Reply to Insider Perspectives from a Highly Selective Admissions Office

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]"I agree the push to specialize is harmful, and for that I place full blame on the colleges. Honestly, I think little weight should be given to extracurriculars."

I think the thing people forget is that the point of specializing is NOT to become a world expert and then fight to avoid ever learning a new subject.

The point of specializing is learning to become good at SOMETHING in HS so that in college and in grad school and every few years after you have an idea what to do next to find your next project and know how the process of becoming good at something works.

If you read this: http://mitadmissions.org/apply/process/stats

You begin to get the idea that the focus on extracurriculars in admissions is to make sure that students have NOT achieved their high grades and test scores by studying around the clock.

It may be a chicken and egg situation, but I don't think you can blame the colleges for trying to find students who have talents other than their ability to delay gratification.
[/quote]  The push to specialize does nothing but stifle creativity, dampers the opportunity to try new things--perhaps setting up a dynamic where someone misses the change to do what s/he would be really good and love and perhaps even change humanity.  99.9% of high school kids doesn't have a true passion.  They simply do not have the life experience.  They end up getting pigeonholed too early and potential doors get closed.  The same thing happens in athletics.  If you don't start soccer at 6, you are off track.  Never mind that a great soccer play could develop in the later years or that early soccer player could have ended up be a world champion in another sport.  Opportunities lost and potential devalued. [/quote]

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