Courtesy of Ava DiNapoli
- As a high school senior applying to college, I'm using a unique approach to stand out.Instead of appearing well-rounded to admission officers, I'm focusing on my passions.Although the approach has caused issues with my mom, I'm becoming an expert in public speaking.
I'm a 17-year-old high school senior living just outside Los Angeles, and I'm gearing up to apply to more than 20 colleges over the next few months.
I'm the founder of Voices Unmuted, an organization that teaches public speaking workshops to children internationally. I regularly compete in debates, host a podcast, co-authored a children's book, and have built a TikTok following of over 100,000 people.
My student résumé sounds impressive on paper, but the path to get here wasn't what you might expect. It has been years of narrowing my passions down so I can market myself as a specific student to colleges.
I learned to avoid the 'impressiveness trap'
When I started high school, I fell into what my college counselor, Steve Gardner, calls the "impressiveness trap." I was trying to do everything to look perfect on college applications. I joined clubs I didn't enjoy to pursue leadership roles, volunteered wherever I could, and took classes that weren't my interest.
I was spreading myself thin trying to be the stereotypical perfect applicant. I wanted to appear like the well-rounded student, only to realize that I was making no significant progress in my activities and feeling more drained than ever.
Steve's first piece of advice shocked me: "Drop all the unnecessary clubs and prioritize your sleep."
The advice was life-changing.
I refocused my strategy on my passion
I reviewed my activities and decided to focus on my interest in public speaking, pursuing a major in political science.
Courtesy of Ava DiNapoli
I wasn't even good at Speech & Debate club initially, but because I stuck with something I genuinely loved rather than trying to balance countless random activities, it rekindled the energy I had lost, and I rapidly improved.
The simplicity of doing less actually helped me achieve more. What started as an interest in speaking naturally expanded. My organization, which began by helping just five elementary schoolers, has grown to serve over 250 families internationally.
My TikTok account, which I started during the pandemic as a way to convince my mom to let me have social media, now reaches over 100,000 people.
I eventually found myself on the national final stage at the NSDA National Speech and Debate Tournament.
These weren't calculated moves to impress colleges; they were natural extensions of what I'm passionate about.
The most important lesson I've learned is that when you focus on what you genuinely care about, it gives you energy. My organization, my podcast, and my TikTok content don't feel like work because they align with my core values.
My mom and I have not always agreed during this process
The stress of college applications affects my whole family. My mom is very involved, constantly sending me resources and videos about college selection. My family has high expectations about where I should apply, but their support has been crucial in my high school career.
My mom and I have had numerous disagreements on which activities I should prioritize and which passions I should chase. She's wanted me to focus on my SATs rather than new public speaking projects, but I know her support has been crucial in helping me navigate this difficult process.
The stress is real for all of us, but I remind myself that authenticity always beats perfection. I just wish I had started focusing on public speaking earlier, rather than trying to seem well-rounded.
