#extracurriculars

#extracurriculars

The college admissions process seems more tedious, nebulous and overwhelming than ever ... which is why one college admissions expert is breaking down high school extracurriculars by the numbers. Kate Stone, founder of Kate Stone Prep, says that not all extracurricular activities are created equal. "Anything that thousands of kids are doing is always going to be less helpful for you," Stone tells TODAY.com. It's not that you should completely avoid popular extracurriculars, though. "It just means that you have to bring something creative or differentiated to it," she says. "Do the common activity in an uncommon way." On an Instagram reel that has earned almost 3 million views since it was posted in November, Stone ranks a handful of popular high school activities according to their value on an application for a top tier university. Stone goes into detail about what her rankings meant and gives her top tips for students looking at applying to elite colleges.

Our entire family sits down to have a meal together several times a week. We ask each other questions, find out what's going on in our kids' lives, and share funny stories. Though mealtime can sometimes be chaotic, with bickering and typical exhaustion, we also relish in the limited opportunities we have to sit, face-to-face, and share a meal. We also have some family time on Sunday mornings, attending church together, and the occasional Friday night, where we can watch a movie.

My husband "Trent" and I have a 14-year-old son, "Michael," who started high school last month. Michael is attending the same high school Trent went to where he was the star of the football team. Trent has been pressuring our son to try out for football since practically the day he graduated from junior high. Michael did not try out-he's into lacrosse-and Trent has ratcheted up the pressure, trying to convince him there's still time for him to join (there isn't). He's even gone so far as to offer to buy him a car when he's old enough to drive if he play football! Michael is really beginning to tire of his dad's pestering, but his objections go in one ear and out the other with Trent. What can I do to get through to my husband that our son already has a sport he enjoys?