Anonymous
11/14/2025 14:44
Subject: Why are extracurriculars so hard to join in college now?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Harvard has at least 9 a capella clubs
https://harvardacappella.github.io/statement/
Harvard has 25 Engineering clubs
https://seas.harvard.edu/applied-mathematics/clubs-organizations
Give it a rest. There are plenty of opportunities.
All of these schools have hundreds of clubs! People are just obsessing about a handful.
https://dso.college.harvard.edu/list-student-organizations
Bc if you don’t have the club, the IB interviews/case studies are a flop.
I'm a banker. I happened to be an econ major who had done some internships, but I knew many bankers, a number of whom went on to be extremely successful, who got banking jobs out of college with an English major and no relevant experience. The banks could figure out without doing banking specific case interviews that these people were really smart and would pick up the material quickly, and they had great training programs that taught them everything they needed to know, with the rest taught on the job.
A good chunk of the people who go to banks end up in some very esoteric niche area where all of the garbage being taught in the finance clubs is largely irrelevant anyway. I have had a very successful career in banking and have not come within a mile of a DCF or any trading related concepts.
The world you graduated in is totally different than what our kids are graduating in. I have 2 in the process now and it’s rough out there. Behavioral examples, technical screens, hireview hoops
Totally agree. 1985 called for an interview.
Anonymous
11/14/2025 12:52
Subject: Why are extracurriculars so hard to join in college now?
Anonymous wrote:I didn’t join any clubs in college. Just hung out with my friends. It’s not a requirement.
If you’re on this board and this forum it’s likely decades since you’ve been in college so what was true and worked for you then does not matter. Some things have changed and the club culture I think is one of those things.
Anonymous
11/14/2025 12:42
Subject: Why are extracurriculars so hard to join in college now?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:College is no longer a time to explore sadly. Many engineering clubs at top schools have applications and interviews you have to pass to make it into the club. Greek life is selective as always. Club sports are even more selective than varsity sports teams at large high schools. It’s insane
Its just numbers. 2,000 student public HS vs. 25,000 student university. Both basketball teams still can only play 5 at a time.
University of Alabama ah
has SEVEN basketball LEAGUES
https://www.imleagues.com/spa/intramural/49a3a2922d3f41c8ac1954774e7629be/home
Do not confuse intramural sports with clubs sports. Apples to Oranges.
Anonymous
11/14/2025 12:40
Subject: Why are extracurriculars so hard to join in college now?
Anonymous wrote:To all the wannabe bankers and consultants, whose children there are other avenues. My dc, best friend didn’t get into the top clubs for fiancé kid or consulting at their T20, took a different route he just applied to the quant finance firms, who are really a true meritocracy and got multiple offers, and got internships and then tried banking the next year and consulting this year. All the top firms in the nation. Funny part he placed the best in the entire school this year with multiple quant offer that pays un godly amount of money. Puts the Goldmans and McKinley’s to shame. So there is light at the end of tunnel. Seek other alternatives if you can’t make it to the clubs.
Sure they did.
Anonymous
11/14/2025 12:37
Subject: Why are extracurriculars so hard to join in college now?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Harvard has at least 9 a capella clubs
https://harvardacappella.github.io/statement/
Harvard has 25 Engineering clubs
https://seas.harvard.edu/applied-mathematics/clubs-organizations
Give it a rest. There are plenty of opportunities.
All of these schools have hundreds of clubs! People are just obsessing about a handful.
https://dso.college.harvard.edu/list-student-organizations
Bc if you don’t have the club, the IB interviews/case studies are a flop.
I'm a banker. I happened to be an econ major who had done some internships, but I knew many bankers, a number of whom went on to be extremely successful, who got banking jobs out of college with an English major and no relevant experience. The banks could figure out without doing banking specific case interviews that these people were really smart and would pick up the material quickly, and they had great training programs that taught them everything they needed to know, with the rest taught on the job.
A good chunk of the people who go to banks end up in some very esoteric niche area where all of the garbage being taught in the finance clubs is largely irrelevant anyway. I have had a very successful career in banking and have not come within a mile of a DCF or any trading related concepts.
You are more than welcome to get involved with recruiting at your firm and industry trade group and help change things. Otherwise you just sound smug and you were lucky to get in the old and easy way.
Poster isn't smug, they're honest. The banking concepts themselves aren't hard, I was a banker before leaving for Industry. Williams, Middlebury, and CMC place better in banking than half of the Ivy league and virtually everyone else. Williams and Middlebury do not have these club access issues (don't know about CMC). Is their way the 'old way'?
