NerdyUSCgurl

hahha that's unique of course that's a good EC

dadofsam

Some thoughts on how not to impress adcoms

First of all, let's make it clear who we are talking about. In large state universities your admission will be entirely or almost entirely based on your meeting a set of measurable criteria - GPA, SAT or ACT, and some points that will be given for ECs. The essays are way down the list in importance, and frankly the admissions office won't have time to read most of them. They may make a difference if you are a borderline candidate for admission and they have the space, or in some cases, for scholarships.

Where the extra information can make a difference is with the more selective schools and/or smaller colleges. But if you want that information to make a positive difference, you need to send it - if you send it at all - in a way that it will prodiuce the impression you want, and not the reverse.

To do that, you must switch your thinking - from thinking about how to present yourself in your best light - to how someone who is an adult will
react to receiving your material. That's not easy, but your parents can help.

Adcoms will not be impressed simply by receiving a thick package with resumes, samples of your work and the like. Making your application file thicker will create more of a nuisance for those who have to handle it than any good it will do you.

As has already been pointed out by the OP, adcoms have already (this year, previous years) seen a huge amount of material from and about high school-age students. A HUGE amount. Wht you send needs to be very very special; otherwise, leave it at home.

My rule of thumb: If you are thinking of submitting samples of your work - tapes, CDs, written pieces, videos, whatever - try to put yourself in the place of an adcom who has been reading through applications for a couple of weeks - working hard at doing a good and honest job of trying to seriously evaluate a couple of hundred or more students, and to be fair to all of them. Then he or she picks up your application file. Maybe it's a late night. If you were him or her, would you appreciate the chance to see that tape, that poem, that whatever, at that time, or would you not? It's not only a question of submitting information that you feel shows you at your best, but also of thinking how it will be received. If your tape shows you at your best but is not truly special, not really unique - don't send it. All it can do is to create a negative feeling thar the adcom has to look at one more thing that he/she really doesn't want to look at, which you don't need.

And if you do have a really unusual item, and you think that it could help you get into an arts program, first get in touch with the dance/music/literature department and make a connection. Perhaps they'll want you to send the tape directy to them, and not with the application package.

shib

is bridge considered an unusual ec?

jesuscares

How do adcoms really check on your extracurricular activities

gah265

so it is better to be deeply involved in one or a few ecs rather than just be part of many? is it still cool to be really involved in a few, yet still just be part of others? how much do ecs really come in to play in the end anyways? what if you go to nationals in your ec such as debate which happens to be mine?

kevster1001

going national and international looks very impressive for an adcom. for private schools such as the ivys and schools like stanford, they really wnat you for committment and passion. if you end up developing a long list of things you were part of but you just dont care and do it just to fill up space, then adcoms know.

twistedlogic

Is there a really big difference between winning a couple of state championships vs. one national/international championship?
also, can national titles make up for a decent/below avg applicant gpa at top tier schools, specifically stanford, penn/wharton, duke, northwestern, columbia, georgetown? thanks.

saibondy

why can't adcoms come and visit my school and see that with all the required events that have NOTHING TO DO WITH ACADEMICS it's a miracle we haven't all rioted and burned down the buildings with disregard to the fact that they are on the ntl register of historic sites?

and yes, I just posted earlier in another thread about all the things I love at my school but it's a win/lose situation.

You're fortunate that you can go for national titles, any of you. 99.9% of the things at our school are self contained. Ah, the bubble. The bubble. The 300 acre boarding school bubble.

BestMiler1

lol burn that crap down...illl come and help you

kevster1001

since you're from NC, do you go to Salem Academy or Asheville School?

Jo.InC.

yeah, i was wondering the same thing. it's like your school is a monastery or something...

Kishion

Can someone post the link that DoveofPeace was talking about here, the post that Eternity_Hope2005 wrote.

How to Impress Adcoms with your Extracurriculars
Want to know how to impress adcoms with your extracurriculars? Follow Eternity_Hope2005's excellent advice that was originally placed elsewhere on our boards, but deserves to be featured on one of our most popular boards.


Thanks a lot,
Kishion


P.S. What are some good Extracurriculars to do in my Junior Year of HS, I was thinking of starting a clu, but I have no idea on what kind of club to create

kevster1001

i personally don't think there IS ONE UNIQUE club or EC in this world. from what i learned from outstanding CCers, pursue your passion and what you like to do most. It can be unusual, such as teaching yoga... or maybe you love Curling, but anything that makes you special... your passion. it sounds great that you want to start a club, but before even starting one, you need experience related to the topic of the club.

saibondy

yeah! Asheville School "Proving that your best just isn't good enough since 1900"

BestMiler1

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