Turn your wealth and privilege into a college admissions story

[Anonymous]

I hope that schools see right through these types of curated volunteer/charity situations. So many of them will get shut down the second the kid gets into college.

It is obviously better than doing nothing but it is just so fake.

Then of course there is the lucrative "service learning trip" industry. Again - better than the kids spending the summer smoking weed at their parents beach house. But half the time the kids work for 10 minutes, snap a few pictures, and accomplish nothing and have minimal interaction with the locals (just enough to write a melodramatic sob story essay).

My kid volunteers weekly at a soup kitchen. He truly wants to do it and truly feels personal joy from helping. He interacts regularly with everyone. Hopefully he will be able convey his sincerity to colleges (because he isn't doing it solely for colleges). Unfortunately this isn't something where he is a "superstar" or "nationally recognized" but I can sleep at night knowing I have a great kid and I'm not full of crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope that schools see right through these types of curated volunteer/charity situations. So many of them will get shut down the second the kid gets into college.

It is obviously better than doing nothing but it is just so fake.

Then of course there is the lucrative "service learning trip" industry. Again - better than the kids spending the summer smoking weed at their parents beach house. But half the time the kids work for 10 minutes, snap a few pictures, and accomplish nothing and have minimal interaction with the locals (just enough to write a melodramatic sob story essay).

My kid volunteers weekly at a soup kitchen. He truly wants to do it and truly feels personal joy from helping. He interacts regularly with everyone. Hopefully he will be able convey his sincerity to colleges (because he isn't doing it solely for colleges). Unfortunately this isn't something where he is a "superstar" or "nationally recognized" but I can sleep at night knowing I have a great kid and I'm not full of crap.

Amen!

[Anonymous]

My kid loves to read and volunteered at the library.

[Anonymous]

It’s fine. Not a big deal.
It works at Vanderbilt.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That actually seems like a nice organization. Niche, not trying to be just another rubber stamp charity in an overcrowded market. It’s not saving the world, but it’s doing a nice thing for kids who can’t afford water-related equipment otherwise. I hope they stick with it even after they get into Harvard.

They donated it to poor kids in Baltimore. That's fine but do you really think kids in Baltimore are competing in tech suits? Most of them don't even have access to a decent pool or know how to swim. A better idea would be to organize volunteers and give swim lessons to poor kids. Easier to collect expensive items and get corporate sponsors through mom and dad.

There are pools and competitive swim clubs in Baltimore. Where do you think Michael Phelps swam?

[Anonymous]

Not to digress, buy isn't receiving used swim gear kinda gross? I mean I guess its been in chlorine so mo germs are thriving, but wearing someone else's cap and bathing suit...?

And isn't all the stuff stretched out and form-fitted to the the 1st person who wore it ?

Between some random kid wearing it for an entire summer swim, the sun, water, chlorine, sunscreen residue, etc i can't imagine this donated gear might nit really received well. Surely the spandex and lycra are pretty much worn, no? Almost insulting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://wtop.com/montgomery-county/2025/07/charity-founded-by-kids-in-potomac-hopes-to-make-swimming-more-accessible-and-safer/


Step 1. Mommy and Daddy buy expensive toys.

Step 2. Give away used toys when Mommy and Daddy buy newer expensive toys

Step 3. File some paperwork

Step 4. Brag about it to the paper.

Step 5, HARVARD, BABY!

On what authority do you have it that HARVARD, BABY! will be impressed?

(Nevertheless, it seems like a nice charity, just not HARVARD, BABY! worthy.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That actually seems like a nice organization. Niche, not trying to be just another rubber stamp charity in an overcrowded market. It’s not saving the world, but it’s doing a nice thing for kids who can’t afford water-related equipment otherwise. I hope they stick with it even after they get into Harvard.

They donated it to poor kids in Baltimore. That's fine but do you really think kids in Baltimore are competing in tech suits? Most of them don't even have access to a decent pool or know how to swim. A better idea would be to organize volunteers and give swim lessons to poor kids. Easier to collect expensive items and get corporate sponsors through mom and dad.

Your last sentence explains why organizing volunteers isn't a good idea. Think I'm temrs of the marginal college admissions value to effort ratio and it's an excellent approach.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:That actually seems like a nice organization. Niche, not trying to be just another rubber stamp charity in an overcrowded market. It’s not saving the world, but it’s doing a nice thing for kids who can’t afford water-related equipment otherwise. I hope they stick with it even after they get into Harvard.

They donated it to poor kids in Baltimore. That's fine but do you really think kids in Baltimore are competing in tech suits? Most of them don't even have access to a decent pool or know how to swim. A better idea would be to organize volunteers and give swim lessons to poor kids. Easier to collect expensive items and get corporate sponsors through mom and dad.

Your last sentence explains why organizing volunteers isn't a good idea. Think I'm temrs of the marginal college admissions value to effort ratio and it's an excellent approach.

Sorry, I meant a better idea for the actual recipients but I agree that the elite colleges want big vs meaningful.

[Anonymous]

I dunno, sounds like a nice thing to do. Everyone is so jaded here. At least the kids are doing something in an effort to help someone else. Who cares if they're motivated by college applications? Better this than doing nothing at all.

[Anonymous]

Nice kids. But I think not for profit is out of favor now. I've seen this been done many times. A high school golfer sets up a not for profit to collect used golf gears for underprivileged kids. The idea can be easily adapted to various sports, music, and arts activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I dunno, sounds like a nice thing to do. Everyone is so jaded here. At least the kids are doing something in an effort to help someone else. Who cares if they're motivated by college applications? Better this than doing nothing at all.

Other than an interview, we don’t actually know what the kids did themselves.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dunno, sounds like a nice thing to do. Everyone is so jaded here. At least the kids are doing something in an effort to help someone else. Who cares if they're motivated by college applications? Better this than doing nothing at all.

Other than an interview, we don’t actually know what the kids did themselves.

Here's the thing. You actually don't know that about ANY other EC a kid lists in the common app.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I dunno, sounds like a nice thing to do. Everyone is so jaded here. At least the kids are doing something in an effort to help someone else. Who cares if they're motivated by college applications? Better this than doing nothing at all.

Other than an interview, we don’t actually know what the kids did themselves.

Digital SAT is helping with cheating. DD knows of someone who admitted to cheating on the still paper ACT.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:So what should UMC kids do instead? Let me guess, they should do nothing and only apply to the lowest ranked schools opening up spots for the less privileged.

Refuse to participate in this fake nonsense and aim for and be happy with their state flagship.

So UMC kids should all never apply or aim to the top 25 schools? Even if they are at a school 10x more rigorous and they’ve excelled at the most rigorous courses, they should ONLY go their state flagship. Wait, what about all the kids who aren’t wealthy who want to go to the state flagship?? OK, let require all UMC kids to ONLY go to the lowest ranked state school. Yeah, that’s a great idea.

You should realize that if only less privileged people and less academically capable students fill all the top 25 schools, they will cease to be top 25.

Are you dense? They are saying be authentic even if that means you end up at gasp a state flagship. Not curating a b.s. resume so your precious spawn can be T10.