elevating your application profile and standing out against other applicants.

But these accomplishments must fit within the broader narrative of a student’s applicant profile — a unique story about their authentic interests and the distinct perspective they will bring to their field. 

Critically, they must also demonstrate what a student can realistically accomplish through their own
creativity and resourcefulness. A teenage entrepreneur will not in any way resemble a Fortune 500
CEO — a teen CEO is still a teen — and colleges know that. 

When students ask me if they should leverage their parents’ connections to establish global impact for their passion project or expand their brand, my answer is almost always the same emphatic No.

Overwhelmingly, these overproduced efforts convey privilege rather than initiative. They communicate that a student’s activities are manufactured and contrived. 

Instead, a high school student should seek to be an age-appropriate expert, executing their ideas using the time and resources available to them. No, the challenges faced by a student founder are not the same as those faced by large corporations or global NGOs, but they remain opportunities to showcase innovative problem-solving and creative leadership skills. The failures that inevitably come with being a student founder can offer rich opportunities for growth, adding depth and dimension to a student’s application.

For instance, a student who launches a small, local clothing brand can articulate to colleges how they overcame the challenges posed by tariffs. A student who runs a social media activism campaign might
reflect on how they pivoted to maintain their online reach amidst disruptions resulting from the TikTok
ban. 

Ultimately, admissions officers want to see that students have used their original perspective to create a meaningful impact within the constraints of their schedule and budget and that they have approached the experience with self-reflection and a willingness to grow and adapt.

Start Early and Start Local 

Often, the best ideas are found right in a student’s backyard. Some of the most impressive projects are small, specific, and deeply personal. Students who have worked with have organized model airplane building competitions to introduce elementary schoolers to aeronautical engineering; launched creative YouTube channels to educate others about ancient mythology; partnered with local restaurants to encourage the widespread use of more sustainable materials; and authored creative booklets to encourage high school students to detox from their phones. 

None of these students launched a million-dollar business or filed for 501(c)(3) status, but they all got into their dream schools. Why? Because their projects told admissions officers something deeper about their interests and background, showcased their actual capabilities and leadership qualities, and demonstrated growth, creativity, and self-reflection. 

Students seeking to do the same should start local. You don’t need to go halfway across the world to make an impact, especially if you haven’t made one in your own community. 

Be Who You Are — Not What You Think Admissions Officers Want

Starting freshman year, students should begin asking themselves: What do I actually love to do in my free time? What kinds of questions do I find myself coming back to? What problems could I solve in my school or local community? How can I innovate creative solutions through my core passions? 

If the answer is neuroscience, design a simple memory experiment and run it with volunteers at your school, then analyze the results and discuss them on a science blog or podcast. If it’s environmental sustainability, start a composting initiative at school or map local biodiversity in your neighborhood. If you’re drawn to mechanical engineering, take apart old electronics and document your process in a video series or create a prototype for a DIY home gadget.

These kinds of projects — grounded in a student’s interests and environments — are far more compelling than building an overseas nonprofit with no meaningful footprint.

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In today’s competitive admissions landscape, where 4.0 GPAs and perfect test scores are a dime a dozen, admissions officers are looking beyond a student’s on-paper credentials. They want to know who a student really is, what they value, and what they will uniquely contribute to their future campus community.

Most importantly, they want to admit applicants who have already made a difference, even a small one, rather than those pretending they have accomplished something impressive in order to earn admission. If you want to stand out from thousands of other applicants, tell a story that’s true to who you actually are and not who you think an admissions officer wants you to be.

Christopher Rim is the CEO of Command Education, an education partner of the New York Post.