ECs That Actually Impress College Admissions Officers?

[Anonymous]

Both my kids saw enough of college counselors on instagram to understand what readers look for - a kid who does x and y. something outside school and something in and link it to major. And both played into that

For example, if they were very involved with Bird watching/counting, debate, MUN, did spring musical three years and ran track and were interested in public policy -- which is the kind of thing they did - they played up bird watching and Debate. even though debate took up 4x the time bird counting did. and they wrote about how formations work and seeing how outside forces change situations over time, seen through the prism of hawk watch starting at 9 years old.
link it to debate (big awards = outside validation). skip the MUN and track, which muddies the story.

We dont talk about what not to put on applications (but you should do in HS for sure! do it all!)

In at T10s

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Being a normal kid without some fabricated interest/"passion project" that they will drop like a bad habit the day after apps are submitted.

Don't try too hard - they can tell.

Can they? Or better yet, do they care?


I don’t think so. If it sounds good on paper, admissions likes and passing along. It’s not very deep. Admissions Officers are typically young and spending a couple minutes looking at each app. They are not putting significant thought into how authentic each EC is

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being a normal kid without some fabricated interest/"passion project" that they will drop like a bad habit the day after apps are submitted.

Don't try too hard - they can tell.

Can they? Or better yet, do they care?


I don’t think so. If it sounds good on paper, admissions likes and passing along. It’s not very deep. Admissions Officers are typically young and spending a couple minutes looking at each app. They are not putting significant thought into how authentic each EC is

💯 this!!

It’s why they love the weird ECs too (blacksmithing anyone)?

The weirder or more uncommon, the better.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Something real that is supported by the rest of the application. It can be elaborate or simple but authenticity would be my key focus and something that lasts longer than one academic year or summer.

If you actually looked up these ventures, they still exist and function.

Not everything is fabricated.

Maya Penn launched Maya’s Ideas at the age of eight, producing eco-friendly, upcycled clothing and accessories. By the time she reached high school, the project had grown into a recognised brand with a genuine environmental mission.

https://mayasideas.com/

The parents did this, not the child.

You are cynical.

But she is correct.

Ditto. One parent recently posted on this forum "the trick is to curate a narrative for the kid that appears natural and not contrived. Hiring a private consultant will help with that." I'm also a shameless parent like many here who do as much as they can for their kids. I see nothing wrong with the approach and commend that parent for being honest about it.

One of my kids had a narrative. The other did not. They both got their top choice to highly selective colleges.

Same here. But the one without the narrative had off the charts intellectual vitality in the most unique essays….DC got AO notes about them. School CCO commented on them. Their Ivy AO sought them out to discuss….

The one with the narrative didn’t get that. Still at a similar school.

Without a narrative you do need something else to stand out.

Wait, why didn’t your kid with the intellectual vitality have a narrative? Isn’t that how they had very unique essays — a narrative? So what was it that made them stand out (without a narrative)?

Oldest child; didn’t realize needed to be pointy.

Had many many mini spikes and interested in weird esoteric things about general knowledge (unrelated to major) - the kind of kid with a thirst for information and knowledge who is intellectually restless, and it shows.

Sounds like old school HYPSM

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Both my kids saw enough of college counselors on instagram to understand what readers look for - a kid who does x and y. something outside school and something in and link it to major. And both played into that

For example, if they were very involved with Bird watching/counting, debate, MUN, did spring musical three years and ran track and were interested in public policy -- which is the kind of thing they did - they played up bird watching and Debate. even though debate took up 4x the time bird counting did. and they wrote about how formations work and seeing how outside forces change situations over time, seen through the prism of hawk watch starting at 9 years old.
link it to debate (big awards = outside validation). skip the MUN and track, which muddies the story.

We dont talk about what not to put on applications (but you should do in HS for sure! do it all!)

In at T10s

Was this personal essay?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Both my kids saw enough of college counselors on instagram to understand what readers look for - a kid who does x and y. something outside school and something in and link it to major. And both played into that

For example, if they were very involved with Bird watching/counting, debate, MUN, did spring musical three years and ran track and were interested in public policy -- which is the kind of thing they did - they played up bird watching and Debate. even though debate took up 4x the time bird counting did. and they wrote about how formations work and seeing how outside forces change situations over time, seen through the prism of hawk watch starting at 9 years old.
link it to debate (big awards = outside validation). skip the MUN and track, which muddies the story.

We dont talk about what not to put on applications (but you should do in HS for sure! do it all!)

In at T10s

Was this personal essay?

yes. I think it's important to tie personally essay into what they see in activities. I know some college counselors say not to repeat things, but adding a 'what I learned from grandma by cooking her meatballs" just confuses things imo. Build the story in essay, back up with activities, summarize in career goal line.

[Anonymous]

EMS still impresses if you're into pre-med and live in a state where you can do that at 16.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:EMS still impresses if you're into pre-med and live in a state where you can do that at 16.

