EC activities and awards

[Anonymous]

Does anyone's kid not have ANY awards?

Our private school does not give any until graduation and the kids has no applied for any national awards (not even sure what these are). Otherwise she's a top student.

[Anonymous]

I have a hard time seeing how most schools can seriously consider ECs. Sure the Ivy Leagu level schools have the resources to do some due diligence but if you can’t who knows what is real. From what I see at DCs school, many kids in activities who rarely if ever participate, kids with leadership spots who do nothing - not even participate in some cases. Participate in A B and C and President of XYZ could mean absolutely nothing.

[Anonymous]

The school will admit the applicant if he/she wins the Peter Thiel fellowship award.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS working on finalizing top 10 EC/activities it in the (50/100/150 characters format) and then top 5 awards….

DS hearing his friends (private school) talking about a LOT of embellishment…with the EC (unique non-school) and one off awards.

How common is this? Isn’t someone checking?

Unique ECs and awards are not embellishment.They are just unique. "Embellishment" is usually a way people like to gloss over lying. Don't lie.

Exactly! Only rich people are allowed to lie..err. embellish..err.. do 'unique' activities and get 'unique' awards. Plebes shouldn't follow their example!

There are prep schools around here for AAP where kids as young as KG attend weekly classes, participate in "unique" activities and get awards. Parents include those awards in their statement that accompanies the application packet. What PP is describing are just somewhat grown up, private school versions of the same thing. Make sh*t up, just make sure the hours tally.

The best way to get rid of nonsense (e.g. ECs) is to make them meaningless by cheating. Same goes for essays. Use ChatGPT or other AI to write the essays. If all essays are done well, they stop becoming a differentiator that only rich people with access to paid professionals have access to. Tear down those walls!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How could they check unless it’s some huge national well known award? In over twenty years of teaching I’ve sponsored many clubs. No one had ever contacted me to verify anything. I don’t submit anything to anyone with the names of club officers. This is part of the reason I think most of this on college applications is a joke. They could put they founded any club.

Exactly. This is what we’ve heard.
And outright listing yourself as VP of a school club when it’s not true, but there are several diff vice presidents so it doesn’t really matter….

It does if you are lying and didn't serve in this position. My kid actually was VP, so don't claim her work when you didn't do it.

That's the problem with the clubs, kids want to be a "leader" for their college application but don't care about actually running the club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DS working on finalizing top 10 EC/activities it in the (50/100/150 characters format) and then top 5 awards….

DS hearing his friends (private school) talking about a LOT of embellishment…with the EC (unique non-school) and one off awards.

How common is this? Isn’t someone checking?

Unique ECs and awards are not embellishment.They are just unique. "Embellishment" is usually a way people like to gloss over lying. Don't lie.

Exactly! Only rich people are allowed to lie..err. embellish..err.. do 'unique' activities and get 'unique' awards. Plebes shouldn't follow their example!

There are prep schools around here for AAP where kids as young as KG attend weekly classes, participate in "unique" activities and get awards. Parents include those awards in their statement that accompanies the application packet. What PP is describing are just somewhat grown up, private school versions of the same thing. Make sh*t up, just make sure the hours tally.

The best way to get rid of nonsense (e.g. ECs) is to make them meaningless by cheating. Same goes for essays. Use ChatGPT or other AI to write the essays. If all essays are done well, they stop becoming a differentiator that only rich people with access to paid professionals have access to. Tear down those walls!

It's sad how you try to justify cheating in the name of revolution for the people. That takes some kind of boldness and arrogance, frankly.

You don't have to be rich to have unique ECs. My kids do. They can even be service oriented. Brainstorm. Get creative. My kids have done some unique things and have done some things that were costly, but we got financial aid to help do it. So, middle class people, check out these opportunities, and ask about financial aid.

Sure, rich people have more options, but AOs know that. Don't equate inequity with cheating. Advocating making up ECs or Chat GPT essays is cheating. It stinks that rich kids have opportunities that my kid doesn't have, but it REALLY stinks (& hurts my kid) when you help your kid cheat and encourage others to do the same.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some schools check. They Google awards. The UCs randomly audit them. They also look at hours and will notice of the hours are out of whack.

