Do colleges care about mock trial competitions? The answer, as is often the case, is complicated. Loyal readers of Ivy Coach’s college admissions blog are used to us waxing rhapsodic about the importance of a strong singular hook. Your singular hook — the specific cause, pursuit, or discipline you’ve devoted your time to to make your community a better place — is a crucial factor in whether listing mock trial among your activities on your application is doing you any favors. Let us explain:

Mock trial competitions are exactly what they sound like: high schoolers from different schools come together to simulate trials and practice the skills necessary for a career in law. Not everyone who does mock trial necessarily wants to be a lawyer — some do it for the community it fosters, the public speaking skills it develops, or to pass the time — but it’s a common misconception that all colleges value mock trial experience in all cases. The reality is that it really depends on your singular hook.

Is Mock Trial Helping or Hurting Your College Application?

If you’re applying to a highly selective school as a Biology major, and your singular hook is all about how your research has furthered a cure for ALS, then no, mock trial experience isn’t doing you any favors. The same goes for the computer programmer who wants to revolutionize cybersecurity. 

Why? Because listing mock trial experience in these cases will only make you seem well-rounded. Amid unprecedented competitiveness and record-low acceptance rates at highly selective schools, admissions officers don’t want to admit a student who hasn’t specialized. Even though the skills you developed during mock trial will be invaluable as you make the transition to college and adulthood, if it has nothing to do with your singular hook, you’re better off leaving it off your application entirely.

When to Include Mock Trial on Your College Application

Note that we’re not saying colleges never care about mock trial. If your singular hook has anything to do with public policy, law, political science, or the like, by all means, include it on your application. But make sure your activities list is full of plenty of other hook-related activities that drive home your passion, like an internship at a local municipal office, non-profit experience at a community development initiative, speechwriting for a civil servant, etc. Otherwise, mock trial alone won’t do much to convince an elite college that you’re worth admitting.

If you’re fortunate to have received a significant award or designation through your mock trial experience, like the Golden Gavel award, for example, by all means, include it on your application — if it relates to your singular hook. Otherwise, don’t kid yourself. Mock trial isn’t the highly competitive activity many families think it is. If you’ve found a welcoming community through mock trial that has taught you a lot about the legal profession, that should be reward enough for your dedication and commitment. 

But if you signed up for mock trial purely to get into a good college, you might be out of luck. Mock trial is a lot like Key Club in this sense — it’s something many get into because they think it will boost their college competitiveness, but it turns out to be a way of making friends and finding community. Not that making friends is a bad thing. That’s exactly what you should be doing in high school! But from a college admissions standpoint, you were better off using that time to advance your singular hook! 

Ivy Coach’s Assistance with Developing a Highly Competitive Singular Hook for Elite College Admission

Turn to Ivy Coach’s team of former elite college admissions officers to decide if mock trial is the right fit for your child. It’s our job to work with your child to help them craft a compelling singular hook and save them tons of time in the process by steering them away from the activities that won’t reflect well on their college application. 

To get started, fill out our complimentary consultation form and we’ll be in touch.