Not Taking "Extracurricular" Activities

mikemac
Thu, 19 Jun 2014 23:40:59 +0000

You seem to have a passive attitude towards ECs, so in that sense the EC screen at top colleges like Middlebury will do exactly what they want by screening you out. You appear to have adopted the attitude that ECs are something provided by your school or some other group, and if nothing piques your interest then too bad for them.

Top colleges look for students with inner drive. ECs are a way to show it as you discover your own interests and figure a way to pursue them. The ones that really stand out aren’t just signing up for some group on campus, but showing a level of accomplishment or leadership in the area(s) you choose. Perfect? No. Kids with savvy parents or counselors are steered into some ECs with an eye towards the colleges. Your teacher gave you some advice along these lines, but I guess you don’t really feel like taking it.

2 very interesting articles about ECs that stand out and how to get them (same author, different examples) are at [How to Be Impressive](The Art of Activity Innovation: How to Be Impressive Without an Impressive Amount of Work - Cal Newport) and [Save This Grind?](Case Study: How Could We Save This Ridiculously Overloaded Grind? - Cal Newport) I don’t buy into his underlying explanation of why they are impressive, but take a look at these 2 articles and I think you’ll get some ideas should you decide its in your best interests to do something.