<p>What if he can’t do more ECs? He will die. </p>
<p>Just kidding, he’ll be fine! He should do what he loves, because that dedication, discipline, and passion is what colleges want. It shows kids are self aware and that they’re curious about life beyond what is required of them to graduate. It shows that they’ve been leaders and have worked their way up to the top of an organization while at the same time maintaining good grades. So it’s a good thing. Relax. Let your son be who he wants to be and he’ll get into the college the recognizes that who is he is a great person.</p>
<p>LOL! Yup - I still remember the look on DS#1’s face when (just after we moved to Houston) I picked him up after his first (8-8) day of band camp. Oh my…if looks could kill!!!</p>
<p>Band is a great EC as it allows for individual acheivement as well as working together as a group (within a section and in the band as a whole), and also requires outstanding time-management skills. There is a lot of opportunity for variety (marching band, concert bands, jazz bands, orchestras, musical pit bands, etc) and a lots of potential leadership positions.</p>
<p>This has all been so affirming and helpful. And Grcxx3, you’ve helped me recognize a great metaphor in S’s particular marching instrument, which is bass drum–not that I would urge him to write his essay on band, though obviously some do. S made the point himself, actually, when he was invited to switch to tenors/quad toms for junior year (having played in pit as a freshman and bass as a sophomore–because he wanted to be on the field marching!). I thought the decision to stay on bass was because he’s now a section leader but he said no, he liked bass because it was the marching instrument that requires the most total cooperation/coordination with other players, since each bass player in effect solos in a close succession from which no one part can be omitted. (He said it more neatly, but you get the idea.)</p>
<p>"I thought the decision to stay on bass was because he’s now a section leader but he said no, he liked bass because it was the marching instrument that requires the most total cooperation/coordination with other players, since each bass player in effect solos in a close succession from which no one part can be omitted. "</p>
<p>Might eventually be a good subject for his application essays. It says a lot about his character. It’s also unusual for teens to be so insightful.</p>
<p>Don’t rule out the band as a topic for essays. The majority of my son’s essays (especially some of the “bigger” ones) dealt with his band experience.</p>
<p>However, he did have a “slant” to his - as he came into the band as a junior after many years overseas, so everything was brand new to him and being part of the band made a HUGE difference in adjusting to the new (and to him HUGE) school.</p>
<p>Yes, Band is a great topic for essays. One of my son’s essays dealt with his reaction to the US Marine Corps Drill Sergeant who was brought in to drill the band for the Rose Parade. He learned a lot from that man, and a lot about himself in the process.</p>
<p>The State Fair parade goes by my office building every year. The USMC band always starts the parade. I look down at them from 45 stories up and their spacing is PERFECT.</p>
<p>Well I admit I was being a bit tongue-in-cheek but those admission officers drive me crazy when they stand up there and make pronouncements that they want the kids with a passion for one thing instead of dabbling in a bunch of things. If a kid has already discovered what they love in high school that’s great but for most kids HS is a time to dabble in a bunch of things.</p>
<p>Observing my D’s experience and that of her peers, I think the correct answer is that top colleges are looking for excellence in whatever path the student has pursued- a pointy path or a well-rounded path. </p>
<p>My D was probably helped by the fact that she was well-rounded academically and in the EC department, with solid accomplishments in three different ECs. But her pointy peers also did very well- one is an academic superstar with very little EC talent or accomplishment; the other took a light academic load but had a huge extracurricular life and was at the conservatory level in two different aspects of classical music. All got into top ivies. All three excelled in whatever they chose to pursue, however they chose to pursue it.</p>
<p>I guess I have different interpretations of what was said, different from Vicarious.
As I understand it, a student with a “pointy” record was selected, leading ShangaiMom to the conclusion that “well-rounded” is no longer valuable, or is now “out”.
NSM proved otherwise, and mentioned the rare student that may have multiple in depth passions.
Vicarious believes they are seeking excellence in any path- “pointy” or “well-rounded” and gives the example of a “pointy” student that was accepted at an Ivy.
I guess my position is that neither of these examples lead me to one conclusion.
Because a “pointy” student was accepted does not mean a well-rounded student isn’t desired. And if a “pointy” student is accepted, that doesn’t prove a broad principle that that kind of student is preferred over a well-rounded one. It only shows THAT student was preferred over some other, but we don’t know who, how, or why.</p>
<p>Example: I am seeking light bulbs for hallways in a large apartment complex. Sometimes I have used 100 w long-life, 75w regular, 75w long-life, and even 60w bulbs. The fact that in actuality I have installed a variety of bulbs is no indication of my preference. It could be random chance of what I had with me, or of what was available to me at the time. A tenant who sees I have chosen a 60W bulb in his hallway cannot logically conclude that is my preference. They also cannot conclude that I don’t want a 75, merely based on seeing a 60w being used.</p>
<p>I asked the Yale admissions rep that came to our school about well-rounded vs well-pointy. She said there was room for both in a well-rounded class. That said, I think it’s easier to make a case for yourself as well-pointy. I also don’t think it hurts to be a pointy kid who looks more well-rounded than they really are. For example, my computer geek got a 5 on APUSH, an 800 on the US SAT2, and his best score on the SAT1 was CR every time he took it. For his optional essay for Harvard he submitted a booklist of what he’d read in the last year that had over 100 books on it. He made it clear he was a computer nerd, but he clearly was no slouch in other departments.</p>
<p>OP: Through our experience with 2 kids and numerous discussions with college admissions reps, many colleges will value the applicant who “took their EC deep”. There are so many applicants with exhaustive lists of ECs, but the ones who took one EC up a couple of levels show leadership and commitment will stand out when compared to others with similar academic and test scores.</p>
<p>I voiced the “well rounded is out” comment because that’s what I kept hearing at admissions events at our high school last year. I think it was more that the reps are just bored with well rounded. Often they would site the junior olympic gymnast or the concert pianist as examples of the kids with a passion that they were looking for to diversify their freshman class. The take away I got was that kids should start early and find something to be passionate about and never waver from it - but none of my kids ever did that - they never lived in one place long enough to do that!<br>
I do think there is a difference between what the admissions people say and who actually gets into the school. My oldest was definitely a well rounded one -she got the school award for well rounded-ness - but she still got into her top school.</p>