Anonymous wrote:Funny this video mentions Eagle scout and what college counselor thinks

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DS22zBkD1rL/?igsh=eHh1dzA3YjNodG9p

Are you Margaret Cates? That's the name that pops up as the person sharing this video. If so, you may want to ask Jeff to remove your link OR to delete everything in the link from the ? onward.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My kid listed Eagle halfway down his list of activities — behind his main passion ECs, research, and part time job, but before his other volunteering and clubs. He knew it wasn’t a gamechanger, but there is something to be said for an activity with long-term goals that span 5-6 years, involving planning ahead, working with adults and peers and younger kids, demonstrating leadership and cooperation in different situations (2 week backpacking trips, teaching merit badge classes to younger scouts, etc). That may not all be conveyed just by the title “Eagle Scout” but can be helpful in supplementals (and life in general).

The issue I have is that the focus for Eagle scout is on how long it takes, that it’s difficult, not many people get it.

Instead AOs want to hear about the impact. What was planned, what did the work with adults and children resulted in, what was taught to kids?

It’s pretențios to claim that camping and backpacking resulted in changing the community for the better when it’s closer to a recreational activity.

If teaching is your thing, I’d list tutoring other kids at school ahead of Eagle Scout, which I think it’s just a collection of relatively useless tasks.

What is the most notable activity for Eagle Scouts? A 50 mile bike ride, a public presentation, learning the basics of finances? You’ll do this and more being and athlete or involved in a high school club leadership.

There are over 50,000 new eagle scouts every year.
Becoming an eagle scout is not competitive, it is mostly a matter of diligence and sticktuitivity.

Eagle scout is probably less time intensive than a varsity letter in most sports

Anonymous wrote:Funny this video mentions Eagle scout and what college counselor thinks

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DS22zBkD1rL/?igsh=eHh1dzA3YjNodG9p

Sure let’s get extracurricular college admission advice from the 70 year old grandpa. He’s still grumbling about trans kids in women sports because he can’t wrap his mind around women being allowed to play sports.

Anonymous wrote:Funny this video mentions Eagle scout and what college counselor thinks

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DS22zBkD1rL/?igsh=eHh1dzA3YjNodG9p

Funny how? The "college counselor" in the video claims to have been an attorney, businessman and financial advisor...anyone can be a college counselor. His main background is also in real estate: https://www.linkedin.com/in/darryl-zilberstein-1b277314/

His reviews are only from people in CA (on his website) and while it claims he got someone/people into Penn, Princeton, Cal, USC, and UCLA, he is also listing Drexel, St. Olaf, Oberlin, Colby, Syracuse and BC as places that admitted from his company.

So, take what he says with a grain of salt...

Anonymous wrote:That uniform with the badge sash looks incredibly stupid. My middle school kid would not be caught wearing it even if he were paid hard cash.

It’s an activity for nerds, dweebs, and weirdos.

Ferris Bueller is even popular with them!

Just attended my DC's eagle scout ceremony!

I don't think it matters that much anymore. He was denied ED1 to his top choice. His older brother is at UW Seattle, after being shut out at all his reaches.

That uniform with the badge sash looks incredibly stupid. My middle school kid would not be caught wearing it even if he were paid hard cash.

It’s an activity for nerds, dweebs, and weirdos.

Anonymous wrote:My kid listed Eagle halfway down his list of activities — behind his main passion ECs, research, and part time job, but before his other volunteering and clubs. He knew it wasn’t a gamechanger, but there is something to be said for an activity with long-term goals that span 5-6 years, involving planning ahead, working with adults and peers and younger kids, demonstrating leadership and cooperation in different situations (2 week backpacking trips, teaching merit badge classes to younger scouts, etc). That may not all be conveyed just by the title “Eagle Scout” but can be helpful in supplementals (and life in general).

The issue I have is that the focus for Eagle scout is on how long it takes, that it’s difficult, not many people get it.

Instead AOs want to hear about the impact. What was planned, what did the work with adults and children resulted in, what was taught to kids?

It’s pretențios to claim that camping and backpacking resulted in changing the community for the better when it’s closer to a recreational activity.

If teaching is your thing, I’d list tutoring other kids at school ahead of Eagle Scout, which I think it’s just a collection of relatively useless tasks.

What is the most notable activity for Eagle Scouts? A 50 mile bike ride, a public presentation, learning the basics of finances? You’ll do this and more being and athlete or involved in a high school club leadership.

Anonymous wrote:They build a bench that no one needed. The end.

If you build it, he will come

Anonymous wrote:They build a bench that no one needed. The end.

You don’t understand the program at all

My kid listed Eagle halfway down his list of activities — behind his main passion ECs, research, and part time job, but before his other volunteering and clubs. He knew it wasn’t a gamechanger, but there is something to be said for an activity with long-term goals that span 5-6 years, involving planning ahead, working with adults and peers and younger kids, demonstrating leadership and cooperation in different situations (2 week backpacking trips, teaching merit badge classes to younger scouts, etc). That may not all be conveyed just by the title “Eagle Scout” but can be helpful in supplementals (and life in general).

Funny this video mentions Eagle scout and what college counselor thinks

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DS22zBkD1rL/?igsh=eHh1dzA3YjNodG9p

They build a bench that no one needed. The end.

Eagle Scout is not a great extracurricular. It’s an assortment of achievements of dubious value and impact. They are not difficult, for the athletic ones, the level of physical preparedness is average so in that sense is less demanding than a sport. Many are just reading up things and discuss with the counselor, and require no mastery or skills.

The badges that may be useful like First Aid, are much better done through other organizations like Red Cross, which take about the same amount of time, but you’re getting a certification that legitimately verifies the learned skills.

Same with swimming or lifeguarding, take it through Red Cross to actually mean something if the student is looking for a summer job. Nobody is taking scout badges seriously.

A part time job is way more impactful for college applications, just check the common data set, it’s listed as a criteria for many colleges.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I'd say it is a solid 6, and a 7.5 if he also does Boys State which used to be a 7 but is now a 5-6? You can get the same effect if you do student government in school. Or National Honors which is also a solid 5.

Nobody cares about National Honors anymore. It's close to meaningless. The standard is just not that high. Agree student government leadership and Eagle Scouts are on viewed similarly though, with a bigger bump for ES girls.

I’m sorry, but I don’t understand the bolded at all. I think of being the best in the nation as a big achievement. Can you tell me more?

It's not best in the nation, though. The GPA requirement is pretty low, 3 or 3.5 depending on where you are. It is a solid way to show commitment to academics, and to do some service and leadership, but most of the 4.0 kids at DC's magnet school didn't bother because they had all those things anyway. If it were tied into academic rigor in a meaningful way, that would be one thing, but it's really not. It simply demonstrates you are a good, well-rounded student, which is fine but doesn't move the needle for elite schools.