These are great ECs: Several state-level math and science awards, is a member of several STEM-oriented clubs and will do a summer research internship
Can he tutor at school? that would be service
Do they have any programs where they work with kids in middle school…like Girls who code? that woudl be leadership and service
can he become a leader in those clubs in Junior/senior year? that would be leadership
Can he organize an event/activity in one of the clubs? that is leadership
Do you belong to a house of worship? many opportunities for leadership and service
So he can take what he is interested in and share with others to get that service and leadership
yucca, no one can tell you whether your (talented) son can get into MIT without “community service/leadership” In the end, admissions to MIT is a lottery based in part on who else applies that year.
That said, most MIT students have something on their “resume” besides great grades and great scores.
To make him a competitive applicant, you will need to take a look at your son’s activities to see if they can be “packaged” as something he does on his own.
If he’s really doing “research” as you say, that would certainly count as an “activity.” It should be highlighted on his application and perhaps whoever he does research with could write about him in their letter of recommendation.
The activities colleges look for don’t have to be community/volunteering/leadership per se… it’s anything that shows initiative and extra effort/dedication.
Tutoring would also “count” if it’s something he’s done on more than just a few sporratic occasions. He does have a year to step it up a bit – maybe offer to tutor kids in math in preparation for the SATs/ACTs many students will be taking in their junior year? Or volunteer as a math tutor in a nearby middle school? (That was encouraged at my own son’s STEM high school.)
But like others on this thread, I wouldn’t push your son into some activity he neither wants to do or cares about. Colleges will see through it as “resume padding.” Better focus on his current interests/accomplishments to see how they can be leveraged on a college app.
Good luck. The great thing about education in America is the wealth of options. Your son will get into a great school and receive a first-rate education. Even if he doesn’t get into MIT
Is there an elementary school nearby where he could help out in the after school program once a week? If he then works with kids on their homework, that may be a work around on the NHS “tutoring” issue (which is one of the dumbest things I have heard of.)
Secondly, elementary schools tend to be very female. When my husband would have lunch with my daughters, the table was filled with a different bunch of kids. There are kids who are hungry for attention from a male role model. He could actually fill a real need just by being there and being interested.
I am also lamenting my high school junior’s lack of ECs or leadership or whatever is now missing from her resume about three years too late! At least you still have time to explore more options and add some things for your son to “shine” more to his prospective college choices.
My daughter is in NHS (but what a joke at her school, the only volunteer opportunities are to sit at bake sale tables for the most part, no community outreach at all). She is in marching band, but is not a section leader or anything important because her lazy mom refuses to join boosters and schmooze the band teacher (plus she marches a different instrument than she plays in band class). She is on the varsity dance team. The only club she can participate in is ecology (which she does). There is really nothing to do at her school. No science olympiad or debate team or anything interesting. So her list of ECs is pretty small. She gets straight As and attends a STEM program half her day (could have participated in robotics but didn’t realize she could have been part of the programming instead of the build part which didn’t interest her). That is the most impressive thing she’s got going for her. At this point I don’t think that’s enough and it’s almost too late to try and add anything. She may still get into a top school, but not banking on her reaches at all.
I really don’t see how these kids have time to do everything and still be just kids. I guess that isn’t the point, though. They are just supposed to be super awesome ^:)^ !
“I’m only disparaging of volunteering as a means to get to college instead of a means to help people.” But this IS about college apps and same as applying for a job, you need to show what they want. And in many cases, easy, comfy volunteering isn’t the level of awareness and action a tippy top college can like. Tutoring, while good, is often something kids default into, in their hs context. And “nice” is valued, but isn’t taking on a challenge, showing a broader perspective, being willing to leave the comfort zone.
If you want a school that values action, the level of it and some “more,” how hard is it to get involved in the community, working with the needy, a few hours/month? Yes, the research is good, but that’s just one aspect, for him/his interests, not for the benefit of others.
