How to Impress Adcoms with your Extracurriculars - Page 50

afraidtoapply · 07-23-2009, 01:29 PM

I have a question: How do you win international or national award? Is there any Asian who got into HYP or Ivies without those kinds of award?

alexandrafitzmor · 07-23-2009, 02:52 PM

@disneygal: NO! It isn't too late- if you know what you like to do, and you have some idea of how to execute it, you still have time. Make the most out of one or two activities. So you may not be as strong as people that were doing this their freshman year, but adcoms ALL KNOW that about 99.9% of kids pursuing these ECs are doing it for the sake of college. Even though kids have an ulterior motive, adcoms also know that ECs help everyone grow, regardless of what reason people start doing them for. So go find something to do-quick!-and I'm sure you'll be fine.

alexandrafitzmor · 07-23-2009, 02:56 PM

@afraidtoapply: I've read ALL the admissions books, talked to coaches and adcoms a few times, and YES there are kids that are ranked in the top 5 in their sports, won Intel or Siemens, started their own company, etc. But wait a second now. Lets do the math.
If there are 100 prestigious titles one could have in a year, and all of them are filled, and all of these 100 kids apply to Harvard (also assuming that all of them are seniors), then Harvard will STILL have several hundred spaces to fill in their freshman class.
There are SO many other applicants. The reason spots go to these kids is that they haven proven themselves to be extremely intelligent, dedicated and motivated people through competition or research. They are literally the easiest way to define "the cream of the crop". BUT what about 2nd and 3rd place winners? What about the kids that had no knowledge of such competitions or had no access to them? There are far too many exceptions to the "rule".

So, if you aren't an Olympic swimmer or Intel winner or Academy Award nominee, fear not. Surely you are a motivated, intelligent, and talented person (or not, but you might fake that), and if you can successfully convey that to an admissions committee, then you are golden. Applying to a college without any incredible EC can be difficult, but students most definitely achieve it. Applications have almost elevated themselves to an art, but its really up to you at this point what it says.

disneygal · 07-23-2009, 04:59 PM

Thanks alexandra.
I am curious how many clubs normal high schools have? Mine just finished its 2nd year and it seems we have hardly any active clubs. Would adcoms accept that there wasn't much offered by the school, or would they wonder why you didn't find activities outside of school?

alexandrafitzmor · 07-23-2009, 05:11 PM

They would wonder why you didn't start your own club. If you don't think that the students at your school are motivated enough to participate in these clubs, either get them motivated, or start the club in your community. It is understandable to me that you wouldn't have already started a club- you've grown with your school, which is sort of an unusual situation. But your best bet at this point is to take the clubs that matter to you and either take them into your own hands or create them. This is actually a FANTASTIC opportunity for you. Most schools are very competitive- lets say all the kids want to be president of Key Club, but there is only one spot. You have the opportunity to create without that competition, but also the burden of having to do a lot of work yourself.
If you can, start a club where being registered or becoming nationally recognized is possible. That gives adcoms tangible points at which your achievement can be expressed. If you start a club where you are passionate but it can't win an award o r go to a competition, try raising a huge amount of money with it- especially if you're donating the majority to charity. There is still a lot you can do.

Biud · 07-24-2009, 07:04 PM

I love this post! I totally agree that listing tones of ec doesn't do you any good.

One thing that's missing from the post, that I think is important is leadership. I've heard multiple times admission committees are impressed by students who can demonstrate initiative and leadership.

Nowadays, getting involves in a little online venture like a website (simple eCommerce) can demonstrate both these things! That's the angle I've been taking to tailor my resume to top schools!

I hope this help!

afraidtoapply · 07-24-2009, 09:57 PM

I started tennis kind of late, this January and I'm 17 now. I'm on the lower side of the team right now and frequently get beaten off by people. I am a sophomore. So I think that I wouldn't stand much chance playing sport because I may not ever get recruited. Should I drop tennis and concentrate on clubs and school?
I am going to transfer next year to a top school of my town. I'm currently studying in the worst. I wonder whether I should stay, if I get strong test score and soar well in academy. My school's an inner school at a gangsta neighborhood with 80% Black and Mexican. The only Asians here are my race, which is South East Asian ( from Viet Nam). My mom and dad don't work so the income is extremely low and I'm planning to get a job next year when I turn 18. The top school I plan to transfer is extremely small, competitive public, sending a few people to Ivies & top colleges each year. I'm not sure about my transfering because I might lose a tip/ hook factor of being a star in a bad school.

What should I do, should I
1) continue playing tennis? ( not dropping it completely, just play it once in a while as opposed to playing it everyday and not improved. Partly since I'm very uncoordinated ( haven't played any sport frequently when I was younger) and having 6 degrees on myopia).

