<p>I'm just sort of curious what you all think.
I play chess competitively and I tied for 3rd individual nationally for 11th grade last year and the school team for 4th. I basically single handedly grew and trained the team and my high school hadn't even gone to any tournaments for years (when I joined the club there were only 2 members). Also obviously I've been captain since I joined.
Anyways, barring the expressed leadership skills, how do you guys think nationally top ranked at chess would help in applications to Princeton? I know it isn't like being nationally ranked for a physical sport (at least I don't think so) but do you think it's an ec that might help my app stand out some? I know Columbia has the best Ivy chess team, so maybe Princeton would want to try to improve their team, or maybe they have absolutely no interest in doing so. Anyways, if anyone knows anything about Princeton and chess or has any opinion on the effect it would have in my application, I'd like to hear, because it's my main EC and the focus of much of my application.</p>
<p>it’s interesting, hopefully memorable. That’s generally a good thing. </p>
<p>I agree. Will it move the needle appreciably? IMO no.</p>
<p>I think it will make a very favorable impression.</p>
<p>Agree with Sherpa. “Single handedly grew and trained the team and my high school hadn’t even gone to any tournaments for years (when I joined the club there were only 2 members)” shows leadership, passion and initiative, which are traits that do very well in the acceptance process. </p>
<p>My son’s EC is also focused on Chess, and his college choice was dependent on two things: academics and chess. He’s president of the chess club in our city, started and runs a chess club for the elementary school, as well as being a tournament director. He attends a small school, so he also has 4 years of varsity track and basketball, plays, choirs, etc. But he downplayed the other EC’s since those EC’s do not represent what he loves to do. He vetted out Harvard, MIT, Columbia, Penn, UMBC and UT-Dallas with visits and overnight stays. The last week of November I asked him if he was going early action at one of these schools, and he simply stated, “I’m going Princeton.” He has since vetted out Princeton and he likes the chess scene, and he likes the kids he stayed with and met during his visit. </p>
<p>If he is deferred, RD will go to the other schools, plus a couple others that he has chosen for other reasons.</p>
<p>Best of luck to your son! Sounds like a great person and chess player. Those are some great accomplishments, and it makes me happy that others live and spread chess. Maybe we’ll both go to Princeton and end up in the chess club together, that would be cool!
Thank you all for the input. Of course any other input would also be appreciated! (Oops passive voice.)</p>
<p>You should definitely include it. I don’t think a lot of schools are necessarily looking for chess players under the extra stuff section, but it makes you stand out. Going to nationals is amazing and it is clearly a leadership position. Besides, Ivy League schools are obviously about smarts, so if it makes you look smarter, put it down, even if it is not a “physical sport”.</p>
<p>Well yeah I mean it was definitely a theme in my application, no way I wouldn’t include it. I’m mainly curious if anyone knows at all how Princeton/top schools view chess as an ec. Doesn’t matter so much since application stuff for pton is out of my control now, but still I’m curious.</p>
<p>There are two national tournaments, one which is 9-12 (usually held in April), and the other which is grade specific, and
usually held in December. Tying for 3rd nationally on the 9-12 one is notable, whereas on the grade specific one it is much less so. </p>
<p>What is much more relevant is your ranking by age on the USCF tables top ratings tables. Are you in the top 20, or even better, top 10? That’s notable. Top 50 or below is much less so. </p>
<p>Depends. Are you Asian? If no, then yeah, it’s gonna help you. If you are Asian, then the AdComm could just think, “Oh great, another cookie-cutter high-powered Asian kid who plays chess.” Sorry to be blunt, but that’s the truth of the matter in an admissions process driven by JFK affirmative action. </p>
<p>I would doubt if your chess rating has anything to do with acceptance at Princeton since they do not give out Chess scholarships. Leadership, passion and initiative are traits they are looking for, as well as someone who fits in with and gives to the Princeton community. Adults like kids who play well with others, and this is important to schools.</p>
<p>UMBC looks for 2000 rating. An 1800 and rising rating could get you a full-ride at U-Texas Dallas. But Princeton would look at it like any other EC.</p>
<p>what about national/international achievement in an instrument? </p>
<p>My rating is not exceptionally high, but a lot of this is because I started about 2 years ago and have rapidly improved, but it takes time to gain rating points, especially with limited time or tournament availability due to school. But my only loss was to #1 2400 Arthur Shen (and #2 was 2350 Varun Krishnan). I had only been playing for like a year and a half, and I’m pretty sure everyone else close to the top had been playing for much much longer. I guess I hope that Princeton looks at it a lot for the leadership stuff and that they realize that I’m a rapidly improving player.
Also, I’m not Asian.
I have solid everything else, so I guess I’m hoping that the leadership and skill and devotion I have to chess and how my essays show that, will help me get above the thousands of other well-qualified students that are White, Good grades and test scores.
I don’t know, just have to see what happens! I’ll tell you guys what happens on Monday (if not here then in results).
Good luck to everyone else who’s applied!</p>
<p>@RunningForLife You should know better than to hijack a thread. Ask a new question if you are interested.</p>
Congrats on being accepted!
Third in the US is big, not to mention the leadership/team building parts of it. This is the kind of thing I see consistently getting some of the most sought-after admissions.
I’m curious as to why some people felt the need to pan it.
Thank you! I’m curious, was your son accepted?
@nocheatingbro I am a sophomore in high school who is in LOVE with chess! May I ask if you have any book recommendations to improve my game? I just started last year and I have rapidly improved as I am around 1800 on en.lichess.org. I really want to become a national master and am planning on devoting this upcoming summer to studying chess and plan on going to some big tournaments next year (junior year). Do you have any tips on how to achieve my goals?
@18Dylan18 Are you a national chess master also? And if so, do you have any advice?
18reply18 – Deferred. His stats appeared very similar to yours.
In regards to averagewhiteguy question about improving his game, I would recommend finding a local chess master in your community and asking if they will give lessons. Think of it like learning the piano or ballet. A teacher is vital to mastering the game. You will learn more from taking lessons than from isolated learning, and will be directed towards the proper books that will improve your game. My son took lessons the first year. We offered $30 for 1/2-hour lessons and he accepted. The lessons usually lasted two hours. They’re best friends now, and discuss games frequently. Learning from a master can open up other avenues of learning. For example, my son wrote his Junior Thesis on chess in education, analyzing the benefits from the student to the teacher, as well as brief outline of a curriculum. HIs chess teacher passed it on to someone to get some feedback. Before long, he received a call from a PhD within an elite school who is working on developing an educational curriculum for schools which incorporates chess. The PhD read his paper, and they now correspond frequently, with my son providing significant input and insight towards the curriculum. One possibility my son is considering is to attend the same university so he can work with the PhD and be a co-author of the book. As far as I know, my son did not let any school know about his work with the professor. He wants to be accepted for who he is, not for who he knows or privileges that others do not have.