MIT is being cagey with that quote. when they say, “delight, intrigue and challenge you, not because you think they’ll look impressive on your application,” they still want depth and breadth- and compassion. Definetely want to see the energy, not just in his interest area. They are not a haven for unilateral nerds- in fact, the semi-famous story of nuclear reactor boy is from them.
I think the key here is that instead of trying to figure out how to fit himself in a box for MIT, your son should explore other avenues and places. He shouldn’t get super laser-focused on one college. He should think broadly, exploring a lot of potential universities so that when the time comes he loves several and has a lot to choose from.
Truth be told, yes, elite universities DO want the hyperinvolved kids with lots of service and leadership projects. Having gone to one for graduate school, I now see why - these universities claim long lists of alumni who have gone onto do amazing things. They want MORE alumni who will go onto do ever more amazing things. That doesn’t happen by chance; students who become alumni who produce amazing things - whether that’s becoming President or winning a Fields Medal or Nobel Prize - are usually ambitious and driven in addition to being smart. Even simply persevering in a PhD program, for a simple example, is about much more than smarts. In other words, being a pure nerd is not enough for these places. They want really bright people who will contribute something to the world, be amazing, and represent the name of the university well.
There are lots of truly excellent schools that would absolutely welcome a kid who is just a nerd. But the elite schools, in general, are looking for nerd-plus. That’s not to say that he won’t get in! But there’s a reason that most of the student profiles these top schools show you are the hyper-involved type.
That said, I don’t think being involved means that he has to create an entire new charity, join a varsity Ultimate team, or go rack up 1000 hours of service between now and January 2019. It means he needs to find a way to get involved and lead that fulfills his own soul. That doesn’t have to be community service, if he doesn’t have a passion for it. But you say he’s a member of several STEM-oriented clubs. What does he do in them? Does he maybe want to take a leadership role in one? or help them organize something like a Science Day for elementary school kids or an expo at his own school? Maybe a partnership with a nearby science museum or university for an exploration day? Summer research is also good! he can form close relationships with a professor who could potentially write him a letter of recommendation.
As a side note, it is worth noting that if he continues in science as a career, every NSF application he’d write (from the Graduate Research Fellowship onto grants) is going to ask about the “broader impact” of his work. He’s got to think society and service: how will his research benefit society at large, science as a field, or research infrastructure? NSF GRFPs are judged in part on their service to society in addition to their intellectual merit. Starting to do this stuff in high school provides a good foundation for continuing to do it later.
“Several state-level math and science awards, is a member of several STEM-oriented clubs and will do a summer research internship.”
This stuff is totally good.
To be competitive, your kid needs accomplishments beyond a high GPA and standardized test score. He needs a story of being outstanding at something.
If your kid is targeting a STEM school, having state-level competitive accomplishments in STEM (duh!!) is what the STEM schools want to see. Being a state champion in science fair has way more juice than being one of many kids playing high school soccer or doing a Habitat service project.
It is more important to be pointy/sharp (passionate and outstanding at one thing). Being well rounded is a dime a dozen. I would suggest that you have your kid do some minor, non-time consuming non-STEM activities. Just so you can show your kid is more than just a power geek. But being a power geek is what will give him a shot at MIT.
How much of this, however, is due to remnants of past admission practices of the Ivy/peer US private elite Us which were based mainly on one’s legacy and SES status and a downplaying and sometimes…a heavy disdain for high academic acumen as shown by efforts to eliminate admission exams in the early 20th century because too many academically inclined “undesirable” immigrants were gainin admission to the point the traditional upper-class WASP legacy families were concerned their own progeny would be displaced?
Also, many other elite universities outside the US don’t practice this form of holistic admissions including effectively mandating volunteering/community service and yet, produce graduates who also “do amazing things” such as winning Nobel prizes, endure PhD programs, become notable leaders in their respective fields, political leaders including presidents/prime ministers/monarchs*, etc.
Some examples include:
Oxbridge, St. Andrews, LSE, etc.
Heidelberg U, Gottingen, etc.
