How competitive is it to get into clubs at your child's college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amherst clubs are not allowed to get school funding if they have any sort of selection criteria.

Tour guide at Williams said the same. Clubs are required to be open.

This is how it should be. These are already elite schools.

The students may be in for a rude awakening when they get out of there. I don't see any evidence that life is an open club. It's quite the opposite. It can be a rough ride making it through some of these elite colleges but they make it through and they're tougher because of it. At least mine is.

Oh give me a break.

Exactly. Anyone on here whining about clubs should be open or there shouldn't be any competitive clubs or nothing at college should be competitive should relax.

Excuse my ignorance, but what are you competing for at these clubs? The opportunity to attend a gathering and have a discussion with your classmates?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not aware of any competitive clubs at my DC’s slac. Definitely not the vibe there.

Doesn’t apply to all slacs though. I know CMC has a very competitive investment club.

yes to CMC--most clubs and opportunities are competitive and if you're not in by junior year you're shut out of really anything.

I just checked the consulting club and this may have changed, but it seems that a lot of sophomores are on the consulting club and there’s plenty freshman. They probably just prefer having students who have done intro macro and micro economics.

Boy this is stupid, my version of consulting club was getting a book and discussing a case with a friend to get better at analysis, in preparation for an interview with McKinsey or BCG. Taking economics helps, but they also liked science and engineering backgrounds. Why do you need a club for this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Amherst clubs are not allowed to get school funding if they have any sort of selection criteria.

Tour guide at Williams said the same. Clubs are required to be open.

This is how it should be. These are already elite schools.

The students may be in for a rude awakening when they get out of there. I don't see any evidence that life is an open club. It's quite the opposite. It can be a rough ride making it through some of these elite colleges but they make it through and they're tougher because of it. At least mine is.

Oh give me a break.

Exactly. Anyone on here whining about clubs should be open or there shouldn't be any competitive clubs or nothing at college should be competitive should relax.

Excuse my ignorance, but what are you competing for at these clubs? The opportunity to attend a gathering and have a discussion with your classmates?

They're competing for opportunities. I don't think sitting around and having a discussion with your classmates is what's going on in a competitive clubs that I'm aware of. Some of the performance groups travel around the country and the world.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not aware of any competitive clubs at my DC’s slac. Definitely not the vibe there.

Doesn’t apply to all slacs though. I know CMC has a very competitive investment club.

yes to CMC--most clubs and opportunities are competitive and if you're not in by junior year you're shut out of really anything.

I just checked the consulting club and this may have changed, but it seems that a lot of sophomores are on the consulting club and there’s plenty freshman. They probably just prefer having students who have done intro macro and micro economics.

Boy this is stupid, my version of consulting club was getting a book and discussing a case with a friend to get better at analysis, in preparation for an interview with McKinsey or BCG. Taking economics helps, but they also liked science and engineering backgrounds. Why do you need a club for this?

They do career treks and case competitions with consulting firms. You don’t want to be represented by students who know nothing about economics.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not aware of any competitive clubs at my DC’s slac. Definitely not the vibe there.

Doesn’t apply to all slacs though. I know CMC has a very competitive investment club.

yes to CMC--most clubs and opportunities are competitive and if you're not in by junior year you're shut out of really anything.

I just checked the consulting club and this may have changed, but it seems that a lot of sophomores are on the consulting club and there’s plenty freshman. They probably just prefer having students who have done intro macro and micro economics.

Boy this is stupid, my version of consulting club was getting a book and discussing a case with a friend to get better at analysis, in preparation for an interview with McKinsey or BCG. Taking economics helps, but they also liked science and engineering backgrounds. Why do you need a club for this?

They do career treks and case competitions with consulting firms. You don’t want to be represented by students who know nothing about economics.

50% of CMC majors in economics. They probably use economics courses as a weed out benchmark.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not aware of any competitive clubs at my DC’s slac. Definitely not the vibe there.

Doesn’t apply to all slacs though. I know CMC has a very competitive investment club.

yes to CMC--most clubs and opportunities are competitive and if you're not in by junior year you're shut out of really anything.

I just checked the consulting club and this may have changed, but it seems that a lot of sophomores are on the consulting club and there’s plenty freshman. They probably just prefer having students who have done intro macro and micro economics.

Boy this is stupid, my version of consulting club was getting a book and discussing a case with a friend to get better at analysis, in preparation for an interview with McKinsey or BCG. Taking economics helps, but they also liked science and engineering backgrounds. Why do you need a club for this?

They do career treks and case competitions with consulting firms. You don’t want to be represented by students who know nothing about economics.

Ok I’ll pass. It’s more productive to volunteer with a business or economics professor than be filtered out by a sophomore that literally has zero professional experience.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not aware of any competitive clubs at my DC’s slac. Definitely not the vibe there.

