Are weird EC's better than prestigious ones for T20's and Top LAC's?

Applying to College
1

I’m a high scoring student from Montana and have “unique” extracurriculars, will this help me?

  1. I made a feature-length documentary on poop “The Future of Poop”: Phytoremediation at its finest

2.I am working with the city to redesign our transit system with slime mold in order to decrease economic inequality.

  1. I founded and direct my school's TV channel, founded our WQ team, and the first Girls Who Code in Montana.
  2. Gave tours of a national park and was a "Banna Slug" expert.
  3. Created an economic index for waffles. ( A wafflier version of the Big Mac Economic Index)
2

weird and unable to spell banana

3

I had to google “design transit system with slime mold”. Definitely piqued my interest. I think unique ECs will definitely make you stand out, but you need to make sure they come off as meaningful activities and not weirdness for its own sake.

4

@yucca10 the transit thing is awesome, right! Tokoyo used it to map out their metro system. I don’t do it to be weird all my EC’s have just kind of just happened without planning or intent
https://www.wired.com/2010/01/slime-mold-grows-network-just-like-tokyo-rail-system/

5

Your applications are in and decisions will be out soon. There is no value to wondering how admissions officers will view your ECs – nobody here was sitting in on those conversations and any comment would just be a guess. At this point I suggest you take a deep breath and try to relax.

6

I had a kid who apparently was able to sell a weird EC (making and selling origami earrings) to much better acceptances than either he or I would have expected. I know the waiting is hard, but I feel sure you will have some good choices soon!

7

You need to be unique, interesting and personal to the colleges. Yes, these will make you stand out and pique some interest but don’t be to cute with it either. If you can write and talk about it with passion and interest then you are on the right track. Try to meld it with your college interests and your golden.

8

I thought phytoremediation was plants, not poop. I get that human waste is being explored for positive uses.

On CC, you’ve pretty much presented as a strong maybe. What we don’t know is how you presented this. “Weird” or serious?

Obviously, weird is a harder sell. About 3 weeks til you hear.

9

^^^. This is spot on from @lookingforward.

Best of luck. You should definitely go live in Austin or transfer to UT. I think their saying is something like “Stay Weird” Austin.

10

@privatebanker @Knowsstuff @yucca10 @mathmom
I guess it worked got into all my LAC’s so far (Bowdoin and Wellesley)

11

@alexandra00… Nice!

Just be yourself and good things will happen.

12

Congrats!!!

13

Congratulations! That’s pretty interesting about the slime mold, my husband used to study slime mold before he switched to studying cancer.

14

Depending on where you are applying, ‘Montana’ will help you. (Or so speak admissions reps at info sessions.)

Your EC’s are wonderfully tactile and sensory.

Congrats on all your returns thus far.
Wishing you good news to come.

15

Congratulations!! It was a crapshoot for you, literally.