National Taiwan U/National Taiwan Normal U/National Chengchi U, etc
Seoul National U/Yonsei U/Korea U, etc
UTokyo/Kyoto U/Waseda/Keio, etc
Tsinghua U, Peking U, Renmin U, Zhejiang U, Shanghai Jiaotong U(Mainly engineering/tech), etc.
Science Po, Sorbonne, École Polytechnique,
Some many not consider this to be a very high achievement considering it is gained mainly in various forms of popularity contests mostly by those who were already born on second/third base or in the case of monarchs/some authoritarian regimes...inherited. High intellect/concern for welfare of others is a nice plus, but is often not required in practice as shown through history and recent current events.
In other countries where one’s university pedigree is considered a much more important issue, it’s mainly to maximize the possibility they have a semblance of average intelligence…and even that’s not always guaranteed as shown in history and recent current events and through a popular saying from the ROC after one election a decade ago where the saying “Out with the rotten egg/in with the idiot.” Both the outgoing/incoming presidents happen to be graduates of National Taiwan U and have graduate degrees from elite US universities such as Berkeley, NYU Law, HLS.
@yucca10, my husband and I are from Eastern Europe, too, so I know exactly where you are coming from. (Un)fortunately, our daughter is a fuzzy and not a techie, so she’s not aiming at MIT, Caltech, Harvey Mudd, CMU, etc. So my research into EC’s and community service has been focused more on non-technical clubs and projects. However, thought I’d share something I stumbled by on accident - maybe it might be useful to your son or others.
We have an aviation museum nearby and since my 5-year old son is an avid planes enthusiast at the moment, we go there every weekend. There are a number of volunteers at the museum, mostly retired pilots, but some high school students as well. There are two young guys who regularly help out in the simulator area - set up the stations and software, tweak program settings, and if needs be, help with landings (when kids ask). One guy is always there and obviously knows what he is doing, but I have never seen him smile (at least at visitors). I think he is doing it only to check off a box for volunteer hours/community service. The other guy is there only one day a week, I think, but couldn’t be nicer and obviously enjoying his work. My son always goes to him with any questions and seeks advice on the airplane model to choose. I once ended up talking that second (nicer) kid, turns out he was volunteering at the museum since he was 10, in various portions of the museum, from workshop to kids’ crafts station, to simulators. He racked up 800 hours over the years, but main thing is - he loves it all, and it shines through. I don’t know which of the two students made a bigger impact at the museum - spent more time, built a more complex airplane model, etc., but I hope the supervisor notes in the recommendation of the kid I spoke to how good he is with kids, how he always goes out of the way to help everyone, and instead of sitting there with his phone during “down time” in the middle of the session, he goes around to see if anyone has any questions or needs help landing their plain, etc.
Point is - EC’s and community service is not just a checkmark during college application process - it’s an extra insight into your personality. Not everyone can/want/should be a leader, some guys are natural team players that colleges also want. Sometimes, it’s impossible to get such insight from teachers/schoolwork, and ECs and/or community service bring it out in kids. Best of luck!
There is no standard formula in EC. Find his passion and spend time on it (if he has any). CV padding with a bunch of activities without passion is not a good idea.
It’s not “padding” to add experiences. If you want colleges that don’t want kids limited to their own cocoons, by all means, try more than your own few interests. Or just what feels safe or easy.
If top colleges like kids who engage in various ways, can climb out of their comfort zones, you’re either that sort or not. If not, maybe not a match, despite the stats.
It’s clear, to me, that top colleges like kids who can try new things. After all, college offers so many new opportunities. No idea why following through on this, being open and willing, is seen as fake.
@lookingforward – exactly. For example, my D18 was in a very tight “cocoon” in 9th and 10th grade. Very unhappy and alone but with high stats. When she started reading about what top colleges wanted it forced her to get involved in some clubs (ones dismissed here as “padding”: NHS, SNHS, etc.). She did them as padding initially … but it has gotten her more involved in school, met new people, etc. She now has paid tutoring gigs several times a week and loves it. She’s going to be president of one club senior year and is thinking of initiatives for that club. Still mostly an introvert but one that’s breaking out a bit now.