Anonymous
11/14/2025 11:49
Subject: Why are extracurriculars so hard to join in college now?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:College is no longer a time to explore sadly. Many engineering clubs at top schools have applications and interviews you have to pass to make it into the club. Greek life is selective as always. Club sports are even more selective than varsity sports teams at large high schools. It’s insane
Its just numbers. 2,000 student public HS vs. 25,000 student university. Both basketball teams still can only play 5 at a time.
University of Alabama ah
has SEVEN basketball LEAGUES
https://www.imleagues.com/spa/intramural/49a3a2922d3f41c8ac1954774e7629be/home
We all know what intramural/rec league sports are, yes?
Anonymous
11/14/2025 11:34
Subject: Why are extracurriculars so hard to join in college now?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:A lot of clubs at my son's school have an interview process and the sports teams have cuts.
He tried to join 4 clubs. Got into 2.
One, a sport, had over a hundred kids try out for 30 spots. Didn't make the team. Tried to join an investment club and didn't get an interview. The VP only got in as a second semester Junior. They invest 2 million. So, kind of a big deal. He didn't realize that it is the hardest club to get into. Got into a business fraternity. Also, didn't realize it was a tough one to join. Loves it. It has been awesome for him so far. Lastly, joined a club associated with his major. They took everyone.
Another example, he would love to join the pickle ball club but he feels that he isn't good enough. Even though he says he is a very good player for someone with a non-tennis background.
70 kids missed the but for a 30 person team? So make two teams and play each other!
The investment club as $2mlilion? Who cares? Ge can invest his own money or play money.
I swear the people complaining just wish that their kid was the one in the club rejecting others, and wouldn't want to join an open access club.
It isn’t a complaint. Just pointing out that it isn’t as easy to get involved as some parents think it is.
Anonymous
11/14/2025 10:32
Subject: Why are extracurriculars so hard to join in college now?
[quote=Anonymous]Because we have turned college into high school part 2. If you don’t push and have an amazing resume then you’ll never get a good job (insert panic here). So more people apply to these clubs and they just don’t have enough spots for everyone.
+1 not everyone should go to college, not everyone deserves A's in high school, not everyone deserves an award, etc
Anonymous
11/14/2025 09:54
Subject: Why are extracurriculars so hard to join in college now?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:College is no longer a time to explore sadly. Many engineering clubs at top schools have applications and interviews you have to pass to make it into the club. Greek life is selective as always. Club sports are even more selective than varsity sports teams at large high schools. It’s insane
Its just numbers. 2,000 student public HS vs. 25,000 student university. Both basketball teams still can only play 5 at a time.
University of Alabama ah
has SEVEN basketball LEAGUES
https://www.imleagues.com/spa/intramural/49a3a2922d3f41c8ac1954774e7629be/home
There you go. And you would need 10 to match the student-athlete ratio of HS.
Anonymous
11/14/2025 09:53
Subject: Why are extracurriculars so hard to join in college now?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Harvard has at least 9 a capella clubs
https://harvardacappella.github.io/statement/
Harvard has 25 Engineering clubs
https://seas.harvard.edu/applied-mathematics/clubs-organizations
Give it a rest. There are plenty of opportunities.
All of these schools have hundreds of clubs! People are just obsessing about a handful.
https://dso.college.harvard.edu/list-student-organizations
Bc if you don’t have the club, the IB interviews/case studies are a flop.
I'm a banker. I happened to be an econ major who had done some internships, but I knew many bankers, a number of whom went on to be extremely successful, who got banking jobs out of college with an English major and no relevant experience. The banks could figure out without doing banking specific case interviews that these people were really smart and would pick up the material quickly, and they had great training programs that taught them everything they needed to know, with the rest taught on the job.
A good chunk of the people who go to banks end up in some very esoteric niche area where all of the garbage being taught in the finance clubs is largely irrelevant anyway. I have had a very successful career in banking and have not come within a mile of a DCF or any trading related concepts.
You are more than welcome to get involved with recruiting at your firm and industry trade group and help change things. Otherwise you just sound smug and you were lucky to get in the old and easy way.
Why are banks delegating selection of employees to unqualified strangers? Why would they prefer a candidate recommended by some college kid over the ones recommended by the professors?
It makes no sense for them.
If your kid is having finding a banking job, maybe it's because the world doesn't need that many bankers.
