is it possible to get into, say, Harvard, Princeton,etc. if you have awesome grades and awesome SAT’s and SAT II’s, and a rigourous courseload (9-10 AP’s with all A’s)…but you don’t have any amazing talents, national awards, or anything on your EC’s that’s just like…WOW?
Thanks!
<p>Yes, it's possible. You will need some kind of hook though. If your academics are really that standout, that might be it, but it'd be hard.</p>
<p>Anything is possible .... but EC's are supposed to give a better idea of the person behind the grades. It doesn't necessarily have to be an amazing talent or a national award (although they do help!) but atleast something that shows you have some interest outside of academics, and that you are a well rounded person.</p>
<p>If all you can do is study, then you don't bring something to the campus....colleges like variety, not just studious kids...</p>
<p>Probably not. There are tons of kids with 1600s and 4.0uw (50% at Harvard) who don't get in. But a level below the 1600/4.0s have a much better chance.</p>
<p>Let's be objective here. As far as I am concerned, this is a stupid question because a) nothing short of an admissions decision will give you a true answer, b) most of the numbers and %s you hear thrown around on these forums are total BS, and c) you can pretty much figure it out yourself.</p>
<p>Anything is possible; ECs are a major part of the application, and not having them will be reflected in the decision. There are circumstances that may get you in without them, but the obvious point is, <em>you are at a huge disadvantage if you do not have ECs</em></p>
<p>You have to understand that a lot of the "competitive" applicants to Ivies have a great all-around academic track record. The EC's, for the non-URM/athlete/billionaire-silver-spoon-kids, are what distinguishes you from all of the other applicants. With that said, if you do have the perfect scores and the perfect GPA and straight 5's across the board on 10 APs...you might want to consider the more score-based schools such as Caltech and MIT. Not saying that they place a lot less on ECs than the Ivies, it's just that they are more focused on the numbers than any of the Ivies.</p>
<p>just curious - what are some other top-notch universities known for being "score-based"?</p>
<p>I'm sorry to break the news... but Ivy League schools are NOT looking for mediocracy. They are looking for people with amazing ECs ON TOP OF amazing grades. I will be applying to the Ivy League next year and my ECs include being Concertmistress of 2 youth orchestras, 3 varsity sports, AIME qualifier and being featured in Who's Who Among American High School Students. Everyone applying to the Ivy League will have high grades/test scores; your ECs are what will get you in.</p>
<p>Righttttttt......... </p>
<p>Aren't UChicago, UCB & other UCs, and JHU largely scores-based or am I mistaken? (For the UCs, I'm talking about outstanding grades and really high SATs.)</p>
<p>hOtIvYlEaGuEwAnNaBecHiCk: just a heads up, don't put Who's Who as one of your achievements. it's widely known to be a scam with no prestige whatsoever associated with it.</p>
<p>your other ECs sound great though. good luck.</p>
<p>nilvedexd,
What exactly are your ECs? It's hard for people to give truly helpful answers without your explaining more about your EC activities.</p>
<p>gotcha</p>
<p>I'm a sophomore..I'll probably have more EC's by the time I apply.
Let's say when I do apply these are the EC's...</p>
<p>Science Olympiad, President..medals at state competitions
French Honor Society, President
NHS (maybe an officer)
MHS (maybe an officer)
Young Democrat's Association
Model United Nations
Hope Chinese school (worthless, maybe?), student gov't and volunteer 4hrs/week
Piano, 10 years, several competition awards
Travel soccer in competitive league, 5 years
Summer: Research Intership, taught English at community center in China</p>
<p>as you can see, no major awards, didn't start community service projects, etc. with awesome grades/SAT's, do I still have a chance at ivies?</p>
<p>I'm sorry to break the news... but Ivy League schools are NOT looking for mediocracy. They are looking for people with amazing ECs ON TOP OF amazing grades. I will be applying to the Ivy League next year and my ECs include being Concertmistress of 2 youth orchestras, 3 varsity sports, AIME qualifier and being featured in Who's Who Among American High School Students. Everyone applying to the Ivy League will have high grades/test scores; your ECs are what will get you in.</p>
<p>Uh huh. So tell me, are you saying that YOUR Ec's are anything steller? Because IMO, I think YOU have to work on YOURSELF a little more. </p>
<p>And who do you think you are to say "Ivy League schools are NOT looking for mediocracy?" What do you judge as being "mediocre?" who put you in charge to decide what they look for and not? Hmm?</p>
<p>And did anyone ask for your Ec's? No. </p>
<p>"your ECs are what will get you in."</p>
<p>I don't think so.</p>
<p>Back to the OP, I think you have great EC's. Don't stress too much, by the time of your junior year, I would recommend narrowing your list down, and focusing on certain Ec's that you KNOW you will shine in. You will get a lot more leadership positions in it, and also win awards.</p>
<p>wow some encouragement =D thanks tami</p>
<p>another question... (b/c i'm clueless about college admissions)
how important is community service?
if you have none, will it hurt you a lot? (i'm still referring to ivies).. is it something they expect?
also, do some schools weight AP's with +1.0 or something? my school weights with +0.5 and i keep seeing people with 4.3+ GPA's, which is practically impossible at my school. just wondering =/</p>
<p>nilvedxd,
My suggestion is to put your time and energy into the two ECs that you most enjoy and that you are most interested in . Top colleges aren't choosing student by how long students' laundry lists of ECs are. The top colleges look for depth of commitment: length of time in an organization, holding an office, winning awards, stating projects in the organization, and doing things that have made a difference with the organization. </p>
<p>One doesn't have to have done community service. What's important, however, is getting involved enough in an organization that you have learned a great deal from the experience and also have had a positive impact on the organization or on the community served by the organization.</p>