Are these EC's good enough?

jamimom
Fri, 17 Dec 2004 12:37:14 +0000

I suggest you buy the book “What It Really Takes to Get into the Ivy League” by Chuck Hughes. What is interesting about the book is its section on ECs. There are actually lists on ECs and activities and awards that are heavily, sort of and barely considered by top schools. There are parents who shepherd their kids to the stuff that counts and blow off anything that doesn’t. And I don’t suggest doing that. But it is nice to work towards things that are considered important and to be aware of how things are considered. My S has entered several award “contests” blindly, and some are of high impact on his resume, some are really no count. This year when he was looking at several things, I was able to point out some stuff that “counts” rather than some other things that looked equally interesting to him. Which gave him a nice award that top school do consider. I would have never known had I not investigated the matter. So it pays to be aware. On the other hand, there are several avenues, we eshewed even though they would have been great on the resume, because S just was not interested in pursuing those things, and I was not about to schedule his life with College resume builders. There is a balancing act, but it is nice to know what you are balancing.