I’m a freshman, female asian american. I agree with the opinion that asians are put at a disadvantange when it comes to college admission, but I feel like I’m defying stereotypes a little bit. I’ve been elected to be officer in the National Art Honor Society, have a strength in writing more than math, and am planning on hosting a charity event over the summer independent of any endorsement by a higher organization. However, I’m also in Lincoln-Douglas debate, used to take piano lessons (3-beginning of 9 grade), plan on doing DECA, KEY Club, etc., which doesn’t stand out when regarding the ‘asian’ stereotype.
So, would it be worth it to join Girl Scouts, especially since I’m starting between freshman and sophomore year? Does it stand out at all, among what colleges think of as ‘asian’ activity, as well as in general, especially since I plan on accomplishing the Gold Award first, then trying for badges that I think would be fun/provide useful skills? Would it help to talk about it in college essays about why I joined or what I did in there? Could any former Girl Scouts provide any insight? I haven’t discussed it with my parents, but my sister and friends think it would be better if I got a job over the summer to earn money instead of doing this, which is problematic because I can’t drive and we live a good distance away from any stores/restaurants. Can anyone weigh these options against each other and give me an unbiased answer?
Any and all replies are appreciated.
As an active (er, maybe active isn’t the right word- currently enrolled as a) Girl Scout, I wouldn’t recommend it.
If you plan on joining a troop, many have been together since Daisies/Brownies (kindergarten and beyond) and might be If you just do it individually (“Juliette”) you probably won’t enjoy it much. You might, but most of the activities/badges are aimed for teamwork and you know, troops. Also- just joining Girl Scouts for the Gold Award is kind of ,umm, iffy in my opinion, but you are of course free to do as you please.
If you just want a volunteer work, you can always get the Presidential’s awards: http://www.presidentialserviceawards.gov/the-award.
I’m not Asian, so I can’t have a solid stance on your views, but I would agree a job/other activities would probably be the better option.
My daughter quit long ago but I think the Bronze Award (7th grade) and the Silver Awards are prerequisites to the Gold Award. There should be some info available if you google or telephone the local G.S. Headquarters. It would probably be possible to catch up and attain Gold Award in three years. It would show leadership but there are probably easier ways to show leadership. Since a lot of the Gold Award involves volunteerism, the President’s Volunteer Service Award comes to mind. I know a very few high school students in my community get it each year and they get their pictures in the local paper:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/President’s_Volunteer_Service_Award
Personally I think having a job is a wonderful EC. You could also consider volunteering at a summer day camp. They usually call the volunteers “Leaders In Training” or LIT’s. Even if you are non athletic you would gain a lot working with young children and gain some adult references.
If you are really just interested in Scouting, there are also Explorer Scouts and Venture Scouts. Venture and Explorers start at roughly the same age you are now so you wouldn’t be behind. The highest award in Venture Scouts is also called the Gold Award. They are run by Boy Scouts but they are coed. Check with your local Scout district headquarters.
Don’t do anything just because it will look good on your college application. Do things you are interested in. Good luck.
Alright, I was a girl scout from Daisy to a Junior (kindergarten to 7/8th grade). Activities you do as a troop will vary from troop to troop; to be honest, my troop wasn’t a very good one. We didn’t do much other than volunteer a bit and sell cookies.
Anyway, I wouldn’t recommend joining, especially considering how late you’re joining the process thing and the reason you’re joining.
As a fellow Asian-American, I definitely recommend trying a different activity that the ‘typical’ Asian applicant would have. (Not that I’m any better: Academic team, Science Olympiad, and in next years Chemistry and Math clubs :|)
I neglected to mention that I was planning on becoming a Julliette, and no, the Gold Award is self-contained. You need to complete two Journey’s and then the plan itself to get it.
I am not joining Girl Scouts solely for college apps, but I think it would help, plus it would be super fun. I was a Brownie until my family had to move and dropped out. Also, the troops in my area have gotten so small that three have combined into one, and I’ve been told that there are several Juliettes in the area already.
Also, could anyone suggest a way to get a job? I’m not terribly interested in working with kids, and with no access to a car, I would have to either
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walk downtown where most jobs are, including during thunderstorms and rain unless I want to risk losing my job, which is likely because there are a lot of high schoolers and college students (I live in a college town) vying for one, plus it would only be for the summer, because I will not be able to handle a job during the school year
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bug my parents for a ride each time I have a shift, which would be spotty with my dad having to leave to manage his workplace at random intervals as well as a long day shift and my mom who has odd work hours, not to mention I have an extracurricular going on right now, and am typically picked up 1/2-1 hour late each time we meet.
