How important are ECs?

[Anonymous]

My kid had very very few activities (and I mean that genuinely). He got into to a top SLAC ED this year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They shouldn't mean crap! It's way too easy to fake involvement in an EC. When I was in high school, my buddies and I joined the physics club every year. We'd show up for the first meeting where they took the yearbook picture. After that, we never did a damn thing! I suggest your kid do something similar if he doesn't have legitimate ECs. He could even list himself as the damn president of the club since we all know how erect admissions reps get over "leadership qualities " It's not like anyone is calling your kid's high school and verifying this crap!

Fake non-profits are another way to go if mom & dad , or college consultant, set the direction. Family member set up something that comes up immediately in a google search of their name. It's 100% bogus and totally a dead entity since college acceptance. But dang, it sure does sound like they a quite an impressive candidate.

OP, I'm pretty sure these two are trolling you b/c I find it hard to believe anyone is this willing to share how little integrity they have, even on an anonymous board. But in case you're considering heeding this 'advice'....just say no.

[Anonymous]

At the most selective colleges DS will be in competition with kids who have an activity or two that they've achieved excellence in, and with the academics being so equal for so many of their applicants, the ECs can play a large role.

These 25-50 colleges are the only ones where it may affect the decisions, though. Almost all big universities couldn't care less unless he's a D1 athlete, and his numbers are high enough that he'll get into the rest based on that.

No need for regret. He is who he is, and if he's a really good person in addition to being such a strong student, he's going to be fine wherever he lands.

[Anonymous]

If not any ECs, what does your child do on weekends and evenings? Some schools do a deeper dive on how a student handles their out-of-school time. Big state schools don’t really care if your #1 hobby is video games.

[Anonymous]

OP, school is 8 hours a day for 7 months of the year. Assuming a kid sleeps 6-8 hours a night and eats three meals a day for an hour and a half, the question is asking, what does the applicant do with the time for those other 8 hours a day and three months of the year and weekend.

Playing sports is one thing, but the schools have too many applicants to simply admit people who are not contributing back to the school community in some way via clubs or other involvement. *just* being a good student isn't enough for many of the "competitive" schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At the most selective colleges DS will be in competition with kids who have an activity or two that they've achieved excellence in, and with the academics being so equal for so many of their applicants, the ECs can play a large role.

These 25-50 colleges are the only ones where it may affect the decisions, though. Almost all big universities couldn't care less unless he's a D1 athlete, and his numbers are high enough that he'll get into the rest based on that.

No need for regret. He is who he is, and if he's a really good person in addition to being such a strong student, he's going to be fine wherever he lands.

This actually isn't true. If the OPs kid wants to go to a desirable flagship (ie admission rate before 20% for out of state applicants, then these matter. The schools are running programs and want the kids applying to help keep clubs running or otherwise participate in the life of the school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the most selective colleges DS will be in competition with kids who have an activity or two that they've achieved excellence in, and with the academics being so equal for so many of their applicants, the ECs can play a large role.

These 25-50 colleges are the only ones where it may affect the decisions, though. Almost all big universities couldn't care less unless he's a D1 athlete, and his numbers are high enough that he'll get into the rest based on that.

No need for regret. He is who he is, and if he's a really good person in addition to being such a strong student, he's going to be fine wherever he lands.

This actually isn't true. If the OPs kid wants to go to a desirable flagship (ie admission rate before 20% for out of state applicants, then these matter. The schools are running programs and want the kids applying to help keep clubs running or otherwise participate in the life of the school.

My kid was accepted last year to 6 competitive flagship schools including UMD in state and University of Florida. In terms of ECs, all she had to show was an internship that was canceled at a local hospital (COVID) and volunteering weekly for an hour each week throughout HS. She also played one instrument.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid had very very few activities (and I mean that genuinely). He got into to a top SLAC ED this year.

Can you expound on that a little more? Which SLAC? What were his scores? What do you think made him stand out against all the other top students who applied with top scores and had ECs? What do you mean by very few ECs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They shouldn't mean crap! It's way too easy to fake involvement in an EC. When I was in high school, my buddies and I joined the physics club every year. We'd show up for the first meeting where they took the yearbook picture. After that, we never did a damn thing! I suggest your kid do something similar if he doesn't have legitimate ECs. He could even list himself as the damn president of the club since we all know how erect admissions reps get over "leadership qualities " It's not like anyone is calling your kid's high school and verifying this crap!

How old are you?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
Similar problem here. My introverted son is academically-minded but suffers from inattentive ADHD and very low processing speed (he has an IEP at school), so he spends all his time getting good grades in AP classes, and doesn't want to do anything outside of school.

We are foreigners and anywhere else in the world, colleges would only look at academics. But here, it works against him. I've never understood why US colleges have such murky and patently subjective ways to cherry-pick students, when all other universities want academically-strong students and understand that other activities are much harder to rank.

Because university is more than just classes and grades. They have programs in the arts, music, sciences, school clubs, theater programs etc. and they want applicants who are passionate about those areas IN ADDITION to being outstanding students. If all of the students are just study grinds with nothing else in their lives, they aren't leading a fulfilling path.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the most selective colleges DS will be in competition with kids who have an activity or two that they've achieved excellence in, and with the academics being so equal for so many of their applicants, the ECs can play a large role.

