Anyone else find this business of EC's a little inane?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Colleges darned near require them, and they'd better show that you are a leader, goshdurnit, or you won't have a chance. Throw in some volunteering! As in, a few HUNDRED hours.</p>

<p>I mean, what the heck? Am I supposed to join clubs and do activities because it'll get me in college?</p>

<p>Diversity? Yeah, whatever. They'll have a uniform bunch of over-achieving scholarly leaders in their system. Apparently, you can't be a good college student without being an ZOMGZ LEADER. Because the ideal world is completely comprised of leaders. Everyone else? Pfsh. Like they have any use of a good education.</p>

<p>I understand rewarding kids who do geniunely love what they do in these EC's, but why punish the kids who have other interests? As in, a life outside of meeting the adcom's guidelines?</p>

<p>Sorry. It's just that, well, my own paltry EC's bar me from the higher colleges, and try as I might, I just can't commit the will to EC's that quite frankly, I would drop as soon as the application process ended. Since that is the case, I feel like I'd be gypping myself and the activity, so I can't do it. Something of a matter of foolhardy conscience, though I'll be the first to admit that there is a bit of lethargy mixed in.</p>

<p>I mean, really. I could volunteer with the local Salvation Army, but I wouldn't be able to keep myself in it once the incentive that the colleges provide leaves.</p>

<p>It irks me to hear some of my fellow students doing volunteer work and whatnot simply to pad their application. What kind of life lesson is that? That we ought to do these things because we'll get rewarded (or rather, punished if we don't)? What happens when that is no longer true?</p>

<p>Forgive the diatribe. It just miffs me, that's all.</p>

2

<p>YES!! These are my thoughts exactly. </p>

<p>I mean, okay I realize volunteering is good for the community and such, but I'd HONESTLY rather be spending my time not doing extra work. I'd rather sleep watch TV, go to the mall, or whatever, than do something because I know a college wants to see it.</p>

<p>I started a thread a while back asking if people honestly liked their ECs, and many people genuinely did, but I have a feeling that if colleges thought nothing of ECs then a lot fewer people would do them.</p>

<p>I volunteer at an animal shelter, and I've clocked about <15 hours. I'd rather go when I feel like hanging out with animals and not force myself to go every Sunday because I know that colleges will like it.</p>

<p>I am not a leader. I am a follower; I can do what the leader wants me to, provided I agree.</p>

<p>And about clubs - seriously, over half the clubs at my school don't even do anything worthwhile, even though they sound like they should. I've given up on ECs because I know I that I do them only because looks better and I think that's, well, stupid.</p>

<p>And sorry about this...like PrescitedEntity it just annoys me.</p>

3

<p>
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I started a thread a while back asking if people honestly liked their ECs, and many people genuinely did, but I have a feeling that if colleges thought nothing of ECs then a lot fewer people would do them.

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<p>So, how about all of those EC's that don't fit on the app, yet you still participate in them?</p>

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<p>I mean, I just have a weird compulsion to keep busy, which I guess works out when it comes to college admissions.</p>

<p>And don't volunteer for the Salvation Army if you can't find an "incentive." You really shouldn't need one..you're helping people.</p>

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<p>I haven't.</p>

<p>Man, I do sound like a bad person. But then again, if the majority of people actually would volunteer without an incentive, we'd have a lot less suffering in the world. I'm just your average, apathetic teenager.</p>

<p>What I don't like is the message that is getting across - "Do good works so you get a tangible reward!"</p>

<p>Shouldn't it be, "Do good works out of the good of your heart"? That's not something that can be learned, nor something that can be forced on a person.</p>

<p>And I, too, am more of a follower than a leader. I innovate; I come up with ideas, but I don't lead - I've never felt compelled to. Now, though, I'm being pressured to, and I can't stand it.</p>

6

<p>
[quote]
So, how about all of those EC's that don't fit on the app, yet you still participate in them?

