ECs That Actually Impress College Admissions Officers?

[Anonymous]

No definition of a “high EQ EC” yet.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No definition of a “high EQ EC” yet.

A job

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No definition of a “high EQ EC” yet.

A job

That’s an example

[Anonymous]

My son loves to collect/study poop as a hobby, inspired by the 5 dogs we used to own when he was around 3rd grade. He had to help walk the dogs around the lake and pick up after them. One of the dogs died not too long after producing dark and reddish poop, which my son saw but didn't take any actions. It was cancer. He was dejected about his inaction for the longest time, despite us telling him it likely wouldn't have made a difference.

In 9th grade we started working with a consultant in search of a unique narrative and a major-related activity for my son's college applications. Many ideas were floated, thought to be cool for a week or so, and then shot down as not being spiky enough. Until the discussion turned to our pets, and my son's lasting memory of the one who died. The consultant suggested that we could, perhaps, look into the feasibility of a "poop narrative." Our initial reaction was, surely enough, one of disgust. But considering the kind of competitions from our area for highly selective schools, we warmed up to the idea of using this narrative only for the most selective ones.

Following this risky suggestion, my son began learning about the science behind coprolites (fossilized feces), the information they carry about animals/humans (their health), and the repurposing of human manure as a resource (for environmental sustainability). He has been reading up on fecal microbiome research and visiting animal shelters to help out in general and assist vets who come by to see sick dogs/cats. He now has a few boxes of fecal matter in the garage he collected, analyzed, and created artistic designs out of in the past couple of years. He is, of course, also doing normal teenage boys things like sports and clubs, with more than 12 activities that he could plug and play for schools with different selectivity.

With his junior year coming to an end soon, he is gearing up for a summer long of writing his poop-based personal essay and "why major" essay. The consultant warned us to not have significant overlap between the two, so he plans to center the former around pets he grew up with and how the experience made him who he is today and let the latter be more science/hobby/animal shelter-focused. He plans to pursue either biochemistry or environmental science depending on school and we are hoping this unusual narrative is enough for a t20 (he has a 3.8 at a private and 1490).

[Anonymous]

^^^ ok good one!!
😂

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My son loves to collect/study poop as a hobby, inspired by the 5 dogs we used to own when he was around 3rd grade. He had to help walk the dogs around the lake and pick up after them. One of the dogs died not too long after producing dark and reddish poop, which my son saw but didn't take any actions. It was cancer. He was dejected about his inaction for the longest time, despite us telling him it likely wouldn't have made a difference.

In 9th grade we started working with a consultant in search of a unique narrative and a major-related activity for my son's college applications. Many ideas were floated, thought to be cool for a week or so, and then shot down as not being spiky enough. Until the discussion turned to our pets, and my son's lasting memory of the one who died. The consultant suggested that we could, perhaps, look into the feasibility of a "poop narrative." Our initial reaction was, surely enough, one of disgust. But considering the kind of competitions from our area for highly selective schools, we warmed up to the idea of using this narrative only for the most selective ones.

Following this risky suggestion, my son began learning about the science behind coprolites (fossilized feces), the information they carry about animals/humans (their health), and the repurposing of human manure as a resource (for environmental sustainability). He has been reading up on fecal microbiome research and visiting animal shelters to help out in general and assist vets who come by to see sick dogs/cats. He now has a few boxes of fecal matter in the garage he collected, analyzed, and created artistic designs out of in the past couple of years. He is, of course, also doing normal teenage boys things like sports and clubs, with more than 12 activities that he could plug and play for schools with different selectivity.

With his junior year coming to an end soon, he is gearing up for a summer long of writing his poop-based personal essay and "why major" essay. The consultant warned us to not have significant overlap between the two, so he plans to center the former around pets he grew up with and how the experience made him who he is today and let the latter be more science/hobby/animal shelter-focused. He plans to pursue either biochemistry or environmental science depending on school and we are hoping this unusual narrative is enough for a t20 (he has a 3.8 at a private and 1490).

It’s an interesting one. Not sure it will be enough. Hope you come back to report his results.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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?

Fair point. I would very much care. I agree that high school selection validated the interest. Perhaps I should have said: I no longer care to game the minutiae or look to manufacture interest once a certain authentic threshold has been met.

My point, perhaps not expressed well, is that once I knew he was in the game, I worried less about where exactly he stood. Because there is real relief and satisfaction to watching your child discover something they love, that they can work hard to be good at. That is why I no longer care to worry about whether his interest is “enough”. If it’s clever or impressive enough.

It’s his. It’s real. And it gets him in the game. No idea what the final result will be. I was hoping to be supportive of all the kids who have non academic interests. Maybe help them hit a pressure release valve. Some of them truly need this.

And thank you to the parent who validated that a non academic choice of where to invest time can be successful, as the Ivy AO confirmed to her child.

My kid only gets to be young once. I want him to work hard. I also want him to enjoy it.

You’re welcome. Best wishes to your DC, and everyone else’s for that matter. Really don’t understand any reason for meanness, especially when talking about kids!