What are good ECs for Asian kids?

[xiggi]

<p>

Also, I still want to know the specific aspect of my statement that you disagreed with. </p>

<p>Thank you.

</p>

<p>Did I address any part of your statement? I answered one your questions:</p>

<p>“Speaking of which, what light at the end of the long tunnel are you referring to?”</p>

[IndianParent]

<p>

I don’t understand your question, Indian Parent. What, you don’t like it that the top schools don’t care about any EC unless the kid excels in it?
If your kid likes to play squash, I think that’s great, and the more he practices, the better he’ll get. But unless he excels at it, it’s not going to get him recruited to any college, much less a highly selective one. What’s so hard to understand about that?

</p>

<p>Hunt, I actually agreed with you. It was not a sarcastic post at all. I agree with you that if one is to pursue an EC, they better be at least one of the top in their state. National would be better. That has nothing to do with college admissions. Do a few things, but do them well. That’s what has served me very well in life so far.</p>

[IndianParent]

<p>

If someone wants to go to Juilliard or some other conservatory, then fine, practice, practice, practice. But if said student also wants to take up roller hockey, do they have to commit 3+ hrs/day to that as well?</p>

<p>And there are lots of ways to do fundraising and community service that si not a fultime job. I know of students whod organized just such an event as I described above. They learned to delegate, get subcomittees, you name it. They rasied a lot of money, got architects to design the playgorund, got supplies donated and organized the students to assist in building the playground. It was so impressive that the school gave the entire grade the day off to build the playground. Oh, and one of the students was also on one of the varsity sports teams.

</p>

<p>It is my privilege as a parent that I can impose the 3 hour rule on my kid. :-)</p>

[IndianParent]

<p>

Well, my friend, I do not think I need to worry about you reading my college application soon.

</p>

<p>It was still a run on sentence. Semicolons, perhaps?</p>

[ECazndb8r]

<p>xiggi, you’re right, you did answer one of my questions. The other one was which part of my earlier statement was false. That one is a few pages back. I was interested in whether you believe I misinterpreted IP or that you disagreed with my claim that kids should be pushed to do what they love.</p>

[Pizzagirl]

<p>“Forget college admissions Hunt, why pursue any EC if you are not at least all state? What I tell my kid is simple - it’s not like I am asking my kid to be world top 10 in squash”</p>

<p>Do you simply not understand that not every EC lends itself to “competition” or practice? My kids’ ECs – which were enough to get them into top 20 schools – were activities where “practice” or “winning” or “all-state” simply were irrelevant. One did an activity related to a museum in our city, the other did various things with local government.</p>

[jym626]

<p>If you choose to put the 3 hr rule on your kid, IP, then you may be preventing them from exploring things that might also become a passion for them. If I plan to exercise at the gym, I dont start by committing to a 3 hr/day workout. I start by putting my gym bag in the car.</p>

<p>No this isnt a perfect analogy, as I do not intend to become the next senior citizen body building champ. My point is that you can taste things and go slow, and then decide which eggs to put in which basket. If some kids are required to commit to 3+ hrs/day of any activity right out of the gate, they might just end up becoming olympic video game players or something.</p>

<p>** Agree with pizzagirl. Good post!</p>

[xiggi]

<p>

It was still a run on sentence. Semicolons, perhaps?

</p>

<p>Have you not learned that it is incredibly silly (not to mention obnoxious) to make comments about another poster’s grammar?</p>

<p><a href=“http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-llexKFzKFCo/TZYuSqBpqfI/AAAAAAAAJDo/7TdFM78qcr8/s1600/KettleCallingPotBlack%255B1%255D.jpg[/url]”>http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-llexKFzKFCo/TZYuSqBpqfI/AAAAAAAAJDo/7TdFM78qcr8/s1600/KettleCallingPotBlack%255B1%255D.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

[IndianParent]

<p>3togo, Before I answer, we have 50 states, so likely thousands of state level violinists. Why is that even a mentionable EC?</p>

[jym626]

<p>The difference is, we understand your posts, xig!</p>

[IndianParent]

<p>

Have you not learned that it is incredibly silly (not to mention obnoxious) to make comments about another poster’s grammar?

</p>

<p>What do you think is more obnoxious - comments about grammar, or ad hominem?</p>

[IndianParent]

<p>

Do you simply not understand that not every EC lends itself to “competition” or practice? My kids’ ECs – which were enough to get them into top 20 schools – were activities where “practice” or “winning” or “all-state” simply were irrelevant. One did an activity related to a museum in our city, the other did various things with local government.

</p>

<p>More power to them. If my kid wants to get involved in such a thing, I would however require that some meaningful amount of time is dedicated to it. It is like a second job, if you will.</p>

[Bay]

<p>

why pursue any EC if you are not at least all state?

</p>

<p>Um, because it is fun, good exercise, an emotional outlet, a social faciltator, gets you out of the house and away from your parents, and enhances your appreciation of those who are all-state?</p>

[IndianParent]

<p>

My point is that you can taste things and go slow, and then decide which eggs to put in which basket. If some kids are required to commit to 3+ hrs/day of any activity right out of the gate, they might just end up becoming olympic video game players or something.

</p>

<p>Sure. Taste it for a few weeks then make a call if you are ready to commit or not. If not, don’t pursue it. Trust me, if the kid truly has the passion, (s)he will pursue it. Otherwise, like any kid, (s)he is being a butterfly.</p>

[QuantMech]

<p>jym626, how does a group of high school students go about getting architects to design a playground? In fact, how does a group of high school students think up the idea of having architects design a playground, to begin with? Not that I’m doubting you, just saying that this must be more likely to occur well above my socio-economic level . . . to say nothing of a group of high school students spontaneously setting up sub-committees. I can barely get my colleagues to set up sub-committees.</p>

[IndianParent]

<p>

Um, because it is fun, good exercise, an emotional outlet, a social faciltator, gets you out of the house and away from your parents, and enhances your appreciation of those who are all-state?

</p>

<p>Oh, I get that. It’s relaxation, like watching TV or hanging out with friends, and not an EC. I am all for that.</p>

[IndianParent]

<p>

jym626, how does a group of high school students go about getting architects to design a playground? In fact, how does a group of high school students think up the idea of having architects design a playground, to begin with? Not that I’m doubting you, just saying that this must be more likely to occur well above my socio-economic level . . . to say nothing of a group of high school students spontaneously setting up sub-committees. I can barely get my colleagues to set up sub-committees.

</p>

<p>Everything is possible with parental help and guidance. <em>cough</em></p>

[mathmom]

<p>Posts about grammar are ad hominem. In any event I don’t think xiggi’s second post needed a semicolon. Now the one with the extended metaphor…</p>

<p>IP it really truly isn’t about being the best at something. It’s really about selling yourself to the admissions committee as someone interesting. You can be interesting because you are a great chess player and have won competitions, but you can also be interesting because you volunteered in a local hospital and came up with a simple innovation that made everyone’s life easier (that the was the goatkeeper by the way), or you could be interesting because in process of doing a simple little volunteer job you had some interesting insights about the nature of history.</p>

[xiggi]

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What do you think is more obnoxious - comments about grammar, or ad hominem?

</p>

<p>Why do you ask me? Aren’t you the one making both?</p>

[IndianParent]

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Wait wait…how about a violinist who switches to oboe…or bassoon…and wins national competitions on the oboe or bassoon. I would think THAT would trump those violins…assuming the school NEEDs these instruments for their orchestra.

</p>

<p>Are kids with musical talent required to play in the college orchestra?</p>