A complete playbook with real post examples, copy-paste AI prompts, and a step-by-step guide to showcase your projects like a professional - not a student.
Every element has a job. Tick each item as you finish it - your progress is saved on this device.
Paste into Claude or ChatGPT. Fill the brackets. Edit the output in your own voice before posting.
💡 After getting output: swap any sentence that could apply to any student with something only true of you. Readers only see the first ~300 characters before 'see more' - put your strongest line first.
💡 The best STEM profiles reference a specific question or problem, not a general love of science.
Real mock LinkedIn posts showing the difference between what works and what gets scrolled past.
The difference between 'I did a project' and 'here is work that proves I can think.'
"For my extended essay I investigated the effect of temperature on enzyme activity. I followed the standard protocol, collected data, and wrote up my findings. I got an A."
"Investigated whether the Michaelis-Menten model holds at thermal extremes using salivary amylase. Found a 40% drop in reaction velocity above 50°C but an unexpected secondary peak at 58°C that the standard model does not predict. Still do not have a satisfying explanation. The anomaly became the most interesting part of the paper."
"I built an app for my school project using Python. It helps students track their study time. I learnt a lot and am proud of what I built."
"Built a Pomodoro-style study tracker in Python with a local SQLite database after noticing classmates could not accurately recall how much time they spent on each subject. 23 students used it over 3 weeks. Main finding: self-reported study time was on average 40% higher than logged time. Made me rethink how we measure academic effort."
"I volunteered at a local food bank for my CAS hours. It was a humbling experience and taught me the importance of giving back."
"Coordinated weekend food distribution at Dubai Food Bank for 6 months, eventually managing logistics for a team of 8 volunteers. Shifted the sorting system from first-in-first-out to expiry-date-prioritised, reducing waste by an estimated 30% per session. Wrote a one-page process doc that the team now uses when I am not there."
"I was President of the Debate Club. I organised meetings and we went to competitions. It improved my leadership and communication skills."
"Led school debate team from 6 to 19 active members over one year by restructuring training from weekly prepared debates to daily 10-minute impromptu rounds. Team reached regional finals for the first time in 4 years. Introduced a mentorship pairing between Year 12s and Year 9s that the club has kept running after I stepped down."
One post per week + daily commenting. That is the entire strategy for the first month.
→ Complete profile checklist (all 12 items)
→ Post your introduction (use the prompt)
→ Connect with 30 people you already know
→ Follow 10 professionals in your target field
→ Comment on 2 posts every day this week
→ Post: one surprising thing from class or reading
→ Use the formula: fact → why it surprised you → open question
→ Tag a teacher or classmate if relevant (with permission)
→ Comment on 2 posts every day - professionals only
→ Send 5 personalised connection requests
→ Post: one project using the 4-line formula
→ Add the project to your Featured section
→ If you have images or a PDF - attach them
→ Comment on 2 posts every day
→ Ask one teacher for a LinkedIn recommendation
→ Post: a genuine question for professionals in your field
→ Tag 2 professionals you admire (make the tag relevant)
→ Respond to every comment you receive within 24 hours
→ Review your profile - update anything that has changed
1 Specificity is everything. Every vague word ('passionate', 'driven', 'innovative') costs you credibility. Every specific word ('salivary amylase', '23 users', '40% reduction') earns it. Make every sentence about you unmistakably, verifiably you.
Every vague word ('passionate', 'driven', 'innovative') costs you credibility. Every specific word ('salivary amylase', '23 users', '40% reduction') earns it. Make every sentence about you unmistakably, verifiably you.
2 Never post AI output word-for-word. Use the prompts to generate a draft, then rewrite it in your voice. The test: could any student in your year group have written this sentence? If yes, rewrite it.
Use the prompts to generate a draft, then rewrite it in your voice. The test: could any student in your year group have written this sentence? If yes, rewrite it.
3 Commenting builds more reach than posting, especially early. The algorithm shows your comments to the original poster's entire network. 10 thoughtful comments per week outperforms 1 post for the first 6 months.
The algorithm shows your comments to the original poster's entire network. 10 thoughtful comments per week outperforms 1 post for the first 6 months.
4 The award is never the headline. What you learnt, what question it opened, what you would do differently - that is the story. The award is the last sentence, not the first.
What you learnt, what question it opened, what you would do differently - that is the story. The award is the last sentence, not the first.
5 Never connect without a note. A 2-sentence personalised message gets accepted 3× more often. Reference something specific - a post, a talk, a shared interest.
A 2-sentence personalised message gets accepted 3× more often. Reference something specific - a post, a talk, a shared interest.
6 Turn off the 'open to work' banner. It signals desperation at 16. Use the private setting instead (only recruiters see it). You want to look like someone building a career, not someone applying for any job.
It signals desperation at 16. Use the private setting instead (only recruiters see it). You want to look like someone building a career, not someone applying for any job.
7 Never lie or inflate. If you attended a workshop, call it a workshop. If you volunteered once, say 'volunteer'. Admissions offices and HR teams have seen every inflation technique. Accuracy signals confidence.
If you attended a workshop, call it a workshop. If you volunteered once, say 'volunteer'. Admissions offices and HR teams have seen every inflation technique. Accuracy signals confidence.
8 Your profile is not a CV. It is a live document. Update it every time something changes - new competition, new club, new project. People who check your profile should find something different every few weeks.
Update it every time something changes - new competition, new club, new project. People who check your profile should find something different every few weeks.
9 Safety first: location vague, phone never public, DMs from strangers → tell a parent. List your city, not your school's address. Never share your phone number publicly. If an adult you do not know asks to meet privately, tell a trusted adult immediately.
List your city, not your school's address. Never share your phone number publicly. If an adult you do not know asks to meet privately, tell a trusted adult immediately.
10 Turn on Creator Mode once you have posted at least 3 times. Settings → Visibility → Creator Mode. It switches your button from 'Connect' to 'Follow', unlocks post analytics, and signals to the algorithm that you are a content creator. Do not turn it on before you have content.
Settings → Visibility → Creator Mode. It switches your button from 'Connect' to 'Follow', unlocks post analytics, and signals to the algorithm that you are a content creator. Do not turn it on before you have content.
Onward Fellowship pairs high-aspiring students (Grades 5–12) with Harvard student mentors across Creative Writing, STEM, Leadership and Entrepreneurship.