If every kid is doing the same damn EC

[Anonymous]

So the niche extracurricular is no longer that oboe player, huh?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly wonder at this point if the way to stand out in all this dreck is just to have normal 1990s type high school activities.

Honestly, imagine reading through 100 "curated" apps and coming across a kid who reffed soccer games and worked at an ice cream store. Breath of fresh air.

Having a part-time job isn't a refreshing "breath of fresh air"--it's reality for most high school students who aren't rich. How big must your privilege bubble be that you don't encounter kids with part-time jobs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly wonder at this point if the way to stand out in all this dreck is just to have normal 1990s type high school activities.

Honestly, imagine reading through 100 "curated" apps and coming across a kid who reffed soccer games and worked at an ice cream store. Breath of fresh air.

Having a part-time job isn't a refreshing "breath of fresh air"--it's reality for most high school students who aren't rich. How big must your privilege bubble be that you don't encounter kids with part-time jobs.

Aholes like that never in touch with reality. They sit their privileged axx on the cloud all day long. Farting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly wonder at this point if the way to stand out in all this dreck is just to have normal 1990s type high school activities.

Honestly, imagine reading through 100 "curated" apps and coming across a kid who reffed soccer games and worked at an ice cream store. Breath of fresh air.

Having a part-time job isn't a refreshing "breath of fresh air"--it's reality for most high school students who aren't rich. How big must your privilege bubble be that you don't encounter kids with part-time jobs.

You need to get out more. My kids go to a title 1 public high school. “Most” of these kids are not working any job at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I honestly wonder at this point if the way to stand out in all this dreck is just to have normal 1990s type high school activities.

Honestly, imagine reading through 100 "curated" apps and coming across a kid who reffed soccer games and worked at an ice cream store. Breath of fresh air.

Having a part-time job isn't a refreshing "breath of fresh air"--it's reality for most high school students who aren't rich. How big must your privilege bubble be that you don't encounter kids with part-time jobs.

You need to get out more. My kids go to a title 1 public high school. “Most” of these kids are not working any job at all.

You are really obtuse. “Most” poor kids have families to take care of, cook for the families, taking care of the elderly, these are the real jobs they are doing. Not the breath of fresh air you imagined reading through.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about church stuff? Write it or not?

My daughter is very spiritual and devout. She isn't writing solely about "church stuff." But her essays are sprinkled with aspects about her faith. Might be a turnoff for some schools, but so be it.

Catholic schools love this.

20 years ago at least, Harvard loved this. I talked all about my faith in my application and interview and got in.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Which EC is everyone doing?

NP: varsity sports (non-recruit), club leader, Debate/Model UN, student gov, music/band, robotics/science fair, volunteering (animal shelters, church, or hospital)

None of those are impressive.
Kid at Ivy.

You are so right - not impressive at all...maintaining excellent grades, getting excellent test scores, pushing your spare time to the brink of exhaustion with clubs, volunteering, sports commitments...yep - none of it is impressive!

...and they wonder why so many kids suffer from anxiety lol

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about church stuff? Write it or not?

My daughter is very spiritual and devout. She isn't writing solely about "church stuff." But her essays are sprinkled with aspects about her faith. Might be a turnoff for some schools, but so be it.

Catholic schools love this.

20 years ago at least, Harvard loved this. I talked all about my faith in my application and interview and got in.

Harvard probably won't "love" it any more

[Anonymous]

Are people actually listing reading? Aren't all college bound students....reading?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Are people actually listing reading? Aren't all college bound students....reading?

I don’t know if they’re listing it, but no. They’re definitely not all reading.

[Anonymous]

My kid was in campus ministry leadership when she was at her Catholic HS. From what I understood, there were many other "leaders" in the group, but three years in a row my daughter was given the Faith Award at school, so I imagine that made her stand out in that regard. Went to a top Catholic university.

[Anonymous]

There have been a lot of posts about this already.

[Anonymous]

How many activities or ECs did your kid list if you remember and what school did they get into?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about church stuff? Write it or not?

My daughter is very spiritual and devout. She isn't writing solely about "church stuff." But her essays are sprinkled with aspects about her faith. Might be a turnoff for some schools, but so be it.

Catholic schools love this.

20 years ago at least, Harvard loved this. I talked all about my faith in my application and interview and got in.

Harvard probably won't "love" it any more

Harvard has a whole ass divinity school. They have a chaplain with one of the cushiest endowed chairs on campus, and weekly religious services lavishly supported and promoted by the university, in a historic chapel at the heart of campus. And perhaps most importantly, they have a large and underutilized religious studies department in the faculty of arts and sciences that they are always looking for students for. So yes, Harvard absolutely does want to hear about people's faith. Now, honestly, if you write an essay about how Jews and sodomites are going to hell, that's going to deep six you pretty fast. But a mature and sensitive expression of religious faith, if it's important to you, is absolutely going to be well received at Harvard and most of the ivies.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What about church stuff? Write it or not?

My daughter is very spiritual and devout. She isn't writing solely about "church stuff." But her essays are sprinkled with aspects about her faith. Might be a turnoff for some schools, but so be it.

Catholic schools love this.

20 years ago at least, Harvard loved this. I talked all about my faith in my application and interview and got in.

Harvard probably won't "love" it any more

Harvard has a whole ass divinity school. They have a chaplain with one of the cushiest endowed chairs on campus, and weekly religious services lavishly supported and promoted by the university, in a historic chapel at the heart of campus. And perhaps most importantly, they have a large and underutilized religious studies department in the faculty of arts and sciences that they are always looking for students for. So yes, Harvard absolutely does want to hear about people's faith. Now, honestly, if you write an essay about how Jews and sodomites are going to hell, that's going to deep six you pretty fast. But a mature and sensitive expression of religious faith, if it's important to you, is absolutely going to be well received at Harvard and most of the ivies.

At a religious school, that's fine. But at other? You can check a religion box if needed on the app to tell them what you are if you feel the need to tell.