Early start: How do I prep my child 4 college admissions re: extracurricular projects, initiatives,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a preteen who spends 99% of his time training for his unpopular sport (in which he is nationally ranked) and a high schooler who spends every summer at every medical and hospital program he can find because he wants to be a doctor.

How do colleges view kids that are passionate and dedicated, but only to one thing?

They love it.

Do they pay attention to anything at all a kid does pre HS? I don't think that they do. Well, other than HS credit courses taken.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a preteen who spends 99% of his time training for his unpopular sport (in which he is nationally ranked) and a high schooler who spends every summer at every medical and hospital program he can find because he wants to be a doctor.

How do colleges view kids that are passionate and dedicated, but only to one thing?

They love it.

Do they pay attention to anything at all a kid does pre HS? I don't think that they do. Well, other than HS credit courses taken.

I don't know that they do, but kids who are passionate about something and stick with it through high school will definitely have a leg up.

[Anonymous]

Colleges explicitly tell you not to list things you did in middle school. However, to become - for example - a nationally ranked athlete, that work obviously has to take place in middle school and even before. They only want to hear about the results of those years of effort once you're in high school.

To the OP, I would say that if you're truly looking at VA state schools, then you are much better off making sure your child has strong grades and standardized test scores. Their admissions decisions are heavily driven by measurable numbers.

It's only when you start looking at more selective and private schools where the "holistic" thing becomes important. And even that is sometimes overblown, until you get to the 20 or so extremely selective schools. That's where doing a bunch of activities isn't enough, you have to have an extra-curricular story that reinforces your academic profile.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a preteen who spends 99% of his time training for his unpopular sport (in which he is nationally ranked) and a high schooler who spends every summer at every medical and hospital program he can find because he wants to be a doctor.

How do colleges view kids that are passionate and dedicated, but only to one thing?

They love it.

Do they pay attention to anything at all a kid does pre HS? I don't think that they do. Well, other than HS credit courses taken.

The things that help before HS Are things that continue through HS and beyond and add longevity to the activity. Playing an instrument, reffing a sport, Scouts...... It is more aknowledging the fact that the student has been doing something longer than just HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Colleges explicitly tell you not to list things you did in middle school. However, to become - for example - a nationally ranked athlete, that work obviously has to take place in middle school and even before. They only want to hear about the results of those years of effort once you're in high school.

To the OP, I would say that if you're truly looking at VA state schools, then you are much better off making sure your child has strong grades and standardized test scores. Their admissions decisions are heavily driven by measurable numbers.

It's only when you start looking at more selective and private schools where the "holistic" thing becomes important. And even that is sometimes overblown, until you get to the 20 or so extremely selective schools. That's where doing a bunch of activities isn't enough, you have to have an extra-curricular story that reinforces your academic profile.

I agree to an extent but UVA just accepted DD on early action. Go to College Confidential and see the 2400 ACTs and 700 subject matter II test kids rejected. Comments tend to say that UVA has a more holistic approach. That would be certainly true in DDs case.

[Anonymous]

The amount of angst parents self-inflict regarding admission to Va state schools is so sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a preteen who spends 99% of his time training for his unpopular sport (in which he is nationally ranked) and a high schooler who spends every summer at every medical and hospital program he can find because he wants to be a doctor.

How do colleges view kids that are passionate and dedicated, but only to one thing?

They love it.

isn't that the opposite of being 'holistic' though?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a preteen who spends 99% of his time training for his unpopular sport (in which he is nationally ranked) and a high schooler who spends every summer at every medical and hospital program he can find because he wants to be a doctor.

How do colleges view kids that are passionate and dedicated, but only to one thing?

They love it.

isn't that the opposite of being 'holistic' though?

Why?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a preteen who spends 99% of his time training for his unpopular sport (in which he is nationally ranked) and a high schooler who spends every summer at every medical and hospital program he can find because he wants to be a doctor.

How do colleges view kids that are passionate and dedicated, but only to one thing?

They love it.

Do they pay attention to anything at all a kid does pre HS? I don't think that they do. Well, other than HS credit courses taken.

The things that help before HS Are things that continue through HS and beyond and add longevity to the activity. Playing an instrument, reffing a sport, Scouts...... It is more aknowledging the fact that the student has been doing something longer than just HS.

Yes, I think it's get to get them involved in extracurricular activities before they get to HS. My own kids have played an instrument, done some sports and scouting and volunteering. If one of them ever wants to pick an instrument up again they'll have a much easier time of it than a kid who has never played before. Same with pitching a tent - they know how. It helps that they've been on a sports team before.

But in HS they need to figure out what interests them. My HS son has lots of directions he could go with his interests but it is up to him where he is going to put his energy.

[Anonymous]

I've heard it said that colleges want a well-rounded class, not well-rounded individuals. They want a class with: a nationally-ranked tennis player; an oboist who's played at Carnegie Hall; someone who started a non-profit that has provided X for a number of years to a needy community; a kid who was homeless and orphaned but managed to become valedictorian at his HS; etc.

[Anonymous]

This kid is going to enroll in tech school and become a plumber just to spite her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a preteen who spends 99% of his time training for his unpopular sport (in which he is nationally ranked) and a high schooler who spends every summer at every medical and hospital program he can find because he wants to be a doctor.

