Cross country, soccer, piano, violin, help at soup kitchen or homeless shelter, Democrat Party activities, yearbook, marching band.

Anonymous wrote:What are the most common/unremarkable ECs, unremarkable meaning that an admissions officer would not give much weight to them due to how widespread it is, even if there is leadership involved, and that would only catch an AOs eye if you won a national-level award for the EC?

IMO, the most common, especially in this area, would be student government, debate/model un, academic team/math/science/etc Olympiad, NHS, odyssey, Scouts, rec sports, and maybe theater

THis is a fundamental misunderstanding of how admissions works. They aren’t looking for a bunch of unicorns. They are looking for students who will make their community richer, often by participating in bog-standard activities like sports, theater, clubs. They are looking for commitment, impact, and leadership.

Every kid I know at a top-ranked school was “average excellent.” They had great grades and test scores, and they participated in (often led) regular activities. Super-smart, talented kids who presumably had excellent recommendations, but none of them had the sort of “stand-out” accomplishments people here seem to think are required for admission to top schools.

Of course the unicorns exist, but they aren’t the norm.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Part-time job, high school sport, high school club. One valedictorian. Volunteer.

So basically every EC.

There’s a lot of other things you can do. None of my DC’s extracurriculars were school-based.

I understand that there are other things you can do outside of school. I know parents think their kids need to be doing beekeeping, knitting groups with senior citizens, youth advisory boards, bird watching, gardening, published research, fundraising, organizing political protests, engaging impact through local environmental groups, etc., to get into a top 20 colleges. But the assumption that having a job, joining a school club, band, yearbook, playing a sport or volunteering has no value to AO because it is too common is ludicrous. Thousands of kids like this are admitted to top colleges every year.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What are the most common/unremarkable ECs, unremarkable meaning that an admissions officer would not give much weight to them due to how widespread it is, even if there is leadership involved, and that would only catch an AOs eye if you won a national-level award for the EC?

IMO, the most common, especially in this area, would be student government, debate/model un, academic team/math/science/etc Olympiad, NHS, odyssey, Scouts, rec sports, and maybe theater

Omg, stop trying to curate their application. Just let them pick. Their passion for it matters more.

What OP is really asking is what ECs should their DC do to stand out and catch the eye.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The Q is the most common, not the most “valuable” or important.

Travel soccer.

Yes. This was my kids most time consuming and prominent activity, but still got in unhooked RD to an Ivy.

That’s great. We will assume he has great grades and scores and did more than just travel soccer, yes?

It is still one of the most common ECs.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Model UN. Also, I once heard being an Eagle Scout is like writing an essay about your dead grandma.

Not true at all, from an AO friend.

+1 colleges adore Eagle Scouts

-1

I don’t think they like it more or less than any other sustained activity. I do think they used to love it.

Anonymous wrote:What are the most common/unremarkable ECs, unremarkable meaning that an admissions officer would not give much weight to them due to how widespread it is, even if there is leadership involved, and that would only catch an AOs eye if you won a national-level award for the EC?

IMO, the most common, especially in this area, would be student government, debate/model un, academic team/math/science/etc Olympiad, NHS, odyssey, Scouts, rec sports, and maybe theater

Omg, stop trying to curate their application. Just let them pick. Their passion for it matters more.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Part-time job, high school sport, high school club. One valedictorian. Volunteer.

So basically every EC.

There’s a lot of other things you can do. None of my DC’s extracurriculars were school-based.

Anonymous wrote:Part-time job, high school sport, high school club. One valedictorian. Volunteer.

So basically every EC.

Anonymous wrote:The Q is the most common, not the most “valuable” or important.

Travel soccer.

Yes. This was my kids most time consuming and prominent activity, but still got in unhooked RD to an Ivy.

I really dislike the move towards research. At worst, a student is displacing a seat that could’ve gone to an undergrad who needs the opportunity for their future.

Student council president is so boring and unremarkable, they don’t do anything and hardly have the budget or government to facilitate change so why do we care?

Part-time job, high school sport, high school club. One valedictorian. Volunteer.

This kind of cynicism ruins lives.

Would you completely overhaul your interests and hobbies based on what you think men on an online dating site would like? You wouldn’t, and your kid shouldn’t either.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Model UN. Also, I once heard being an Eagle Scout is like writing an essay about your dead grandma.

Not true at all, from an AO friend.

+1 colleges adore Eagle Scouts

Anonymous wrote:Model UN. Also, I once heard being an Eagle Scout is like writing an essay about your dead grandma.

Not true at all, from an AO friend.