How to be different

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Birding, knitting or crocheting (especially as a boy and joining a group with old people) are the two ECs that I know actual kids did. All 3 kids are at Ivies this year.

My DD crochets. EVERYONE in her school does it. It is not niche.

Maybe so, but do the AOs know this? Parents realize it, but the AOs who don’t have teens might think this sounds really creative and niche. The AOs fall for the parent created non-profits and the nepo or pay-to-play research projects, so they don’t really seem to be up on what goes on at these high schools.

The AOs are all over Youtube and TikTok where there are video lessons and experts doing it all the time. You are the only one who needs to catch up.

[Anonymous]

Crocheting is fun/creative. Same with sewing.
Woodworking? Also really good.
Birding/beekeeping /horticulture - all hot

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are some ways for a stem kid to separate themselves from the thousands of other high schoolers who do research, aime, “internships”, isef, etc?

Sports. Not an individual sport, but a true team sport where you have to be committed to the team and your teammates.

Shows ability to put others before yourself and also shows ability to maintain high academic success while spending hours per week doing something completely non-academic.

Really, any time consuming activity that is totally different from STEM. But sports fills this need particularly well.

Forgot to add to above, this is what my child did and he went to and graduated from a highly ranked STEM school and is working successfully in a STEM field now. His team sport experiences set him apart from many others and they have been useful to him through college and even now in his work.

if your kid is in the working world, he applied to college A LONG TIME AGO. Things have gotten even more competitive.

Yes, it was about seven years ago. Colleges are still looking for kids who can do their academic work while spending a LOT of time doing non-academic activities each day. AOs, and hiring managers, are well aware of the amount of time that a team sport can take up and how important it is for a kid to learn how to cooperate and know when to put the needs of others before their own.

In STEM, involvement in team sports is not as common, so it helps to set an applicant apart to AOs who typically understand the extent of commitment required and the positive skills developed by kids who have several years of playing a team sport.

Why are you weighing in (constantly)?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What are some ways for a stem kid to separate themselves from the thousands of other high schoolers who do research, aime, “internships”, isef, etc?

None of the above. Do what you want but take it up another level.

Likes the outdoors and spend time kayaking - Do that every weekend; Talk about why you are doing it, what you've observed and how it impacted your life.
'Passionate' about computer programming? Learn to code on your own (or classroom) but extend that to combine with a passion. e.g. build an app to recognize music and find the singer. write an app to convert sheet music to notes or create sheet music for a long the app listens to.
Passionate about mechanical engineering? Build your own motorcycle.

All of these are made easier if you could put a team together and work on it starting 9th grade. Everyone benefits.

[Anonymous]

This discussion is so exhausting. I wish our teenagers could just enjoy dating and going shopping with their friends and normal stuff teenagers actually enjoy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are some ways for a stem kid to separate themselves from the thousands of other high schoolers who do research, aime, “internships”, isef, etc?

Sports. Not an individual sport, but a true team sport where you have to be committed to the team and your teammates.

Shows ability to put others before yourself and also shows ability to maintain high academic success while spending hours per week doing something completely non-academic.

Really, any time consuming activity that is totally different from STEM. But sports fills this need particularly well.

Forgot to add to above, this is what my child did and he went to and graduated from a highly ranked STEM school and is working successfully in a STEM field now. His team sport experiences set him apart from many others and they have been useful to him through college and even now in his work.

if your kid is in the working world, he applied to college A LONG TIME AGO. Things have gotten even more competitive.

Yes, it was about seven years ago. Colleges are still looking for kids who can do their academic work while spending a LOT of time doing non-academic activities each day. AOs, and hiring managers, are well aware of the amount of time that a team sport can take up and how important it is for a kid to learn how to cooperate and know when to put the needs of others before their own.

In STEM, involvement in team sports is not as common, so it helps to set an applicant apart to AOs who typically understand the extent of commitment required and the positive skills developed by kids who have several years of playing a team sport.

Stereotyping STEM kids much? There are plenty of kids out there interested in stem that play sports and have ECs.

Take a look at how well the kids at TJ who play team sports do in admissions. They all know that they are not the norm for STEM kids, and they talk about it. I’ve driven the carpools and heard the kids talking in the back seats.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Drug dealer

Seriously. This will be the next thing AOs are looking for: show us you are not afraid of breaking the rules.

Sometimes it seems like the AOs are simply moving the goalposts but it seems to me that there are no goalposts. They are looking for the most special kids their school can attract. For any school under the top 100, a good GPA and SAT score will do the trick. You don't have to get crazy with being unique beyond grades and SAT score unless you are on the bubble. At about t25, having near perfect SAT and GPA barely gets you on the bubble so you have to be special in some other way that is attractive to them. Every school is different in this regard.

Stanford wants to see that you started a multi-million dollar start-up and are in your 3rd round of VC financing.
Harvard wants you to be a national level gun control activist and bestselling author.
MIT wants you to go to a summer camp at Carnegie Mellon.
Any of these places would take you if you had a single original thought.
etc.
No big deal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This discussion is so exhausting. I wish our teenagers could just enjoy dating and going shopping with their friends and normal stuff teenagers actually enjoy.

