The Role of Independent Projects in College Admissions

If you are a student who is academically inclined but struggles with extracurricular activities, there is a way to showcase your scholastic vigor through the execution of an independent project.

An independent project is essentially a rigorous scientific investigation into a research question of your choice. The topic of your project can vary based on your interests and will follow the scientific method of research. You will design your own topic with the guidance of your mentor, and you will be required to collect data, research recent publications on your topic, and write a research paper or academic presentation.

 So, why should you do an independent project? First and foremost, it's a great way for you to further explore your interests. You can continue research you have enjoyed for a class or get the chance to research a subject not offered in your required curriculum. In addition to exploring your interests, you'll also be showcasing your initiative and management skills to the schools to which you plan on applying. This will demonstrate to college admissions officers that you are proactive, independent, and capable of tackling challenging tasks on your own.

If you're interested in pursuing an independent project, it's important to start planning as soon as possible. The project will likely take a significant amount of time to execute, so it's important to set a schedule by which to accomplish tasks. This way you can plan your time accordingly to finish the project by a deadline. Depending on the project, you should expect it to take an entire summer, a whole semester, or even an entire school year to complete. Therefore, it is essential to plan ahead and allocate enough time for each task involved in the project.