Do these ECs have much weight?

Sue22
Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:01:14 +0000

I’d agree with Steve.

If your daughter’s admissions file is sitting next to the file of another community service kid who also happens to be the captain of the field hockey team the fact that your daughter has twice as many CS hours won’t mean much. She’ll look dull and hyperfocussed by comparison. Ideally, you want your applicant to be “alike but different”. That is, well rounded enough that the committee can see her becoming involved in campus activities but still with something that stands out.

Think about it; when you hear about a kid with multiple math awards but nothing else, don’t you secretly wonder if they’re a little socially inept? When a kid is on multiple varsity sports teams but seems to have nothing else to offer does it not raise red flags that this kid may simply be a blockhead without the ability to relate to their artsy, nerdy classmates? But if that math whiz is also in an improv. group or the jock is a painter…bingo! That’s a kid you can see able to build bridges on campus.