<p>I don’t mean to completely throw off the subject of the discussion, but where do you think Scholastic Bowl/Quiz Bowl ranks on “the list” of ECs? Or, to be more precise, how much of a positive difference will excelling in Scholastic Bowl make for me in applying to HYSPM? First, let me lay out the situation (sorry if it reads like a brag sheet):</p>
<p>My freshman year of high school, I was a starter on the varsity Scholastic Bowl team for Auburn High School in Rockford, Illinois. We finished a disappointing third at state (we were the heavy favorites), but we got first place in the spring Knowledge Master Open (<a href=“http://www.greatauk.com/)%5B/url%5D”>http://www.greatauk.com/)</a>, a national (technically international) competition. Not only was I a starter, I was the third-leading contributor behind two all-staters, both seniors.</p>
<p>This fall, I will begin my sophomore year. I will likely be the captain of the team, and I have a chance at making the all-state team. If I continue to work and improve at my current pace, I feel I will almost certainly be all-state my junior and senior years.</p>
<p>A couple of important things to note: Auburn has been a Scholastic Bowl powerhouse in Illinois the past five years (five trips to the state finals, five top four finishes) and at least Harvard and Princeton (probably more) of the HYSPM schools have successful and relatively important teams for College Bowl.</p>
<p>If you pursue this for the rest of HS and continue with the success you’ve had so far, and ESPECIALLY if you write an essay about a Bowl experience and demonstrate PASSION for this and want to continue in college… I think you’re on to something that will make you stand out.</p>
<p>Do you really think so? Wow, I didn’t imagine that an academic competition would really set me apart. As far as the essay, I was tentatively planning to write my main one on a community service project helping brilliant, needy kids in India go to college. Do you think I can somehow get Scholastic Bowl in a supplementary essay?</p>
<p>Good timing. Article in today’s NY Times (Metro section, might not be available outside the NY metro area) about Nate Mattison, one of the best HS quiz bowl contestants ever. Apparently he knows everything about anything, except Britney Spears and the NY Yankees. He is going to Yale… but so did both his parents. The kid is brilliant and a double legacy so it’s difficult to isolate the value of his quiz bowl success as a “hook.”</p>
<p>Just an FYI-
On another thread here (I THINK it was the No Acceptances One Year Later thread) I read about a top hs student who was a double leg at one of the Ivies AND both parents were super-involved alumni, yet the kid did not get in.</p>
<p>That may be because of a mediocre essay - that happens to many kids who beleive they are shoe ins and don’t put forth good effort into their essays.</p>
<p>Not trying to be combative, however, don’t you think that’s a bit of an assumption?</p>
<p>My point was, and still is, that parents as legacies probably was not the over-riding factor in the quiz bowl kid’s admission. More over, it was probably his application.</p>
<p>SIVster 716 – you have some time in front of you (since you are starting sophomore year). if you have the inclination, try expanding your role in the quiz bowl more. possibly helping to coach a middle school team (maybe just a school wide one or something – I don’t know what is out there, but be creative). write a handbook for your high school team or state, see what you can do to get involved at a state or national level (possibly organizing, etc), maybe try to get your school to help an underpriviledged school in your area get a team started, etc. </p>
<p>that would add depth to the EC and make it even more outstanding – it also makes it less about you and more about how you can contribute.</p>
<p>My daughter is a Sophomore in High School, so I’m entering into this territory for the first time! The only advice I have given her so far is, do your absolute best because you don’t want to limit your college choices due to lack of effort!
Looking forward to this crazy ride…</p>
<p>It’s the cynical me saying this, but I don’t think the particular EC matters nearly as much as who is doing it. I have come to suspect that schools use things such as EC’s and essays to rationalize the decisions they were going to make in the first place.</p>
<p>I think it’s important for parents to teach kids the difference between ECs that only improve themselves personally, and ECs that HELP OTHERS. I know that a lot of the Catholic colleges prefer to see students participating in causes that contribute to those less fortunate, as opposed to only those that improve the individual. You have to show compassion for others and not total self-centeredness. (if that’s a word.) This is not directed toward anyone on the thread specifically, but just a friendly reminder about what schools look for based on my experience with admissions.</p>
<p>That’s true, sunshadow. As many of the Catholic colleges attract kids from Catholic h.s., and most of them put plenty of effort into community service & charity work, a kid without it will fall short. My d’s Catholic h.s. is a whirlwind of charitable activity. I think half the clubs are community service oriented, with fundraising efforts ongoing year-round. The variety of charities served is quite wide & international in scope. Some of the clubs are so popular that membership is determined on a lottery basis or reserved for upperclassmen.</p>
<p>"I think it’s important for parents to teach kids the difference between ECs that only improve themselves personally, and ECs that HELP OTHERS. "</p>
<p>I think that the way that parents teach this is by doing things themselves that help others, and by taking the kids along when the parents do this. This has nothing to do with making sure that kids have ECs that will get them into college. It has everything to do with helping kids grow into adults who value giving back to the world instead of just getting what they can.</p>
<p>Some of the things that I have most enjoyed as a parent is doing volunteer work side by side with my kids.</p>
<p>I agree. My kid has done the ECs and taken the classes he’s wanted. I was only a pain about AP Bio because it was the only AP science course at his HS and had an amazing teacher. He said an unequivocal “NO” and didn’t take it; his life, after all. He’ll do fine without it.</p>
<p>BethieVT, I think you mean my PM box is full (which is often the case). I just returned to Vermont this evening and have been away for ten days, a lot of which was visiting my D who is studying abroad. We have not had any internet access for the entire time we have been gone. If you are willing, email me instead of PM as I can’t keep up with the PM box which fills up constantly. I owe umpteen emails, etc. given being gone. Youngest D (not the one studying abroad) is home with us for 48 hours now. Drop me a line if you’d like and I will eventually get back to you. </p>
<p>How’s Biomedical engineering as a major to choose & whether the demand for it would sustain after 5 years ?..pl help with your views / experince from good colleges offering the course.</p>