It should because it's actually useful to society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Being a normal kid without some fabricated interest/"passion project" that they will drop like a bad habit the day after apps are submitted.

Don't try too hard - they can tell.

Can they? Or better yet, do they care?


I don’t think so. If it sounds good on paper, admissions likes and passing along. It’s not very deep. Admissions Officers are typically young and spending a couple minutes looking at each app. They are not putting significant thought into how authentic each EC is

💯 this!!

It’s why they love the weird ECs too (blacksmithing anyone)?

The weirder or more uncommon, the better.

DP. They do like unique hobbies. For the purpose of OP's question, I would argue that unique is not the same thing as "impressive" in the traditional award-like mentality of DCUM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:EMS still impresses if you're into pre-med and live in a state where you can do that at 16.

It should because it's actually useful to society.

yes and you've seen people at their lowest, maybe people you don't see in your usual life. and you still want to do medicine. and because it's a system that is rigorous and known. things that are known can verify an app. being a lifeguard in nyc is a good one. working long enough at a restaurant or retail to become a shift manager. winning state championships or ranked nationally in debate. being named all-state in a sport.

we talk about soft and hard skills in job market. if possible get some hard and soft activities into your application.. hard = EMS, state debate champ .. stuff your parents can't fudge. soft = adds uniqueness and creates the story but is probably a bit opaque. hard is also your stats, but that's just table stakes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something real that is supported by the rest of the application. It can be elaborate or simple but authenticity would be my key focus and something that lasts longer than one academic year or summer.

If you actually looked up these ventures, they still exist and function.

Not everything is fabricated.

Maya Penn launched Maya’s Ideas at the age of eight, producing eco-friendly, upcycled clothing and accessories. By the time she reached high school, the project had grown into a recognised brand with a genuine environmental mission.

https://mayasideas.com/

The parents did this, not the child.

You are cynical.

But she is correct.

Ditto. One parent recently posted on this forum "the trick is to curate a narrative for the kid that appears natural and not contrived. Hiring a private consultant will help with that." I'm also a shameless parent like many here who do as much as they can for their kids. I see nothing wrong with the approach and commend that parent for being honest about it.

Sometimes it's not even curating. Simply presenting these ideas to the kids would be helpful. They may be inspired by these ideas and develop something on their own.

That is exactly what I did. I encouraged in ways they could expand and develop areas of interest. I saw the interest - which was genuine. I just suggested what could be done with it to go deeper. Example: oh you have this interest but your school doesn't have a club for it. What do you think about starting one?

bravo! then that’s how it should be described by junior on his college app -“ I did this passion project because my mom encouraged me to do it and suggested ways I could go deeper!” This is the point folks - it all reeks of privilege and entitlement no matter how you try to justify - and you typically need a professional to hide the manufactured part or mommy and daddy’s prompting/coersion will be subtly exposed. I luv the rationales on this string, I guarantee every parent example is delusional. Some hit the lottery and got junior through the admission wickets - and now telling us all how “authentic” their ec is - bleh

I'm being a supportive and involved parent and yes (gasp! the horror!) I suggested an idea to my kid on how they could develop an interest that they would not have thought of on their own, given their limited life experience. I did not do the work for the kid. The kid liked the idea, took it, and ran with it. I was simply a cheerleader. Odd that is sooooo triggering to you that you had to call me delusional. But some people just like to snipe at others' success I guess. When you see a kid who got something your kid did not, I'm sure it's far far easier to say their parents coerced them (that's the right spelling btw- maybe learn to properly spell your insults next time). I'm sure it's rather hard for you to admit that a kid just may have had something yours did not.

By the way, I have suggested other things to kid that kid did not do. It's up to the kid to do something, or not.

10:56 again. I will add that my point completely went over your head. If you had not been so intent on insulting me, you might have gotten the point. So I will spell it out for you. There is a middle ground of parental encouragement/support between doing nothing and forming and running a non profit for a kid starting at age 8.

If you would rather do nothing, than good luck to your kid. But own it, PP. That really means let the kid be on their own. No paying dues for soccer, no signing them up for piano lessons, no driving them to any activity. Because that could all be manufactured and coercion. Live your words and let your kid do it on their own!!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:EMS still impresses if you're into pre-med and live in a state where you can do that at 16.

It should because it's actually useful to society.

yes and you've seen people at their lowest, maybe people you don't see in your usual life. and you still want to do medicine. and because it's a system that is rigorous and known. things that are known can verify an app. being a lifeguard in nyc is a good one. working long enough at a restaurant or retail to become a shift manager. winning state championships or ranked nationally in debate. being named all-state in a sport.

we talk about soft and hard skills in job market. if possible get some hard and soft activities into your application.. hard = EMS, state debate champ .. stuff your parents can't fudge. soft = adds uniqueness and creates the story but is probably a bit opaque. hard is also your stats, but that's just table stakes.

What's the ratio of hard to soft skills needed for a T10 app (assuming this is the same mom posting about her birding kid)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Something real that is supported by the rest of the application. It can be elaborate or simple but authenticity would be my key focus and something that lasts longer than one academic year or summer.

