AOs like the marketing talent of promoting a nonprofit, and the leadership of conning other kids to work for you instead of themselves. It signals the values of future donors.

We're talking about colleges here, the kinda of bloated ineffectual nonprofits.

Anonymous wrote:The only Harvard from my kids school started a non profit. But maybe it’s a good one. It did seem to accomplish some real things but it’s always unclear to me how much the parents are driving that. I work with a lot of teens and I don’t know any that could really manage a non profit in any real way (unless it was like a non profit to walk dogs or something….).

Is that kid at Harvard now? Did he/she keep that non-profit going while attending Harvard, or ditch it once admitted to Harvard?

Anonymous wrote:I’m the PP who said a kid risks looking arrogant and uninformed. I’ve been pretty cynical about a lot of these nonprofits for a while now, but reading the thread I realize that I have been overly dismissive.

The pandemic nonprofit is a good one, and yes, it’s great experience setting up an organization and running with it. Also, thinking about it. getting very involved with something and then moving on is what kids are supposed to be doing at this age.

So I dunno. I guess I’ve softened a bit since the long-go days of this afternoon. (Look at me, reading DCUM and growing less cynical.)

*long-ago days, that is.

I’m the PP who said a kid risks looking arrogant and uninformed. I’ve been pretty cynical about a lot of these nonprofits for a while now, but reading the thread I realize that I have been overly dismissive.

The pandemic nonprofit is a good one, and yes, it’s great experience setting up an organization and running with it. Also, thinking about it. getting very involved with something and then moving on is what kids are supposed to be doing at this age.

So I dunno. I guess I’ve softened a bit since the long-go days of this afternoon. (Look at me, reading DCUM and growing less cynical.)

Anonymous wrote:It still works. My kids didn’t want to start ones, and spent many hours volunteering at existing ones. But the kids who made their own and made it flourish, and were excellent students, got into Ivies.

I think there’s a reward for initiative.

My kids volunteered for existing ones and got into Ivies. Brought some unique skills to them, though (quartered chickens at food pantry because had chef/knife skills, employed unique art skills at various nonprofits, etc)

My little cousin started a food drive when he was 12 - it was a service project for his bar mitzvah. It really did well, to the point it was in Newsday, and that grew it even more. He has since graduated from college and it's STILL going. So that's like a decade.

I know a least one kid that had a legit one and he put some work into it and it still runs today (he was my intern a couple years ago and he had started the non profit in 9th grade I think). I think it shows some initiative. No one thinks they are creating the Red Cross with these but it at least shows some effort. My son had a business in HS - with a website and marketing spend etc. I mean it wasn't Microsoft but it was more than a lot of kids attempt. I'm sure AOs see these all the time now and it was not remotely helpful in my sons admissions but he funded his entire HS life with it, so it was a win-win.

I think if nothing much, its a good experience in setting up an organization and putting yourself out for charity work, even if target is to check the box on resume and fold after admission cycle.

I'd say some that fill a new need but most fillers. I do think this phase is ending and that for the most part AOs are valuing students who contribute to an existing organization more than ones who started another tutoring group or food drive. I will say, there are some pretty cool and unique ideas from some kids though, and I don’t think they are from parents.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If parents are really smart their kids start one together and then all get into Ivies.

FWIW, I'm the PP about the kids who started a food and service nonprofit in COVID. None of them got into Ivies REA/ED. But all three got into good schools and that EC - and full pay - may have helped.

I agree with the PP who says pandemic projects feel more authentic than many. In that situation, there was almost no existing infrastructure. Everyone was figuring out what was needed and how to help — a high school student had the same baseline knowledge as anyone else (and in fact given the increased risk for older people were in a unique situation to make a real difference). I’m quite moved by this one, actually.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If parents are really smart their kids start one together and then all get into Ivies.

FWIW, I'm the PP about the kids who started a food and service nonprofit in COVID. None of them got into Ivies REA/ED. But all three got into good schools and that EC - and full pay - may have helped.

j

I feel like the entities some kids founded during the pandemic have a bit more of a ring of authenticity and may have actually been somewhat novel and helpful. It was an unprecedented situation and taking initiative at that time may actually say something about those kids. As a general rule, most of these organizations are ploys for admissions purposes. The kids may really care about whatever issue but starting up a new entity is rather obvious…however I’ve also seen it work with kids at my kids’ HS.

The only Harvard from my kids school started a non profit. But maybe it’s a good one. It did seem to accomplish some real things but it’s always unclear to me how much the parents are driving that. I work with a lot of teens and I don’t know any that could really manage a non profit in any real way (unless it was like a non profit to walk dogs or something….).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If parents are really smart their kids start one together and then all get into Ivies.

FWIW, I'm the PP about the kids who started a food and service nonprofit in COVID. None of them got into Ivies REA/ED. But all three got into good schools and that EC - and full pay - may have helped.

The sad thing is that AOs still fall for all these glam posturing. The top student in my kid's school started a social media account and posted aggressively 6 months before Nov1. The posts stopped the day after Harvard REA came out-he was in and done.

Anonymous wrote:If parents are really smart their kids start one together and then all get into Ivies.

FWIW, I'm the PP about the kids who started a food and service nonprofit in COVID. None of them got into Ivies REA/ED. But all three got into good schools and that EC - and full pay - may have helped.

This reminds me of the kids who “publish” (I.e. their parents pay a prof to “work” with their kid and put their name on a paper).