I’m interested in majoring in biology or a related subject in college, and I’m aiming for a top school.
I am aware of Science Olympiad, ISEF, and USABO, but there any other big, rigorous programs that show a lot of achievement?
Obviously Science Olympiad, ISEF, and USABO are veryrigorous, but I want to be aware of all of my opportunities.
There is no such thing as a “best EC”. Winning a prestigious prize looks very good, but “participated in ISEF” really is no better than any other EC.
To do well on an EC, you have to have interest and passion for the subject matter. If you choose based on “is this a good EC or a bad EC?”, you will likely not have the drive to do really well.
A “good EC” is one that you care about, are interested in, and think is interesting. Awards are good, but awards are not won by students who joined the organization/club because “it was a Good EC”, but have no real passion for it.
Basically, decide what you would like to do as an EC, and then look for opportunities to engage in these.
So, what ARE you looking for? What are the things that you love about biology? Those are the “Best ECs” for you.
Thank you for your insight.
There’s the BBO (basically a USABO but for the UK but US students can also participate and get distinctions). There are also a lot of selective Biology/science summer programs that you can look into that I’m sure would be a lot of fun and worthwhile.
Thank you so much for your reply!