They can, but then their colleges will be normal too.

TANSTAAFL.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are some ways for a stem kid to separate themselves from the thousands of other high schoolers who do research, aime, “internships”, isef, etc?

Sports. Not an individual sport, but a true team sport where you have to be committed to the team and your teammates.

Shows ability to put others before yourself and also shows ability to maintain high academic success while spending hours per week doing something completely non-academic.

Really, any time consuming activity that is totally different from STEM. But sports fills this need particularly well.

Forgot to add to above, this is what my child did and he went to and graduated from a highly ranked STEM school and is working successfully in a STEM field now. His team sport experiences set him apart from many others and they have been useful to him through college and even now in his work.

if your kid is in the working world, he applied to college A LONG TIME AGO. Things have gotten even more competitive.

Yes, it was about seven years ago. Colleges are still looking for kids who can do their academic work while spending a LOT of time doing non-academic activities each day. AOs, and hiring managers, are well aware of the amount of time that a team sport can take up and how important it is for a kid to learn how to cooperate and know when to put the needs of others before their own.

In STEM, involvement in team sports is not as common, so it helps to set an applicant apart to AOs who typically understand the extent of commitment required and the positive skills developed by kids who have several years of playing a team sport.

Stereotyping STEM kids much? There are plenty of kids out there interested in stem that play sports and have ECs.

Take a look at how well the kids at TJ who play team sports do in admissions. They all know that they are not the norm for STEM kids, and they talk about it. I’ve driven the carpools and heard the kids talking in the back seats.

It doesn't really help them that much unless they are not getting recruited. It is just another extracurricular. It is probably better than AIME but not by much.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Fencing?

Unless you are being recruited for a college team, it’s just a very expensive hobby.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are some ways for a stem kid to separate themselves from the thousands of other high schoolers who do research, aime, “internships”, isef, etc?

Sports. Not an individual sport, but a true team sport where you have to be committed to the team and your teammates.

Shows ability to put others before yourself and also shows ability to maintain high academic success while spending hours per week doing something completely non-academic.

Really, any time consuming activity that is totally different from STEM. But sports fills this need particularly well.

Forgot to add to above, this is what my child did and he went to and graduated from a highly ranked STEM school and is working successfully in a STEM field now. His team sport experiences set him apart from many others and they have been useful to him through college and even now in his work.

if your kid is in the working world, he applied to college A LONG TIME AGO. Things have gotten even more competitive.

Yes, it was about seven years ago. Colleges are still looking for kids who can do their academic work while spending a LOT of time doing non-academic activities each day. AOs, and hiring managers, are well aware of the amount of time that a team sport can take up and how important it is for a kid to learn how to cooperate and know when to put the needs of others before their own.

In STEM, involvement in team sports is not as common, so it helps to set an applicant apart to AOs who typically understand the extent of commitment required and the positive skills developed by kids who have several years of playing a team sport.

Why are you weighing in (constantly)?

that poster's contribution is valid and interesting. you don't need to be a control freak / gatekeeper here, because that is neither helpful or interesting to the rest of us

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This discussion is so exhausting. I wish our teenagers could just enjoy dating and going shopping with their friends and normal stuff teenagers actually enjoy.

They can. Resist this nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Once you get on the hamster wheel, you have a hard time getting off and keeping up. Better to stay steady and you will have a good life. No need to needlessly strive for top 10 college when top 50 gets you the same life outcome.

[Anonymous]

I agree with those who suggest that meaningful engagement in differentiating activities is likely going to be helpful, whether or not that also signals social or economic class. Schools like "diverse" student bodies, and there will be plenty of ethnic, racial, and socio-economic diversity deliberately selected for an entering class. Further diversity through less commonly encountered interests and skills is likely to be a positive in an application.

Instructor-level competence and engagement in a martial art, skiing, scuba, another sport or a musical instrument would be a differentiator from those who are participants only and who do not have the skills or ability to teach as well as participate.

Rising to officer levels in the volunteer fire/EMS service is a differentiator from those who were not so promoted and who consequently can't use such activity to demonstrate leadership skills, initiative, and other desirable traits.

Eagle Scout is always impressive, at least among the cognoscenti (which include most admissions officers).

Become licensed in an activity with a high bar to entry, like private pilot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with those who suggest that meaningful engagement in differentiating activities is likely going to be helpful, whether or not that also signals social or economic class. Schools like "diverse" student bodies, and there will be plenty of ethnic, racial, and socio-economic diversity deliberately selected for an entering class. Further diversity through less commonly encountered interests and skills is likely to be a positive in an application.

Instructor-level competence and engagement in a martial art, skiing, scuba, another sport or a musical instrument would be a differentiator from those who are participants only and who do not have the skills or ability to teach as well as participate.

Rising to officer levels in the volunteer fire/EMS service is a differentiator from those who were not so promoted and who consequently can't use such activity to demonstrate leadership skills, initiative, and other desirable traits.

Eagle Scout is always impressive, at least among the cognoscenti (which include most admissions officers).

Become licensed in an activity with a high bar to entry, like private pilot.

How much do these activities matter?