If you actually looked up these ventures, they still exist and function.

Not everything is fabricated.

Maya Penn launched Maya’s Ideas at the age of eight, producing eco-friendly, upcycled clothing and accessories. By the time she reached high school, the project had grown into a recognised brand with a genuine environmental mission.

https://mayasideas.com/

The parents did this, not the child.

You are cynical.

But she is correct.

Ditto. One parent recently posted on this forum "the trick is to curate a narrative for the kid that appears natural and not contrived. Hiring a private consultant will help with that." I'm also a shameless parent like many here who do as much as they can for their kids. I see nothing wrong with the approach and commend that parent for being honest about it.

One of my kids had a narrative. The other did not. They both got their top choice to highly selective colleges.

Same here. But the one without the narrative had off the charts intellectual vitality in the most unique essays….DC got AO notes about them. School CCO commented on them. Their Ivy AO sought them out to discuss….

The one with the narrative didn’t get that. Still at a similar school.

Without a narrative you do need something else to stand out.

You lost me on the Ivy AO sought them out to discuss…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid has one very time consuming EC outside of their varsity sport and full time summer job. It is off the charts high EQ, absurdly analog, deeply genuine, and they got involved at age 11. It is not in any way academic or award winning.

I’d love to offer it as an example, but I’m afraid the group (which we love and respect) would be flooded with box-ticking people messing things up by joining/volunteering for the wrong reasons.

I’m 100% certain it is why he had tremendous success with high school applications. The schools made it plain. It scales in responsibility with age, so he will just keep going with it. It’s something he discovered himself and had to beg us to allow him to get started.

My point? I don’t think I/we/they could have gamed this. Listen to your kids and let them run with something nutty if they want it. It can’t hurt. And it might become the detail that makes them shine.

I was worried about investing too much time in a quiet, non academic organization that has existed forever. I was wrong.

No idea yet how it will pan out for college admissions. And I don’t care anymore. My kid found themself in service to others. The irony is that a few years back, I could easily have been the OP. Sometimes the kids are smarter than the parents. Thank goodness.

This is exactly what a parent would say about a manufactured activity. Nicely done.

I get the cynicism. That’s precisely why I won’t name the organization here. But if I did? You’d laugh. At me. There isn’t a kid on earth who would not want to do it. And each one of them would have parents who hear the initial idea and think, “Oh nooooooo.”

Yet, here we are. And I do recognize the gamble.

Sport
Job
High EQ EC

That’s his complete list. It’s very short and not academic. He’s aiming for the most selective schools. I genuinely do not know if his positioning of himself will be surprisingly successful or not at the elite college level.

He’s willing to take the risk because he refuses to give up a favorite part of his life.

But we as parents needed to be fine with the gamble, and know there are wonderful colleges and communities to be found outside the T-whatever, should the T-insane admit rate schools be less impressed than high schools were.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid has one very time consuming EC outside of their varsity sport and full time summer job. It is off the charts high EQ, absurdly analog, deeply genuine, and they got involved at age 11. It is not in any way academic or award winning.

I’d love to offer it as an example, but I’m afraid the group (which we love and respect) would be flooded with box-ticking people messing things up by joining/volunteering for the wrong reasons.

I’m 100% certain it is why he had tremendous success with high school applications. The schools made it plain. It scales in responsibility with age, so he will just keep going with it. It’s something he discovered himself and had to beg us to allow him to get started.

My point? I don’t think I/we/they could have gamed this. Listen to your kids and let them run with something nutty if they want it. It can’t hurt. And it might become the detail that makes them shine.

I was worried about investing too much time in a quiet, non academic organization that has existed forever. I was wrong.

No idea yet how it will pan out for college admissions. And I don’t care anymore. My kid found themself in service to others. The irony is that a few years back, I could easily have been the OP. Sometimes the kids are smarter than the parents. Thank goodness.

This is exactly what a parent would say about a manufactured activity. Nicely done.

I get the cynicism. That’s precisely why I won’t name the organization here. But if I did? You’d laugh. At me. There isn’t a kid on earth who would not want to do it. And each one of them would have parents who hear the initial idea and think, “Oh nooooooo.”

Yet, here we are. And I do recognize the gamble.

Sport
Job
High EQ EC

That’s his complete list. It’s very short and not academic. He’s aiming for the most selective schools. I genuinely do not know if his positioning of himself will be surprisingly successful or not at the elite college level.

He’s willing to take the risk because he refuses to give up a favorite part of his life.

But we as parents needed to be fine with the gamble, and know there are wonderful colleges and communities to be found outside the T-whatever, should the T-insane admit rate schools be less impressed than high schools were.

It's less of a gamble to your DC now. Admissions to high schools gave you at least some confidence that it worked at least once. Many many kids have nothing unique, which is fine in itself. Ask yourself, would you "not care" at all if your DC was not successful in high school admissions?