Doesn’t apply to all slacs though. I know CMC has a very competitive investment club.

yes to CMC--most clubs and opportunities are competitive and if you're not in by junior year you're shut out of really anything.

I just checked the consulting club and this may have changed, but it seems that a lot of sophomores are on the consulting club and there’s plenty freshman. They probably just prefer having students who have done intro macro and micro economics.

Boy this is stupid, my version of consulting club was getting a book and discussing a case with a friend to get better at analysis, in preparation for an interview with McKinsey or BCG. Taking economics helps, but they also liked science and engineering backgrounds. Why do you need a club for this?

They do career treks and case competitions with consulting firms. You don’t want to be represented by students who know nothing about economics.

Ok I’ll pass. It’s more productive to volunteer with a business or economics professor than be filtered out by a sophomore that literally has zero professional experience.

Who says they do? Many consulting firms start looking freshman year these days. Seriously, it’s a lot more competitive than when we were in college. Just the natural flow of things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not aware of any competitive clubs at my DC’s slac. Definitely not the vibe there.

Doesn’t apply to all slacs though. I know CMC has a very competitive investment club.

yes to CMC--most clubs and opportunities are competitive and if you're not in by junior year you're shut out of really anything.

I just checked the consulting club and this may have changed, but it seems that a lot of sophomores are on the consulting club and there’s plenty freshman. They probably just prefer having students who have done intro macro and micro economics.

Boy this is stupid, my version of consulting club was getting a book and discussing a case with a friend to get better at analysis, in preparation for an interview with McKinsey or BCG. Taking economics helps, but they also liked science and engineering backgrounds. Why do you need a club for this?

They do career treks and case competitions with consulting firms. You don’t want to be represented by students who know nothing about economics.

Ok I’ll pass. It’s more productive to volunteer with a business or economics professor than be filtered out by a sophomore that literally has zero professional experience.

You're filtered out if you don't have any connections to get into the club. These are networking opportunities that can carry forward into internships and job offers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not aware of any competitive clubs at my DC’s slac. Definitely not the vibe there.

Doesn’t apply to all slacs though. I know CMC has a very competitive investment club.

yes to CMC--most clubs and opportunities are competitive and if you're not in by junior year you're shut out of really anything.

I just checked the consulting club and this may have changed, but it seems that a lot of sophomores are on the consulting club and there’s plenty freshman. They probably just prefer having students who have done intro macro and micro economics.

Boy this is stupid, my version of consulting club was getting a book and discussing a case with a friend to get better at analysis, in preparation for an interview with McKinsey or BCG. Taking economics helps, but they also liked science and engineering backgrounds. Why do you need a club for this?

They do career treks and case competitions with consulting firms. You don’t want to be represented by students who know nothing about economics.

Ok I’ll pass. It’s more productive to volunteer with a business or economics professor than be filtered out by a sophomore that literally has zero professional experience.

Who says they do? Many consulting firms start looking freshman year these days. Seriously, it’s a lot more competitive than when we were in college. Just the natural flow of things.

What do you mean by consulting firms start looking freshman year? Do you mean they want to see what applicants did since freshman year? Ok, but I’m doubtful consulting club is that helpful compared to working with a professor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not aware of any competitive clubs at my DC’s slac. Definitely not the vibe there.

Doesn’t apply to all slacs though. I know CMC has a very competitive investment club.

yes to CMC--most clubs and opportunities are competitive and if you're not in by junior year you're shut out of really anything.

I just checked the consulting club and this may have changed, but it seems that a lot of sophomores are on the consulting club and there’s plenty freshman. They probably just prefer having students who have done intro macro and micro economics.

Boy this is stupid, my version of consulting club was getting a book and discussing a case with a friend to get better at analysis, in preparation for an interview with McKinsey or BCG. Taking economics helps, but they also liked science and engineering backgrounds. Why do you need a club for this?

They do career treks and case competitions with consulting firms. You don’t want to be represented by students who know nothing about economics.

Ok I’ll pass. It’s more productive to volunteer with a business or economics professor than be filtered out by a sophomore that literally has zero professional experience.

You're filtered out if you don't have any connections to get into the club. These are networking opportunities that can carry forward into internships and job offers.

How about this idea: you work for a professor on a research project over the summer and develop some skills besides coursework and do your best to do a great job. Next summer you ask for his help in finding an internship through his industry connections. The following summer you build your resume a little and go to job fairs talk to the few connections you’ve built so far, apply to as many jobs as you can and find an internship on your own. Again you do your best and transition into getting a job offer upon graduation.

It just sounds far more realistic than clubs. I literally know dozens of students that did this and I personally wrote letters of recommendations to some of them. I don’t know of anyone that found a job through a club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not aware of any competitive clubs at my DC’s slac. Definitely not the vibe there.