Anonymous
11/14/2025 09:50
Subject: Why are extracurriculars so hard to join in college now?
Anonymous wrote:A lot of clubs at my son's school have an interview process and the sports teams have cuts.
He tried to join 4 clubs. Got into 2.
One, a sport, had over a hundred kids try out for 30 spots. Didn't make the team. Tried to join an investment club and didn't get an interview. The VP only got in as a second semester Junior. They invest 2 million. So, kind of a big deal. He didn't realize that it is the hardest club to get into. Got into a business fraternity. Also, didn't realize it was a tough one to join. Loves it. It has been awesome for him so far. Lastly, joined a club associated with his major. They took everyone.
Another example, he would love to join the pickle ball club but he feels that he isn't good enough. Even though he says he is a very good player for someone with a non-tennis background.
70 kids missed the but for a 30 person team? So make two teams and play each other!
The investment club as $2mlilion? Who cares? Ge can invest his own money or play money.
I swear the people complaining just wish that their kid was the one in the club rejecting others, and wouldn't want to join an open access club.
Anonymous
11/14/2025 09:45
Subject: Why are extracurriculars so hard to join in college now?
Anonymous wrote:I didn’t join any clubs in college. Just hung out with my friends. It’s not a requirement.
Are you a BigLaw partner or a bank GM?
Anonymous
11/14/2025 09:44
Subject: Why are extracurriculars so hard to join in college now?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:College is no longer a time to explore sadly. Many engineering clubs at top schools have applications and interviews you have to pass to make it into the club. Greek life is selective as always. Club sports are even more selective than varsity sports teams at large high schools. It’s insane
Its just numbers. 2,000 student public HS vs. 25,000 student university. Both basketball teams still can only play 5 at a time.
University of Alabama ah
has SEVEN basketball LEAGUES
https://www.imleagues.com/spa/intramural/49a3a2922d3f41c8ac1954774e7629be/home
Anonymous
11/14/2025 09:39
Subject: Why are extracurriculars so hard to join in college now?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:To all the wannabe bankers and consultants, whose children there are other avenues. My dc, best friend didn’t get into the top clubs for fiancé kid or consulting at their T20, took a different route he just applied to the quant finance firms, who are really a true meritocracy and got multiple offers, and got internships and then tried banking the next year and consulting this year. All the top firms in the nation. Funny part he placed the best in the entire school this year with multiple quant offer that pays un godly amount of money. Puts the Goldmans and McKinley’s to shame. So there is light at the end of tunnel. Seek other alternatives if you can’t make it to the clubs.
Interesting at my daughter’s hypsm, the cs/math/econ combo majors belong to the math and poker clubs that got those job offers. Yes they get paid insane however those interviews are mind bending and you have to be really smart. But yes it is a true measure of intelligence, and once they have been battle tested in those interviews. Bulge bracket consulting and investment banks tried to entice them during resume drops and meet and greats. So obviously they are valuing that background and experience.
Math nerds getting wuant jobs and being in the poker club doesn't mean that the poker club is the gateway to the job, or thet if all the smarter kids dropped out of the club to make room for your kid that your kid would get the job.
Here's a test:
Search up the club member's names on Google. I bet you'll find that they were already nerd-famous for their intelligence before they even joined the club.
Anonymous
11/14/2025 09:39
Subject: Why are extracurriculars so hard to join in college now?
Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Anonymous wrote:Harvard has at least 9 a capella clubs
https://harvardacappella.github.io/statement/
Harvard has 25 Engineering clubs
https://seas.harvard.edu/applied-mathematics/clubs-organizations
Give it a rest. There are plenty of opportunities.
All of these schools have hundreds of clubs! People are just obsessing about a handful.
https://dso.college.harvard.edu/list-student-organizations
Bc if you don’t have the club, the IB interviews/case studies are a flop.
I'm a banker. I happened to be an econ major who had done some internships, but I knew many bankers, a number of whom went on to be extremely successful, who got banking jobs out of college with an English major and no relevant experience. The banks could figure out without doing banking specific case interviews that these people were really smart and would pick up the material quickly, and they had great training programs that taught them everything they needed to know, with the rest taught on the job.
A good chunk of the people who go to banks end up in some very esoteric niche area where all of the garbage being taught in the finance clubs is largely irrelevant anyway. I have had a very successful career in banking and have not come within a mile of a DCF or any trading related concepts.
The world you graduated in is totally different than what our kids are graduating in. I have 2 in the process now and it’s rough out there. Behavioral examples, technical screens, hireview hoops