Student Impact

At Stonehill we look for commitment, dedication and leadership outside the classroom in conjunction with the academic transcript of a student. Does this mean you have to be student body president, captain of three varsity athletic teams and be a world renowned trumpet player? Absolutely not! Let’s discuss what we at Stonehill look for when we evaluate a student’s “impact.”

What’s important?

1. Quality over quantity. We would rather see an applicant who is serious about a club/activity/job for a longer period of time than a student involved in multiple activities in short spurts. If you’re dedicated and committed to a select few activities, we would much rather you follow your passion than to add superficial “resume boosters” to make your application look better. It takes a lot to fool Admissions Counselors – we can detect “fluff” from a mile away.

2. Taking a more active role. This could be anything from a leadership role as an upperclassman to a promotion at an after school job. An active participant is great, but someone who shows leadership and motivation is an applicant that really catches our attention.

3. Creativity and motivation. Love ping pong but your school doesn’t have a club? Want to raise money for diabetes but don’t know how? Figure out a way! It’s great to see on an application that a student has taken the incentive to start their own club, create a fundraiser or initiate something creative that they’re passionate about.

4. It doesn’t matter what you do- just get involved! There are no “right” or “wrong” activities to get involved in. Not every student we accept is in National Honors Society, has done over 100 hours of community service or has made the varsity team. We look for different activities, honors and clubs to create a more diverse and unique class. Basically, if you love it, keep at it.

Did you know that your level of involvement is factored into your financial aid and consideration for merit aid? You betcha. Just like we give curriculum a grade, we also grade students from “A” to “D” on their level of involvement and give special consideration to students that work part-time instead of after school activities. The students who typically end up with the best financial aid or scholarship packages are those who shine in and out of the classroom.

Why is impact so important in the admissions process? These students are the ones who enhance the Stonehill College experience for everyone on campus. Involved students are the reason why Stonehill has over 80 different clubs and organizations, 20 varsity athletic teams and hundreds of volunteer opportunities in the local and global community. They stay involved and make Stonehill such a fun place to be, they volunteer their time to help those less fortunate and they diversify the student body through their multitude of talents, experiences and ideas.

Up next: Eric discusses counselor and teacher recommendations