The following article is an excerpt from the new ebook from Best Delegate & the MUN Institute – “Why MUN Will Help Your Child Get Into College.”
You hear the word “fit” constantly in regards to the college admissions process. There are two aspects of fit: first, students want to find a college where they can explore their academic interests and potential careers. Second, students want to find a community where they can thrive in an extracurricular capacity. MUN helps students find the best fit colleges, and it helps colleges find the best fit students!
Finding an Academic Fit
It’s hard for students to know exactly what they want their career to be while applying to college – there are way too many options when it comes to majors, minors, and career paths!
But your child can use their current academic and extracurricular interests to help inform their choices when it comes to college applications. As a MUNer, your child is probably fascinated by international relations, political science, global business, and related fields. If they narrow down their college search to schools that have excellent programs in these areas of study, chances are that they will thrive in that type of academic environment. Attending a college that invests heavily in their chosen area of study will also open up many different opportunities for research, internships, fellowships, and more.
Your child should do in-depth research on the types of programs offered by the schools they’re applying to, and emphasize this on their applications. They should tie their MUN experience to their chosen field of study, and demonstrate to the school that they are following their academic passion.
Finding an Extracurricular Fit
A big part of college is obviously the academic environment – but extracurriculars are also incredibly important! Clubs, societies, and organizations are where most students find their lifelong friends from college, and being surrounded by like-minded peers can help students thrive socially and academically.
Your child can find a college that provides a great extracurricular environment by searching for colleges that have MUN and similar activities! Most colleges and universities have MUN programs, but they vary in terms of size and the level of commitment expected from participants. Some MUN programs focus on traveling to conferences and competing, and others focus on running MUN conferences.
Your child can also find related organizations that can help funnel their passion for MUN into new areas. Most colleges have international advocacy clubs where students can work on solving real global problems through charitable work, policy research, and more. If your child is interested in international business, many schools have business- and consulting-related clubs where students can hone real-world skills.
Your child should conduct in-depth research on the types of extracurricular activities at schools they’re applying to, and emphasize this on this applications. They should demonstrate to schools that as a leader in MUN already, your child is planning to take on an active role in extracurricular organizations on campus as well.
Want more tips on how students and parents can use Model UN during the college admissions process?