I have signed up for Fashion Marketing, so I could get a fashion marketing co-op for my junior year, but that would require getting a job at around 1 of 10 clothing stores downtown or at the mall in another town, which are incredibly inconvenient places. Another thing is that I don’t intend on going into any marketing or sales jobs
@IrisShadow First of all, about getting a job, at least you can get a job at your age right now. The area where I live, you have to be 16 (in some rare occasions 15, but these places are too far away for me) to get a summer job, so I have to wait until junior-senior summer.
Second, you say downtown is where /most/ jobs are. Where are the others located and what are they? Is there an option to eork as a student shelver or something at a local library? Also, how long is the walk downtown?
I’m 13; you can legally work at this age with extreme restrictions. Really the only thing you can do is work as a cashier.I don’t know of any jobs that are downtown unless you count things like babysitting and more inconsistent work. A walk downtown would be 15 minutes at least, if you walk fast and have little traffic. Typically it takes 20-30 minutes. The library doesn’t hire (I checked - a friend volunteers there but sin’t get paid) and it takes about the same time to walk there - 20-30 mins., and near the edge of town, I think.
I live in a residential area near a bunch of other residential neighborhoods nearby with very fewer kids than usual, so I really don’t think there are many job opportunities, but I can ask around for anything, I guess.
@Faultystart Thanks for the info. From what I’ve read online, it seems like as a Juliette, I can do a lot more things on my own, independent of troops, and I don’t mind not having to do any group things. I fully intend to have as much fun doing it as I would in my own leisure time. Also, I can easily complete all the requirements for the Gold Award over the summer. Plus, I can do a bunch of things by myself if I want to do it, so it wouldn’t really affect me.
Then again, I’m probably not going to join now.
But, to throw it out there, would you consider doing Girl Scouts different from typical ‘Asian’ activities?
Oh. also, I was just informed that “It’s said that colleges look at students in scouts (who’ve earned their Gold Award) first before anyone else. You have a better chance of getting into the college you want if you’re in Girl Scouts.”
Anyone care to contest that?
I would think that is a bit of an over exaggeration. The Gold Award is just a volunteer award you get through GS. I am in no means an expert, but I wouldn’t think the Gold Award had any giant “prestige” over any other volunteering.
The Gold Award can provide small scholarships, however.
Also, have you looked at the new girl scout badges? I know I loved GS as a junior, but when they changed the “curriculum” as a Cadette, it lost a lot of fun.
@wonderfulreads: …“Also, have you looked at the new girl scout badges? I know I loved GS as a junior, but when they changed the “curriculum” as a Cadette, it lost a lot of fun.”
I know! I used to attend the meetings with my daughter. It was just like doing another two hours of school after a long day of school. Her last troop did no trips, no camping, no volunteering other than corralling Brownies at a Brownie activity. It was horrible. IMO G.S. are killing themselves off.
My older son is an Eagle and younger son is just below Eagle. They camp once a month and have done incredible things. That’s why I mentioned Venture Scouting because they do some interesting things and it’s coed.
@Iris Shadow I don’t know how you’ll do the volunteering if your parents won’t drive you places. If you are going into Fashion Merchandising I wouldn’t stress too badly about volunteer hours and Gold Awards.
@OspreyCV22 Yes, I think it would be a huge problem with my parents and work and all, so I need to try and see if I can get a job relating to Fashion Marketing and try to make it work.
@wonderfulreads Yes, I’ve looked at a few badges and they sound fun, however I’ve noticed the trend is that membership is going down. All of it sounds like something I would enjoy, unfortunately my parents aren’t willing to pay and provide transportation, so I will not be able to do Girl Scouts.
We have had a great experience with Girl Scouts.
National dues are $15 to join Girl Scouts. Many Councils have financial aid if you truly can’t afford even that. Besides cookies sales, there are other ways to fund travel, camp and other activities. There could even be troops in your own neighborhood or based out of your high school–call your local council if you’re intrigued. But don’t let the money piece stop you.
Also, in Girl Scouts, you can participate in summer camps without being in a troop. Depending on your council, there are both daycamps and resident camps.
I know that my family can afford it, but my parents aren’t willing to ferry me around constantly. Additionally, my parents and I both want me to find a job, which I would have to juggle with Girl Scouts if I were to do both.
Would it be a wise decision to try and do all that over the summer? I don’t want to be part of a troop, and many already sell cookies in my area, so I don’t want to do that either. I already talked to a friend, then told her I wouldn’t do it…
I would love to do it, but that means it’s at the expense of leisure time and working on things like essay writing and working on improving in Lincoln-Douglas debate.
Could anyone tell me if it looks like I’m spreading myself too thin?
Dual Enrolled Drafting (course taken now)
Lincoln-Douglas debate
DECA (most likely)
KEY Club (most likely)
Officer of National Art Honor Society
Volunteering (if I have the time)
ACE Quizbowl (maybe)
Independently hosted charity event (likely over summer)
Planning on trying for National Honer Society as a Junior/Senior
And of course, Girl Scouts and a job, hopefully relating to fashion marketing.