There is a plethora of advice geared towards the college admissions process. As colleges place less weight on standardized test scores and begin to review applications holistically, extracurriculars should take precedence in addition to academics. They offer insight into who a student is as an individual.
“Spiking” refers to students who possess a specific field of expertise that they are more accomplished in, and they emphasize that area of interest through extracurriculars. The instruction to move away from the “well-rounded” approach showcases the current state of the college application process.
“The competition between students has significantly increased and it has become a lot more challenging to make yourself stand out. You could have the most well-rounded, diverse application, but sometimes that’s not what they’re looking for,” said Morgan Willis, junior.
In practice, spiking manifests in distinct ways. When developing a central and discernable theme, students need to search for activities they enjoy.
“I think the best way to develop a spike is to first find what your passion is… My spike is around areas of business and law, and you can really tell from the clubs that I have like FBLA, mock trial, and speech and debate. I’m really focused on more of the public speaking aspect of it,” said Elizabeth Young, sophomore.
There is a difference between a well rounded student and a well rounded class. The latter is achieved by selecting an assortment of “concentrated” students. The reason spiking may be perceived as more effective is due to the narrative it provides colleges with.
“It shows that you’re really invested in something. Like if you do a bunch of political science clubs, it doesn’t really look good if you want to go into engineering for example,” said Harsha Mahadevan, sophomore.
Spiking is not a necessity or requirement. There are multiple factors at play, including the year, how selective the university is, and demographics.
“I think that colleges would look at both, but it depends on the degree that you are a well-rounded student or a student that spikes… if you’re good at what you’re doing well-rounded, then it shows colleges that there are some options you can take,” Young said.
An argument that arises when discussing a student’s desire to be hyper focused in an area is if it hinders their ability to explore other options. When choosing elective classes and signing up at club rush, students have to decide where to prioritize their time; others hold back from trying and putting themselves out there.
“If you want to be more adventurous, then spiking may limit your ability to do it. But there are always ways to fit stuff that you want to do into your schedule, like taking an extra class or just finding time in your free time,” Young said.
While some students believe that they can start to experiment in college, it may be more beneficial to begin now.
“High school is one of the best times to start experimenting academically and socially because it leads into your college life. The habits and the skills you establish now are applicable later in college and life,” Willis said.
Another question to pose when considering spiking is if identities can be expected to be fully formed. At this stage in adolescence, students are the most impressionable.
“It’s so hard to figure out what you want to do and who you want to be. When you step back and look at it, we’re 14, 15, 16 years old and this is starting to determine our future,” Willis said.
For certain people, spiking is naturally occurring. They use extracurriculars to confirm and validate their path. However, for others that struggle with defining themselves, there is no reason to not put oneself out there.
“Spiking, in my opinion, isn’t for everyone… All of your explorations can even help with your college experience. Make it sound like you learned something and you took something away from it,” Mahadevan said.
It is important to examine the root cause of the issue and address why students are constantly presented with “magic formulas” for getting into college, especially when the advice rarely comes from college admissions counselors and officers.
“A big reason for that anxiety is that it’s unpredictable. The unpredictability of college is scary… There’s no absolute guarantee that you’re going to get into certain schools. There’s students that have a 4.0 GPA, extracurriculars, and make 100K a month that don’t get in, and sometimes you’ll never know why,” Willis said.
In recent years, social media has heightened the pressure of obtaining acceptance into certain prestigious universities and how it may impact one’s future.
“There’s a lot of influences that are able to capitalize off the market and the algorithm loves feeding you fear. So if you start having anxiety over this, it’ll just keep feeding you,” Mahadevan said.
To quell these anxieties, there is a crucial truth all students must remember. The pursuit of knowledge and a career through higher education should not be reduced to a status symbol. It is not the destination, but rather a pathway and tool to advance one’s aspirations.
“The college you go to doesn’t define your career in the future. As long as you’re a passionate person and you take action to pursue your goals, then you will become successful regardless of what college you go to,” Young said.
