How to develop an academic interest in senior year

RReaders in Stanford's admissions office saw seniors build a convincing academic interest in a matter of days, even with applications due within weeks. Suppose it is December. You have decided you want to study economics, specifically how societies decide who pays which taxes, and your strongest activity is senior class treasurer, a fine role that says nothing about tax policy.

Many families would conclude it is too late to show that interest, and they let the application go out with the plan stated on one page and no evidence on any other. In the office we learned from, readers watched students turn this around over a weekend. The method is worth knowing in detail, because the order matters and the first day sets up everything after it.