Thanks for the chuckle. No. This doesn't happen. Ever. They simply do not have the time and / or manpower. Nice try though.

Except they do. It happened to a kid at my DD’s school in the 2022 cycle. They asked for documentation.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone's kid not have ANY awards?

Our private school does not give any until graduation and the kids has no applied for any national awards (not even sure what these are). Otherwise she's a top student.

Relatively common at private schools. My kid had only one award that she had won in the community for a film she had made. Her school does not have even NHS, so she had nothing from school. But it is a competitive school with a sub 10% acceptance rate. Many AOs know the school. It was fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a hard time seeing how most schools can seriously consider ECs. Sure the Ivy Leagu level schools have the resources to do some due diligence but if you can’t who knows what is real. From what I see at DCs school, many kids in activities who rarely if ever participate, kids with leadership spots who do nothing - not even participate in some cases. Participate in A B and C and President of XYZ could mean absolutely nothing.

But you can write the activity piece to show your kid did something. Treat it like a resume and explain accomplishments with metrics (raised $500 through a bake sale, etc)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone's kid not have ANY awards?

Our private school does not give any until graduation and the kids has no applied for any national awards (not even sure what these are). Otherwise she's a top student.

Relatively common at private schools. My kid had only one award that she had won in the community for a film she had made. Her school does not have even NHS, so she had nothing from school. But it is a competitive school with a sub 10% acceptance rate. Many AOs know the school. It was fine.

My kids are in public schools where most awards go to seniors in spring (when it can't count)! Mine entered various competitions-- local and national on their own.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone's kid not have ANY awards?

Our private school does not give any until graduation and the kids has no applied for any national awards (not even sure what these are). Otherwise she's a top student.

Mine! He’s got great ECs/leadership, but his school doesn’t give awards outside of sports. He’s not particularly competitive, so the idea of entering contests and such doesn’t appeal to him.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some schools check. They Google awards. The UCs randomly audit them. They also look at hours and will notice of the hours are out of whack.

Thanks for the chuckle. No. This doesn't happen. Ever. They simply do not have the time and / or manpower. Nice try though.

Except they do. It happened to a kid at my DD’s school in the 2022 cycle. They asked for documentation.

And I know 2 white HYP kids who got in and going where half their list was “embellished” or frankly fabricated.

After listening to our private counselor, I think you guys are naive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Yes - it’s lots of talking up roles/titles.

I know some kids from smaller schools who have have fabricated things. Nothing big.

And yes your child should complete ALL 10 activities spots. Do not Leave anything empty.

This is the opposite of what I've read and heard. I thought the focus should be on quality over quantity, deep commitment to one activity is better that 10 random ones, no?

YES. I've heard over and over from admissions officers at various schools that less is more - they definitely want to see quality over quantity.
DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:How could they check unless it’s some huge national well known award? In over twenty years of teaching I’ve sponsored many clubs. No one had ever contacted me to verify anything. I don’t submit anything to anyone with the names of club officers. This is part of the reason I think most of this on college applications is a joke. They could put they founded any club.

Exactly. This is what we’ve heard.
And outright listing yourself as VP of a school club when it’s not true, but there are several diff vice presidents so it doesn’t really matter….

It does if you are lying and didn't serve in this position. My kid actually was VP, so don't claim her work when you didn't do it.

That's the problem with the clubs, kids want to be a "leader" for their college application but don't care about actually running the club.

DP. My daughter actually busted her tail throughout high school, leading two specific clubs. It's too bad there are some kids who pretend to do what she spent many hours actually doing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Some schools check. They Google awards. The UCs randomly audit them. They also look at hours and will notice of the hours are out of whack.

Thanks for the chuckle. No. This doesn't happen. Ever. They simply do not have the time and / or manpower. Nice try though.

Except they do. It happened to a kid at my DD’s school in the 2022 cycle. They asked for documentation.

+1
It happened to my kid - and they had plenty of documentation to provide. But how awful if you've made something up and have nothing to show for it when called out.