These 25-50 colleges are the only ones where it may affect the decisions, though. Almost all big universities couldn't care less unless he's a D1 athlete, and his numbers are high enough that he'll get into the rest based on that.

No need for regret. He is who he is, and if he's a really good person in addition to being such a strong student, he's going to be fine wherever he lands.

This actually isn't true. If the OPs kid wants to go to a desirable flagship (ie admission rate before 20% for out of state applicants, then these matter. The schools are running programs and want the kids applying to help keep clubs running or otherwise participate in the life of the school.

My kid was accepted last year to 6 competitive flagship schools including UMD in state and University of Florida. In terms of ECs, all she had to show was an internship that was canceled at a local hospital (COVID) and volunteering weekly for an hour each week throughout HS. She also played one instrument.

*All* she had was an instrument and almost an internship DURING COVID. You answered your own question. That was not playing video games for 8 hours a day with nothing to show on an application.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the most selective colleges DS will be in competition with kids who have an activity or two that they've achieved excellence in, and with the academics being so equal for so many of their applicants, the ECs can play a large role.

These 25-50 colleges are the only ones where it may affect the decisions, though. Almost all big universities couldn't care less unless he's a D1 athlete, and his numbers are high enough that he'll get into the rest based on that.

No need for regret. He is who he is, and if he's a really good person in addition to being such a strong student, he's going to be fine wherever he lands.

This actually isn't true. If the OPs kid wants to go to a desirable flagship (ie admission rate before 20% for out of state applicants, then these matter. The schools are running programs and want the kids applying to help keep clubs running or otherwise participate in the life of the school.

My kid was accepted last year to 6 competitive flagship schools including UMD in state and University of Florida. In terms of ECs, all she had to show was an internship that was canceled at a local hospital (COVID) and volunteering weekly for an hour each week throughout HS. She also played one instrument.

I suspect your kid and the other "SLAC PP's" kid have very high stats and test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:At the most selective colleges DS will be in competition with kids who have an activity or two that they've achieved excellence in, and with the academics being so equal for so many of their applicants, the ECs can play a large role.

These 25-50 colleges are the only ones where it may affect the decisions, though. Almost all big universities couldn't care less unless he's a D1 athlete, and his numbers are high enough that he'll get into the rest based on that.

No need for regret. He is who he is, and if he's a really good person in addition to being such a strong student, he's going to be fine wherever he lands.

This actually isn't true. If the OPs kid wants to go to a desirable flagship (ie admission rate before 20% for out of state applicants, then these matter. The schools are running programs and want the kids applying to help keep clubs running or otherwise participate in the life of the school.

My kid was accepted last year to 6 competitive flagship schools including UMD in state and University of Florida. In terms of ECs, all she had to show was an internship that was canceled at a local hospital (COVID) and volunteering weekly for an hour each week throughout HS. She also played one instrument.

I suspect your kid and the other "SLAC PP's" kid have very high stats and test scores.

Also for SLACs being a boy is a hook

[Anonymous]

OP, look at the Common App and you'll see how little space there is to write about ECs. There are 10 slots and you can write something like 150 characters (not words) about each. They do not all have to be official activities either, they can include informal hobbies as well.

DD had very average ECs -- summer jobs, honor societies, a couple seasons of a JV sport, and a volunteer job she started recently. She added in the time she spends on art in her free time and easily filled the 10 spots. She is in ED at W&M.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:
Similar problem here. My introverted son is academically-minded but suffers from inattentive ADHD and very low processing speed (he has an IEP at school), so he spends all his time getting good grades in AP classes, and doesn't want to do anything outside of school.

We are foreigners and anywhere else in the world, colleges would only look at academics. But here, it works against him. I've never understood why US colleges have such murky and patently subjective ways to cherry-pick students, when all other universities want academically-strong students and understand that other activities are much harder to rank.

Because university is more than just classes and grades. They have programs in the arts, music, sciences, school clubs, theater programs etc. and they want applicants who are passionate about those areas IN ADDITION to being outstanding students. If all of the students are just study grinds with nothing else in their lives, they aren't leading a fulfilling path.

PP you responded to. I dispute the importance of those things as hobbies. I know colleges increase tuition by offering state of the art athletic and artistic facilities, but in the end, those are not the most important things students learn at uni. I think there's a fundamental difference of opinion between what Americans view as the goal of a university education, and what the rest of the world thinks. For most people on this earth, university is exclusively an academic institution - music, theater, and other arts are included in those, of course, but as professional degrees, not hobbies.

A compelling reason not to factor in extra-curricular activities in admission is a question of equity. Only middle class families can afford to shuttle their kids to interesting after-school hobbies. Working-class families do not have the same opportunities. Therefore it's not fair for admissions officers to add weight to unusual, impressive activities outside of school.

All in all, I am not in favor of the lack of transparency of US university admissions. Everything is constructed to work in favor of the universities, not the students, whereas around the world, the goal is to educate students who are academically qualified to walk in the door, whoever they are. Here in the US, because of the subjective nature of admissions, there is a significant potential for racial and other types of discrimination. My kids are looking at Canadian and British unis in addition to US ones, and we'll see where they end up.