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07-09-2006, 10:07 AM
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#91 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 36
| ALSO what do you think is better for college admissions, going to RSI or winning the olympic gold medal in swimming while you are in high school? | 
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07-09-2006, 10:11 AM
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#92 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Nov 2005
Posts: 2,727
| hahahahaha RSABach, what have you got against RSI?
And unfortunately, the answer is RSI. You might have heard that this year Harvard rejected speedskater Joey Cheek, a gold AND silver medalist at the Olympics. He plays guitar, donated 25K he won to a good cause, and I heard his SATs were in the 1400s...but Harvard rejected him. He's going to Princeton. | |
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07-09-2006, 10:42 AM
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#93 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: NJ and MA
Posts: 1,033
| I must say, Eagle Scout status is NOT comparable to an Olympic medal.... | |
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07-09-2006, 11:37 AM
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#94 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 36
| WindCloudUltra, I was not talking about comparing olympic medal with eagle scout, I was comparing it with RSI if you READ
Also, whats better for college, going ro RSI, or being on the United States math team (only 6 students in whole USA) which competes in the international mathematical olympiad...
I DARE you to say RSI, cuz you know only 6 of the brightest students in america can compete in the INTERNATIONAL mathematical olympiad.... | |
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07-09-2006, 09:33 PM
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#95 | | Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 332
| Believe it or not, there are RSI kids rejected from Harvard. | |
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07-10-2006, 12:52 AM
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#96 | | New Member
Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Fremont, CA
Posts: 22
| I'm sorry, but what does EC stand for? | |
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07-10-2006, 03:16 PM
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#97 | | New Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 10
| extracurricular. | |
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07-10-2006, 04:07 PM
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#98 | | Member
Join Date: Apr 2005
Posts: 938
| "And unfortunately, the answer is RSI. You might have heard that this year Harvard rejected speedskater Joey Cheek, a gold AND silver medalist at the Olympics. He plays guitar, donated 25K he won to a good cause, and I heard his SATs were in the 1400s...but Harvard rejected him. He's going to Princeton."
There were other factors in his rejection. He's much older than most freshman going into college; how will that affect his interaction w/ his peers? Will he be a good contribution to the campus life? Will he even care that much about academics or will he continue to pursue speedskating at the same level, which would detract from his studies? Those are individual questions, and at that level, when the poster asked for a high school student who won Olympic Gold, some of them will not matter. | |
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07-10-2006, 04:19 PM
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#99 | | Junior Member
Join Date: May 2005 Location: Virginia
Posts: 56
| I think unfortunately this has become a forum for the obsessed and misguided. People, seriously, there is no magic EC formula here. If you design you life to meet some mythical standard of your dream college's perfect person, you will be the poorer for it. Northstar Mom is being much too formulaic, and the truth is, there is no formula. Do what you like, do it well, show that you have energy, drive, and that you're a person who can get things done - whatever you're doing. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT HAVING A LAUNDRY LIST OF ECs!!! Invest your energy in quality, not quantity, and don't try to predict what will be in fashion at the Admissions Committee when you apply, because you never know. | |
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07-10-2006, 06:04 PM
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#100 | | Junior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 248
| Northstarmom's comments have been accurate for the most part. She really knows what she's talking about. But, to all those people who keep saying that you are from underrepresented areas and that the ec's section of the application is intimidating, I think she already mentioned that the Ivies and other top colleges will take into account the fact that you may have extensive work commitments or that you spend a lot of time taking care of family at home, etc...a couple of the best ec's though that haven't been metioned here are the Siemens Westinghouse and Intel Talent Search science competitions, which are very prestigious as well, but you don't have to win one of these to get into Princeton, U Pennsylvania, Columbia, etc. They want diversity in all forms, and they are (for the most part) not going to penalize you for not being as knowledgeable/sophisticated about admissions as Northstarmom is. In terms of where this information goes, it should be on the brag sheet (you don't need to submit a resume with your application to top colleges). Anyone who doesn't understand what the brag sheet is should contain should read Michelle Hernandez's book "A is for Admission", who was an admissions officer at Dartmouth (and an alumni of Dartmouth as well), who discusses in detail how to present yourself in the best light to admissions directors and how you will be evaluated. In general, there is an overemphasis on scores, grades, and URM status though on this board. In terms of scores, they just want you to be in their expected range, and then they'll evaluate the rest of your application. In terms of grades (in isolation), they really aren't important without taking into where you go to high school, the courses you took relative to the available honors, AP, IB program classes, the reputation of the school in terms of rigor, etc. CONTEXT is very important in admissions. Also, for URM status, they'll help you once you have the numbers they are looking for, but again, they will review you as an INDIVIDUAL and evaluate your background/opportunities/location etc. to see to what degree you will add to school with your own unique perspective and whether or not you are disadvantaged, etc.
I agree though that there is no "magic formula" in terms of EC's (to some extent; I think an incredible amount of important honors/work experience, etc. could make a real difference), but I think the real reason why admissions is somewhat unpredictable to many applicants is that the average applicant to top colleges maybe doesn't recognize that the admissions officers are evaluating PEOPLE, not numbers or lists. How you present yourself as a PERSON is very important. By the way, I was accepted (EA/ED) to my top choice college, an Ivy League school.
Last edited by davida1; 07-10-2006 at 06:10 PM.
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07-10-2006, 09:32 PM
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#101 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2006
Posts: 1,020
| wait, wait... I just finished reading A is for Admissions last night, and I didn't see any mention of brag sheets or what is supposed to be on them... did I completely miss something??
If it is in truth not in the A is for Admission book, could you please post the proper format, etc...
and how long should the brag sheet be, etc... | |
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07-10-2006, 10:24 PM
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#102 | | Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 1,747
| Katherine Cohen's two books cover the brag sheet extensively. I'd check them out on amazon.com or at your local library. | |
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07-12-2006, 12:34 AM
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#103 | | Junior Member
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 248
| I'm pretty sure there is some talk about what to put and what not to put on one's application in "A is for Admission", but regardless, Michele Hernandez also has a book called "Acing the College Application" that discusses in great detail the way to present yourself to selective colleges. It has lots of helpful information as well. I think Michele Hernandez's book "Acing the College Application" though is a little better/more accurate than Katherine Cohen's book, but both are insightful. | |
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07-12-2006, 01:06 AM
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#104 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Oregon
Posts: 63
| This is such an insightful topic- props to the original person and all posters!
Just wondering, what is SGA President? | |
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07-12-2006, 04:03 AM
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#105 | | Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 234
| Student Government Association President. | |
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