Video summary

8 extracurriculars you can still start before college apps are due

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main ideas / lessons (8 extracurriculars before college apps are due)

The video argues that the best extracurriculars are fast to start, practical, and ideally create real output or real participants/users—so they’re more than just “portfolio projects.”

Methodology / step-by-step instructions (as presented)

1) Create a real tool for real people (AI app idea)

  • Pick one narrow, specific problem from your life
    • Example given: manually grading/entering scores for school—it’s annoying and wastes time.
    • Another example: a volunteer organization’s system for registering people for large events is flawed.
  • Build an app that solves that exact problem
    • Keep it simple; appearance can be imperfect.
  • Focus on real users (not just code volume)
    • Admissions impact comes from user impact, not “10,000 lines of code.”
  • Release quickly, then iterate
    • Ship something first; you can improve later.
    • Since it uses AI, updates can be made quickly.
  • Time expectation
    • Claimed: you can build and release an app like this in a weekend.
  • Personal example
    • Built a to-do checklist app to track YouTube projects (using Cloud Code) in a few hours.

2) Apply to the Congressional App Challenge

  • Know what it is
    • Annual national competition for students/programmers to submit apps.
  • Track the deadline
    • Applications close October 26.
    • The speaker notes that’s about two months left (based on when the video was watched/recorded).
  • Use the contest to validate/boost your project
    • You compete with students in your constituency/region for awards, even though it’s nationally known.
  • If you used block programming
    • The speaker says that is allowed.
  • Encouragement
    • If other competitions don’t suit you, submit anyway—worst case, you lose little time.

3) Seek internships not only in summer (fall/spring/academic internships)

  • Challenge the “summer-only internship” myth
    • The speaker frames off-season hiring as an opportunity (“arbitrage”).
  • Target startups and younger-led companies
    • Larger programs can be summer-focused, but startups often move more flexibly.
  • Strategy
    • Look at apps you use daily.
    • Pick 20 small companies.
    • Email/DM them as a high school student expressing interest.
  • Offer flexibility
    • Unpaid internships are acceptable (speaker says that’s fine).
  • Tangible next step
    • Apply to the speaker’s internship program: Atlas Education (linked in the description/pinned comment).
  • What the speaker/team looks for
    • Not heavy prior experience.
    • Emphasis on consistency, hard work, and a desire to learn/improve.
  • Expected response time
    • The team aims to respond within a few days.

4) Become a Wikipedia editor (fast humanities option)

  • If you’re not STEM-focused
    • The speaker addresses “humanitarians.”
  • Choose a narrow interest
    • English, history, or a topic you already read a lot about and feel knowledgeable in.
  • Action plan
    • Apply → get approved → get set up → legally edit/contribute.
  • Why it helps
    • A unique extracurricular admissions committees notice.
    • Can be done quickly enough to build a real, “proven” record in a couple weeks.

5) Run AI + fraud-safety training for seniors (community course idea)

  • Problem to address
    • AI-generated fake political ads and AI scams are affecting older adults.
    • Scam example: using someone’s voice to impersonate acquaintances and steal money.
  • Core idea
    • Create and deliver a course/training about AI and fraud safety for seniors.
  • Who to teach
    • Nursing homes, retirement communities, local community members (including parents and blue-collar workers).
  • How to structure it
    • Prepare “a few training lectures” based on what you already know about AI.
    • Plan 5–10 sessions over 1–2 months.
    • Do multiple visits to facilities or focus on one nearby facility.
  • Rationale
    • The speaker claims older people are willing to learn if engaged properly.
  • Uniqueness
    • The speaker asserts “nobody does this now,” so it stands out.

6) Do offseason research without a lab/professor (data + curiosity)

  • Reject the “cold email professors for summer research” dependency
    • Especially since the video is recorded when many are starting studies (not summer).
  • Start with an interest + public datasets
    • Use open databases (examples mentioned: Spotify music data; sports data).
    • Also suggests marketing data and other accessible sources.
  • Ask questions and analyze
    • Dig into the data using AI analysis and other tools (example tool: OpenEvidence, plus “free tools” generally).
  • Publish/record your findings
    • You can create a quick blog/website (even with AI).
    • Post results over several weeks (example: one post a week for 8 weeks).
    • Formal journal publication isn’t required—internal conclusions are acceptable.
  • Iterate into real-world data
    • Use findings to inspire follow-up questions.
    • Example: after music/stream analysis, interview musicians and collect new data via surveys/DMs.
    • Build your own database from responses, then publish/write about it (e.g., in a school magazine).
  • Reason this works
    • The process can open doors and lead to opportunities you didn’t anticipate.
  • Mindset
    • Be curious and pick something you genuinely enjoy.

7) Find a job (short-term work to build skills + confidence)

  • Practical suggestion
    • Apply for local work: store/supermarket, lifeguarding, tutoring piano lessons to neighborhood kids.
  • Why it’s valuable
    • It can’t be easily imitated like quick AI-made portfolios.
  • Timing flexibility
    • Doesn’t need to be a 3-year job—3–4 months is enough.
  • What it teaches
    • Real-world experience and professional routines.
    • If running a business: tasks like taxes and money management.
  • College benefits
    • If you perform well, an employer/boss may provide a strong recommendation letter.
    • Can strengthen applications quickly within weeks/months.

8) Shadow someone for one day (career exploration + essay material)

  • Choose a niche career and find someone to observe
    • Examples: city council member, lawyer, engineer.
  • How to reach them
    • Use your network and extended network via LinkedIn.
    • Send cold emails if needed.
  • Goal
    • Arrange a one-day internship by shadowing.
    • Observe all day and ask a few questions.
  • Why it matters
    • It can change your career decision, not just your application.
    • Provides strong essay content: what you observed, learned, and concluded.
  • Broader applicability
    • Medicine shadowing is known, but the speaker argues the same approach works for any field.

Promotional / call-to-action content included

The speaker repeatedly promotes Atlas Education, including that it can help with:

  • applying for an internship,
  • working with the team,
  • and potentially getting college application review/feedback.

The speaker also says they personally review internship applications and can provide application feedback for students seeking last-minute help.

Speakers / sources featured

  • Pranav (video speaker)
  • Atlas Education (organization referenced; includes an internship application link and application review support)
  • Congressional App Challenge (competition referenced)
  • Claude Code (tool referenced for building apps)
  • Wikipedia (platform for editing)
  • OpenEvidence (research tool referenced as an example)
  • Spotify (example dataset referenced)
  • LinkedIn (platform referenced for finding/shadowing opportunities)
  • Cloud Code (tool referenced in the personal to-do app example)
  • Atlas Education / Pranav’s team (internship reviewers mentioned)

Original video