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<p>I'm not trying to discredit people - I know that there are many people out there, and especially a ton here on CC, that do ECs because they genuinely love them. And that's good. I just can't find "incentive" in myself to do such things, maybe because I haven't found the right EC or maybe because I'm just an "apathetic teenager" as well.</p>

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<p>It adds subjectivity to the process, in other words it tends to de-emphasize the hard (objective) data like grades, scores, class rank etc.</p>

<p>In effect such increasing reliance on (primarily) soft data like essays, recommendations, and EC's - allow the AD COMs to admit exactly the students they want - including the yearly boatload of URM's they need to let in - and there is (among other things) no trail left to prove they made race based decisions, thus they avoid court limitations on color coding.</p>

<p>Now that said, some EC's are authentic and cannot be gamed like achieving Eagle Scout status, or skill in musical instrument, most sports, and lots of other things, however some students are just signing up for endless things to impress AD COMs</p>

<p>Now as for essays and recommendations - they are very questionable in many cases also</p>

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<p>Seems like people only do stuff to get into college nowadays...disturbs me.</p>

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<p>OMG, I am PMing you!</p>

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<p>At least people are getting involved. </p>

<p>.-_-.</p>

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<p>Yeah, but for the wrong reasons.</p>

<p>Sincerity, for me, is greater than accomplishments, within reason. I'd rather see heart in something trivial than falseness in something of importance.</p>

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<p>I honestly wouldn't half of my EC's if I didn't need to</p>

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<p>See, that's how I would feel. But my mixture of ethical standards and lethargy stops me from doing it, the former more than the latter.</p>

<p>If I can't put myself into it - if I'm faking devotion just to promote myself on a college application - is it really worth it? It feels like lying to myself, and I can't bear it.</p>

14

<p>OMG you are so right. Like half the people wouldn't do half the things if they weren't for college. For example like much less volunteerind definetely. Also no one would do any science research or thigns like that. I mean like do people actually like doing science research. I dont' think so. </p>

<p>People would still do stuff like sports and jobs for their own fun though.
Anyway it's a crazy world that we live in.</p>

15

<p>
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I mean like do people actually like doing science research.

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Perhaps. Can true research be conducted half-heartedly?

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People would still do stuff like sports and jobs for their own fun though.

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The ones who can would. :)

[quote]
Anyway it's a crazy world that we live in.

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Indeed. ;)</p>

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<p>I dont have any Business ECs, yet i'm applying as a business major. It's not really a problem. (unless you're looking at top cutthroat schools like Penn, MIT, UCB, UMich, etc.)</p>

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<p>YES! 75% of my school suffers from the chronic syndrome of "I-MUST-PILE-UP-ON-ECs-OR-ELSE-I'M-A-HARVARD-REJECT-WHICH-WOULD-SUCK". Unfortunately, colleges are breeding a bunch of crazy, "quantity over quality" go-getters who are all OCD control freaks. Bravo.</p>

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<p>
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Sincerity, for me, is greater than accomplishments, within reason. I'd rather see heart in something trivial than falseness in something of importance.

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</p>

<p>AMEN! I think I want to put that on my gravestone or something.</p>

<p>I qualified for NHS at my school, but I'm not going to do it. All you do is sit around and do a bunch of volunteer work, and then you get to wear a pretty sash at graduation. Yipee. It won't be fun for me, and I really don't want to do something if its only purpose is to make me look slightly better on an application. It's just ridiculous.</p>

<p>I'm an intelligent and interesting person, but my EC's will probably bring me down in college admissions because I'm not willing to do the usual stuff just so it looks good on paper. I'm involved in stuff, but I haven't done much volunteer work because, oh my gosh, the horror, I'm a normal teenager who would rather watch Grey's Anatomy than sort through smelly clothes at a shelter.</p>

<p>Those were extremes to make my point. Seriously, I do better stuff with my time other than Grey's Anatomy. It is a good show though.</p>

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<p>if you want to get away from all the EC chicken-s***, try applying in Canada or Britain. They don't care about that kind of thing as much; as opposed to American universities, international schools generally just look at your stats, little else.</p>

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<p>
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Also no one would do any science research or thigns like that. I mean like do people actually like doing science research. I dont' think so.

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<p>I like my research, and I'm sure lots of other people do too.</p>