“The running joke in admissions is the mission trip to Costa Rica to save the rain forest,” Ángel Pérez, who is in charge of admissions at Trinity College in Hartford, told me.
My advice: go ahead and perform plenty of community service, but focus on local service over international, and if possible, avoid this topic like the plague in your essays. The topic is simply too clichéd, and too closely related to your parents’ ability to pay for world travel, which can negatively impact your chances due to the perception of privilege.
Just out of curiosity: perhaps avoiding international travel/aid in an essay for, say, a business program is beneficial. But what about international development studies, global politics, etcetera? The perception of privilege is no doubt still present. However, wouldn’t international experience – particularly in developing nations, policy formulation, etcetera – be an asset to universities?
These kids don’t get “international experience” on a level beneficial to colleges. There are programs that take a more intense academic approach or where kids interact with local families on a longer and deeper level, but that’s not what so many kids go for.
“People in other parts of the world who have no money are happier than we are!” she told me. “That is eye-opening to some students.” If it’s eye-opening, you’ve got a kid not so aware, in the first place. And many kids who take the trip won’t life a finger when it means dealing directly with the local needy. What’s that say?
I would beg to differ slightly on this issue. While yes many of these trips can be indicators of wealth or privileged, it definitely depends on context or situation. I know a girl who has gone to Haiti (ironically enough) every summer since her early teens as part of a non profit group working on education issues. She earned or fundraised the money herself and she is the last person I would call privileged. While in college she still goes back but with additional research goals and she is currently working on a project to develop teaching methodology with their native Haitian Creole. She heavily emphasized her experience in Haiti and is still committed to it to this day.
I don’t think international experiences are a bad thing and I think that some people are quick to turn their noses on here when it comes to anything that is not simply a “local experience,” but I think it does depend on how committed they are to the issue or how it may have affected them after they have returned from the trip. Also there are numerous students that heavily fundraise for these types of trips before they go, so it can’t just be assumed that their parents paid for everything out of pocket. Now I admit it does sometimes give a bit of pause when I see people fundraise for money to go on a short-term international trip, but to each to their own. In short, it depends on the kid and the context of their experience
That gal isn’t the typical traveler. International experiences aren’t bad. But so many kids just do the week or two and that’s that. It’s true many schools fundraise for the trips (allowing even lower SES kids to go.) But you have to look at the sum total. Is the kid wide eyed over this one exotic experience or does he have a record of service. Many kids just look at service as collecting “hours” and do it at arms length (eg, occasional hours at a walkathon.) Unfortunately, I saw plenty of FB pics of my kids’ friends on these trips-hanging by the pool, riding an elephant, shopping, nightlife. Rather different than rolling up your sleeves. And yup, they got a whopping 168 hours of credit (even when sleeping, it seems.) The point about local work is that even a handful of four hour shifts at a meal site can open a kid’s mind.
Think globally, act locally. There are just too many needy people/communities in this country for high school students to go abroad for community service opportunities. This issue is pretty black and white for me.
This isn’t a new phenomenon. Nor is this article shedding light on something colleges weren’t previously aware of. I’m sure its catchy title may grab some chatter time. Maybe Mr. Bruni will appear on some newstalk show. But really this theme has been around since I was applying to colleges in the 80s.
…yet the college admissions scene at the top colleges has never been as competitive as it is now. These kids are trying to give themselves an edge, but in the process, they ironically risk looking (whether it’s true or not) like they’ve had every privilege. Keep in mind that this is a game–college admissions–where “leveling the playing field” socially, ethnically and economically is at least an implicit goal, if not an explicit one (a.k.a. affirmative action).
Better not to show your hand to colleges…they know how expensive international travel is. It’s the same reason why those parents with expensive homes / ritzy home mailing addresses should consider getting a P.O. Box, instead of giving away your income bracket with your address. Yes, I’m talking to you, people who live on Country Club Lane or Whale Watch Way! ; )
The value in the article is he puts it together well enough.
OP, privilege isn’t really the issue. You don’t need to hide your zip code. Rather, it’s about how a kid thinks. And lots are naive, think a big trip, some purported passion, head of student govt, lofty professional dreams are all it takes, on top of stats. The smart ones activate differently. They can be found at any SES.
Choices show a lot. And what a kid says in an app/supp, too.