2) transfer? ( given that my grade, I think, will drop at the other school but high at my current school. Supposed I study hard and pass AP exams and SAT high)

I forgot to mention, I'm a first generation

alexandrafitzmor · 07-25-2009, 03:51 AM

I don't think it matters a whole lot whether or not you transfer- you need to remember not to compromise what you want for what you think adcoms want. If you really like tennis, don't drop it, but otherwise...it really shouldn't be a question. As for transferring, that can make quite a bit of difference as far as statistics go, but again- do you want to transfer? That should be your only question. If you feel unchallenged, the college will see that and know that you were willing to jeopardize your chances at their school in order to get a better education for your high school classes. If you don't think you need it though, don't transfer. Transferring can be a difficult and exhausting process, so don't do it unless you think you need it. Not to mention, you're over halfway done with school.

FYI- those are MAJOR hooks: not only are you low-income (Questbridge!), first-generation has a huge appeal to colleges. Do you know where you want to go?

afraidtoapply · 07-25-2009, 08:14 AM

I will apply to some of the Ivies and Stanford and Rice. But really I suck at tennis. I don''t know whether I should give it some more time because people say tennis is hard to master and it usually takes several years to accomplish.
I'm a little afraid about transfering. This year I called in a lot to the GT coordinator to ask about applying, and my school's coordinator said she did it for me. But it turned out my application never came. So I called again several time and they said yes and allowed me to apply. But when I applied they rejected me, saying that there was no room ( although the counselor, not the GT coordinator, said there was when I saw her a little while before sending application) and the deadline had passed ( but they had allowed me to apply again!). So I asked my aunt to call in and the GT coordinator said everything's done and I couldn't do anything about it.

I don't know if the GT coordinator at the school I'm applying to holds any grudge against me. Maybe I called in too much. I self calculated my score and I think I'm qualified for that school but they still didn't take a look at my file. This year I will apply again to see what happens.

In the case I am accepted, should I go? I'm afraid that when it comes to college the GT coordinator will have some influence on my recommendation? Or does she have anything to do with it at all? Or just the counselor can do it?

alexandrafitzmor · 07-25-2009, 03:32 PM

Well...IMO it doesn't sound like it really is so much of a viable option right now. I would stay at your school at this point because you DON'T know why they didn't accept you, and it could be because you didn't test in! If you didn't test in, you won't get in next year either. So unless your home school is REALLY hellish, I would just deal with it, because it will probably make you look better in regards to college applications as well.

afraidtoapply · 07-25-2009, 04:47 PM

Hi,
what do you mean by "test in"? Actually, the deadline is way back in January, but because I'm a recent immigrant, the GT coordinator of my school offered to do it for me. She didn't, as it turned out. I reapplied my file in June, at that point all the decisions have been made ( But they said it's OK to apply again, so I got my hope up and then got rejected).
My current school is so- so, ranking 100/131, contrary to that number 1 school. I'm positive about everything, except for the change of heart of the admission people.
My aunt called in, and she asked when can I apply again. They said they start to accept starting October, but they're not sure if they will have any room then. So I'm a little afraid.

alexandrafitzmor · 07-26-2009, 06:10 PM

My school district, LAUSD, tests students for Gifted and Talented, and that determines your eligibility for magnet programs. I'm going to assume that doesn't apply to you, then.

But it doesn't sound like something you want to risk at this point: it probably won't be worth waiting another year to get in. When you're waiting for something and expecting it and agonizing over the results of acceptance, people tend to hold back on what they have now. You probably won't be able to properly settle into the better school when/if you do get there. It's my personal opinion that you should stay where you are and do the very best you can with it. You really don't want to risk any bias against you or give yourself a hard time at this new school. You can really impress the adcoms with success at a subpar school.

afraidtoapply · 07-26-2009, 07:35 PM

Oh yeah, we do. I failed the test lol but in our district matrix, if you failed that exam but you get high score from some kind of national test then you get accepted. I got 64/62 and was rejected

lsjny09 · 07-29-2009, 09:40 AM

I do not know much about the application process and I'm wondering if you guys know if volunteer work must be documented in order to supply proof? When we send in the apps, do we have to send in like signed sheets or something from the volunteer organization? If we do, then I'm screwed cause I've been doing stuff for years just because I like to and I never bothered to have anything signed or documented.

lsjny09 · 07-29-2009, 09:44 AM

I'm not too familiar with the application process yet and I was wondering if you guys know whether or not we have to submit proof of volunteer work. When we send in our apps, do we have to include like signed sheets or something? I've been volunteering for years just because I like to and I never had anything signed or documented and someone told me that I should have done that. I wasn't thinking of college at the time, so I never did...does that mean I can't put all that stuff down on the apps??? Thanks.