How do colleges view kids that are passionate and dedicated, but only to one thing?

They love it.

Do they pay attention to anything at all a kid does pre HS? I don't think that they do. Well, other than HS credit courses taken.

Colleges love to see really long term involvement in an activity. Kids can write about their years of involvement in their essays, so that's one way admissions people know that the applicant been doing x since first grade or fourth or whatever.

They'll also know from the level of achievement noted. Kids going to high level music or sports or dance camps didn't just start last year. Sometimes in an application kids can note that a program was very selective. For instance, they can say, " I was selected as one of 200 out of 2000 who tried out." Colleges like kids who have stuck with an activity, worked hard, and pursued it to a high level.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I've heard it said that colleges want a well-rounded class, not well-rounded individuals. They want a class with: a nationally-ranked tennis player; an oboist who's played at Carnegie Hall; someone who started a non-profit that has provided X for a number of years to a needy community; a kid who was homeless and orphaned but managed to become valedictorian at his HS; etc.

These are wonderful accomplishments but certainly not all of the individuals accepted into a college have these kinds of accomplishments under their belt already.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's funny the number of posters saying "relax!" or acting as though OP is being silly. The same posters have very likely been prepping their kids since birth for AAP and TJ!

Anyway to answer your question OP, I started when my child was in 4th grade by picking an organization we as a family could volunteer at and regularly volunteering. My goal is for my child to one day be more involved in a higher level of volunteering there on her own. This is organization we are committed to and she enjoys. She also has learned a lot of other great skills that will transfer into the real world - dealing with diverse groups of people, time management, etc.

Learning a foreign language in after school club - that's going so so - just started really this year

Plays sports - but nothing very competitive - hoping that this year my child will pick one and stick with it more. Planning to making my child pick in the Spring.

Scouts - my child is involved and has been steadily earning badges

Church-participates in youth group

4H - found out about this through a neighbor - Fairfax county has several 4H clubs, just started this year. They are smaller and they offer more of a chance for leadership.

PP. How old is your child now?

My child is 13 now. Also, to be clear, we are not looking at a path to Harvard, Yale, etc. To be more honest, when she was younger, yes, we were those parents but over the years we realized that wasn't going to happen.
Now, we are just hoping for admission to a state university in VA and not even W&M or UVA but more like JMU, George Mason, Christopher Newport. Yes, we are doing all this just to get into a basic state school. We saw some of our friends and neighbor's kids who had top grades, top scores who were not getting admitted to even those schools not to mention not getting into uva, Harvard, etc. We can not afford out of state school and my kid is not going to have the top grades and top scores. She does well in school - some As, mostly Bs, luckily nothing lower and she doesn't do well at all on standard tests. I forgot to mention, that yes, we have already started prepping for PSAT and SATs and ACT but are not intense about it at this point.
My Dh and I attended basic state universities and did well in our careers BUT that was over 20 years ago and it was just easier back then.
Those whose kids are older and more familiar might have additional insights.

I was going to be gentle with you until I saw that you are prepping your 13 year-old for the PSATs. Yes, you are intense about it. This is not normal.

Your anxiety is screaming from your post. You saw kids not get into certain schools and you got yourself worked up about your own kid and as a result you are posting on message boards and sending her to PSAT school.

Your daughter is a good student. The problem isn;t finding extracurriculars that you can make her love. The problem is she doesn't do well on standardized tests. Thats the only problem you have and its the only one you should be focused on. I would have her tested to see why she doesn't do well because if she could benefit from an accommodation like extra time you do need to lay the groundwork early. And if there's nothing specific like that, let it go. Have her do the prep in 10th or 11th grade and accept that she will be an applicant with good grades and mediocre test scores. There are an increasing number of schools that are test score optional and they would love an applicant like your daughter. She's going to be fine. That is unless your anxiety and pressure make her anxious/depressed (I have older teens and I've seen it over and over again in kids whose parents are hyper focused on college -- the kids seem OK until suddenly they aren't and you have a world of trouble), which would be far worse than lagging test scores.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think it's funny the number of posters saying "relax!" or acting as though OP is being silly. The same posters have very likely been prepping their kids since birth for AAP and TJ!

Anyway to answer your question OP, I started when my child was in 4th grade by picking an organization we as a family could volunteer at and regularly volunteering. My goal is for my child to one day be more involved in a higher level of volunteering there on her own. This is organization we are committed to and she enjoys. She also has learned a lot of other great skills that will transfer into the real world - dealing with diverse groups of people, time management, etc.

Learning a foreign language in after school club - that's going so so - just started really this year

Plays sports - but nothing very competitive - hoping that this year my child will pick one and stick with it more. Planning to making my child pick in the Spring.

Scouts - my child is involved and has been steadily earning badges

Church-participates in youth group

4H - found out about this through a neighbor - Fairfax county has several 4H clubs, just started this year. They are smaller and they offer more of a chance for leadership.

I don't get this - Leadership and 4-H. A friend's kids does 4-H for the 'leadership' opportunities. I have asked her several times to explain the leadership opportunities but she just dances around not really answering.