Doesn’t apply to all slacs though. I know CMC has a very competitive investment club.

yes to CMC--most clubs and opportunities are competitive and if you're not in by junior year you're shut out of really anything.

I just checked the consulting club and this may have changed, but it seems that a lot of sophomores are on the consulting club and there’s plenty freshman. They probably just prefer having students who have done intro macro and micro economics.

Boy this is stupid, my version of consulting club was getting a book and discussing a case with a friend to get better at analysis, in preparation for an interview with McKinsey or BCG. Taking economics helps, but they also liked science and engineering backgrounds. Why do you need a club for this?

They do career treks and case competitions with consulting firms. You don’t want to be represented by students who know nothing about economics.

Ok I’ll pass. It’s more productive to volunteer with a business or economics professor than be filtered out by a sophomore that literally has zero professional experience.

You're filtered out if you don't have any connections to get into the club. These are networking opportunities that can carry forward into internships and job offers.

How about this idea: you work for a professor on a research project over the summer and develop some skills besides coursework and do your best to do a great job. Next summer you ask for his help in finding an internship through his industry connections. The following summer you build your resume a little and go to job fairs talk to the few connections you’ve built so far, apply to as many jobs as you can and find an internship on your own. Again you do your best and transition into getting a job offer upon graduation.

It just sounds far more realistic than clubs. I literally know dozens of students that did this and I personally wrote letters of recommendations to some of them. I don’t know of anyone that found a job through a club.

I've seen students get job offers via internships and get access to internships through connections from these competitive clubs among other connections. It's one way to help make an opportunity for yourself and the reasons it's competitive to get into some of these clubs. Why do you think it's so competitive to get into these clubs? It's not for fun.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m not aware of any competitive clubs at my DC’s slac. Definitely not the vibe there.

Doesn’t apply to all slacs though. I know CMC has a very competitive investment club.

yes to CMC--most clubs and opportunities are competitive and if you're not in by junior year you're shut out of really anything.

I just checked the consulting club and this may have changed, but it seems that a lot of sophomores are on the consulting club and there’s plenty freshman. They probably just prefer having students who have done intro macro and micro economics.

Boy this is stupid, my version of consulting club was getting a book and discussing a case with a friend to get better at analysis, in preparation for an interview with McKinsey or BCG. Taking economics helps, but they also liked science and engineering backgrounds. Why do you need a club for this?

They do career treks and case competitions with consulting firms. You don’t want to be represented by students who know nothing about economics.

Ok I’ll pass. It’s more productive to volunteer with a business or economics professor than be filtered out by a sophomore that literally has zero professional experience.

Who says they do? Many consulting firms start looking freshman year these days. Seriously, it’s a lot more competitive than when we were in college. Just the natural flow of things.

What do you mean by consulting firms start looking freshman year? Do you mean they want to see what applicants did since freshman year? Ok, but I’m doubtful consulting club is that helpful compared to working with a professor.

You can get a consulting offer for your freshman summer. You begin interviewing for junior summer now in your sophomore year.

[Anonymous]

Consulting club at Stanford does paid cases for Fortune 500 as well as startups. It is a 20hr a week commitment. It is very competitive to get in; but once you are a member of the club your path to MBB has been paved.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if the competitive preprof college clubs really matter? My kid is starting at penn and club applications and interviews sound very time consuming... during a time when kids are just settling in. I dont really understand the benefit of and high demand for preprof clubs. Do they provide a real advantage in the future job search or not? Wondering if they can/should avoid those clubs and focus time on studies, meeting people and finding some fun activities/orgs to join. Would appreciate any thoughts/experience on this topic...

For med school no and honestly your kid is better off doing their own thing and avoiding the pre med echo chamber. Not sure about other fields.

Question: While I agree that a lot of premed activities are not clubs (research, shadowing), it seems like one club a lot of premeds do and seem to think is helpful is EMT. Is that right? How competitive is that at various schools? Wondering particularly about competitiveness at mid-size (ivy, wash u, etc) vs top SLACS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wonder if the competitive preprof college clubs really matter? My kid is starting at penn and club applications and interviews sound very time consuming... during a time when kids are just settling in. I dont really understand the benefit of and high demand for preprof clubs. Do they provide a real advantage in the future job search or not? Wondering if they can/should avoid those clubs and focus time on studies, meeting people and finding some fun activities/orgs to join. Would appreciate any thoughts/experience on this topic...

DC at Ivy.

Pre professional clubs help with resume. There are jobs that just want the high stats kids who have taken the most rigorous math courses (like for quant jobs) but there are others (consulting) that want leadership, personality and ability to work with others. I personally have not heard of research opportunities leading to internships but YMMV.