Entry into Student run Clubs at Ivy

[Anonymous]

This was eye opening…and so sad.

https://www.reddit.com/r/ApplyingToCollege/s/zaekWj0d7L

[Anonymous]

My kid is at an Ivy that has gotten some bad press for “exclusive club culture.” She applied/tried out for a ton of things freshman year and got plenty of rejections but some nice opportunities too. Here’s the thing - clubs are student run and have budgets. You can’t have 200 kids on thr debate team or any other group/club, it would be chaos. And these kinds of schools are filled with students who want to do ALL THE THINGS so if course there are going to be more interested students than spots. But these schools also have plenty of clubs that are open to anyone and casual, and ambitious students start new ones all the time. It works out. The key is not to set your heart on a particular club or activity and to cast the net wide

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This must be Ivy specific. I went to a top ten non Ivy school and there was absolutely nothing like this. Seems super weird.

My child attends an Ivy. He is not having problems with joining clubs. No, he is not rich or an athlete. He is an introverted nerd, but he has a laid-back personality that people seem to be drawn to. He is pretty chill and easy going. My child joined some clubs, and the other students welcomed him with open arms. Actually, since school started, my child is getting bombarded with invitations to join clubs.

It isn’t your kid’s personality- it is that he isn’t going for clubs with limited spots.

DP. My kid made a club sport team and got into 2 clubs easily. He’s unhooked. Not recruited for anything. Not a legacy. Really loved the school and made a ton of friends the first few weeks.

[Anonymous]

Isn’t it more “ivy” to be a self starter and start your own club? Why do you need to rely on other people to do the groundwork. Do it yourself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This must be Ivy specific. I went to a top ten non Ivy school and there was absolutely nothing like this. Seems super weird.

My child attends an Ivy. He is not having problems with joining clubs. No, he is not rich or an athlete. He is an introverted nerd, but he has a laid-back personality that people seem to be drawn to. He is pretty chill and easy going. My child joined some clubs, and the other students welcomed him with open arms. Actually, since school started, my child is getting bombarded with invitations to join clubs.

It isn’t your kid’s personality- it is that he isn’t going for clubs with limited spots.

DP. My kid made a club sport team and got into 2 clubs easily. He’s unhooked. Not recruited for anything. Not a legacy. Really loved the school and made a ton of friends the first few weeks.

Right…bc he is not going out for clubs with limited spots. Club sports teams are easy to make.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Dc (entering freshman) was a little shocked by the student club culture. Every single club needs applications and interviews and most have a very low probability of acceptance. Seriously regretting the decision to go to an Ivy. This was hardly DC's idea of what college life would be. We were willy to not know about any of this stuff?

I have commonly heard this from students at Yale. I was stunned, being a Michigan grad myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is at an Ivy that has gotten some bad press for “exclusive club culture.” She applied/tried out for a ton of things freshman year and got plenty of rejections but some nice opportunities too. Here’s the thing - clubs are student run and have budgets. You can’t have 200 kids on thr debate team or any other group/club, it would be chaos. And these kinds of schools are filled with students who want to do ALL THE THINGS so if course there are going to be more interested students than spots. But these schools also have plenty of clubs that are open to anyone and casual, and ambitious students start new ones all the time. It works out. The key is not to set your heart on a particular club or activity and to cast the net wide

The bolded are inconsistent. You say some clubs are casual and open to anyone. The question is why are so many at score schools not?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is one of the problem with ivies. What school, OP? I know Penn is awful. Such a cutthroat atmosphere.

Yes, Penn does not look good. DC having club rejections. Ridiculous.

OP here. Penn.

I knew it. Penn has such a reputation for being competitive and unwelcoming. I wonder whether anyone would apply if it weren’t an Ivy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DS is a highly recruited athlete freshman at an Ivy, and he got many invites to join exclusive clubs. One of his teammates' older brothers is the head of one of those clubs. DS was told that he could be a member of the club by: a) coming from a wealthy family or b) an athlete. He fit the latter.

I assume the level of recruitment was irrelevant, but rather there are clubs controlled by teams/frats/etc. For example, I bet the recruit who was offered the last spot on the team gets the same benefits.

I am the PP. My DS is the best athlete on the team so he was offered a spot in the exclusive club. He also receives extra benefits that the worst athlete doesn't get in that club, according to my DS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is at an Ivy that has gotten some bad press for “exclusive club culture.” She applied/tried out for a ton of things freshman year and got plenty of rejections but some nice opportunities too. Here’s the thing - clubs are student run and have budgets. You can’t have 200 kids on thr debate team or any other group/club, it would be chaos. And these kinds of schools are filled with students who want to do ALL THE THINGS so if course there are going to be more interested students than spots. But these schools also have plenty of clubs that are open to anyone and casual, and ambitious students start new ones all the time. It works out. The key is not to set your heart on a particular club or activity and to cast the net wide

Swarthmore for years had an award winning debate team. No cuts. The first meeting filled an auditorium. Not surprisingly over half the kids dropped out over the first 3 weeks. All part of the college experience of trial and error. Novice debaters became national champions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is one of the problem with ivies. What school, OP? I know Penn is awful. Such a cutthroat atmosphere.

Yes, Penn does not look good. DC having club rejections. Ridiculous.

OP here. Penn.

I knew it. Penn has such a reputation for being competitive and unwelcoming. I wonder whether anyone would apply if it weren’t an Ivy.

NP. Also Penn parent from DMV (sophomore DC). The club culture is atrocious. Unwelcoming students who run these places like tyrants and relish their power to admit. Imperious and sometimes vulgar. Nepotism too rules the scene.

[Anonymous]

Clubs that have zero applications at Harvard Business School: consulting, private equity, marketing, banking, real estate, family business…

Undergrads with zero work experience have no business filtering out who can be in these clubs. As someone in the industry I would scoff at a kid who tried or boasted about it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think this is one of the problem with ivies. What school, OP? I know Penn is awful. Such a cutthroat atmosphere.

Yes, Penn does not look good. DC having club rejections. Ridiculous.

OP here. Penn.

I knew it. Penn has such a reputation for being competitive and unwelcoming. I wonder whether anyone would apply if it weren’t an Ivy.

My kid is at Penn…no problem joining a club sport team, sports analytics club, entrepreneurial club. Never interested in the IBanking or VC clubs which are probably nuts. Says there 100+ clubs that aren’t competitive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid is at an Ivy that has gotten some bad press for “exclusive club culture.” She applied/tried out for a ton of things freshman year and got plenty of rejections but some nice opportunities too. Here’s the thing - clubs are student run and have budgets. You can’t have 200 kids on thr debate team or any other group/club, it would be chaos. And these kinds of schools are filled with students who want to do ALL THE THINGS so if course there are going to be more interested students than spots. But these schools also have plenty of clubs that are open to anyone and casual, and ambitious students start new ones all the time. It works out. The key is not to set your heart on a particular club or activity and to cast the net wide

Best Answer! Maybe we have kids at the same ivy. OR maybe they are all similar in culture. It works out!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:DC's school, a top SLAC, doesn't allow clubs to get funding if they require applications or tryouts for entry. He reports that his friends at Ivies are shocked—and impressed—when they hear of this.

This has not been DC’s experience at Williams or Pomona. Club applications everywhere. Where does your dc go?

Amherst