<p>My child is a HS freshman and is inventorying accomplishments, ECs, etc. I'm curious about the weight/significance of a few. I know that they have value, but are they significant to those reviewing applications for boarding schools and later colleges</p>
<p>Prudential Spirit of Community Award - State (middle school level)
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Young Scholar
Congressional Award Program - Gold (almost completed)</p>
<p>First time ever posting. Sorry, if I messed up on some acronyms.</p>
<p>I’ve never heard of any of them, but I’m not an AdComm! When my kids were applying for boarding school it seemed like it mattered more what the kid LIKED to do- i.e. sports, music etc. and how committed they might be to their chosen interests. They have plenty of time to rack up awards.</p>
<p>That’s the thing. No music and no outstanding sport participation. She’s really into community service, though. It seems that so many of her friends play multiple instruments, speak 4 languages, etc. Just curious about her chances, absent of scores.</p>
<p>Assuming your question is for college applications - anything from middle school will be left off the application. It’s a question of “what have you done for me lately.” My daughter has the congressional gold medal. I have no idea if it helped her in college acceptances but the award ceremony/weekend was so worthwhile. She went by herself to DC, stayed in a college dorm with the other kids, they got to tour DC and they got VIP entrance to every single memorial/etc. In other words they skipped all the lines. She absolutely had the experience of a lifetime. So be sure she finishes up that one, it is so worthwhile. Plus there are opportunities for alums forever. My daughter hasn’t benefitted from any of them - yet - but they are there. Internships, jobs, etc. And congratulations to your daughter - it’s a LOT of work.</p>
<p>The Jack Kent Cooke one is actually huge… number one, it is VERY selective. Number two, it gives her financial resources that can be a springboard to some great academic experiences (during the year and in the summer). I am a little unclear, but doesn’t it potentially also continue on to cover college and even grad school costs? </p>
<p>I think admissions departments definitely take a good look at Jack Kent Cooke Scholars. Especially if it covers a lot of her college expenses (then the colleges don’t have to pony up their own financial aid). I know a JKC Scholar who headed off to Carleton College just last year. However… she still needs to perform well in high school and choose some extra curriculars to focus on as well. </p>
<p>Since she is still a high school freshman, she has plenty of time. She certainly can continue to focus on community service. Maybe encourage her to pick one or two other things and really focus on them. There are lots of choices besides sports and music at most high schools. Examples of things my kids have done that could be very good ECs if your D really focuses on them: competitive speech, debate, Quiz Bowl (or Academic Decathlon), model UN, Amnesty International, creative writing club, science or math Olympiads, Girl Scouts, and Robotics are a few. Different high schools offer different options, so she will need to figure out what choices she has in your community.</p>
<p>PhotoOp - I think it is a great program, but I am surprised that most people have never heard of it. That’s why I was wondering if it was even worth mentioning.</p>
<p>intparent - Yes, if they continue to challenge themselves in academics and personal growth, they qualify for a $30K/year college scholarship. The activities in our area (very rural) are limited. Politics seems to be a growing interest. She has been volunteering on a local state representative’s campaign and will be a senate page in Jan. I would appreciate any thoughts or ideas, that you may have.</p>
<p>Dad2one, if you haven’t already, pull up a copy of (1) the Common App, (2) the on-line app for state Us in your state; and (3) and other schools that are of interest right now. You will get an idea by the space alotted, categories, etc. how much emphasis varous schools/states place on ECs. </p>
<p>When Son was applying, one moderately selective U had a “check the box” section for the ECs on the app…as in a box for theatre, a box for student government, etc. A student who was an usher at one play would have checked the same box as the kid who had the lead in all the shows and was president of Thespians. The student who served one term as student council rep would check the same box as a 4 year member who was president her senior year.</p>
<p>It wil give you some context to look at actual apps and see what they want you to report, how much detail, etc.</p>
<p>Yes, but I think the top colleges prefer ECs that don’t fit into the checkboxes well anyway… it is important to keep track of all of her activities and awards in high school, though. Starting a sort of resume with every letter earned, award earned, placement in competitions, activities, etc. is VERY useful when senior year comes around!</p>
<p>Regarding politics, there are lots of ways she can get more involved as an extra curricular. She can campaign right now for candidates or specific issues (for example, if there are specific ballot initiatives). Helping register voters is another option, and something the parties often work on even between elections. In two years she may be able to be a delete to your local or even state convention for her party of choice (that depends on the system in the state you live in). One of my kids also chose to volunteer at almost all of the regional level conventions for our party in our state (so there was one for each national House of Representatives district). So she want all over the state volunteering at these conventions, which she really liked. One advantage of political activity for your D is that it is an election year (not presidential, but house/senate at the national level) her junior year of high school, so she could potentially do a lot of volunteering that she could then talk about in her college applications/essays.</p>
<p>intparent, I agree, but we have no idea what type/level of schools the OP’s child is aiming for (and of course, what the student wanted as a freshman can be very different when applying as a senior.) I think it’s good for a freshman parent to see which schools want what type of info. For our instate publics, class rank is King…little else matters.</p>
<p>OP, if your child is aiming really high, I would encourage you to look back on threads from late March, where applicants to various schools describe their stats and scores and ECs and other pertinent info (e.g. if URM) and then say whether they were admitted, rejected or waitlisted.</p>
<p>Dad - We first heard about the congressional gold medal from a friend whose daughter did it and she thought it really made a difference during college admissions. Not very many kids are able to complete it but it is very prestigious. In the end it’s so hard to know what it was that made the grade for admissions. My daughter had some impressive ECs in addition to the congressional program but who knows if they made any difference whatsoever. In the end she was published several times and ended up being recruited for her writing. But if she hadn’t tried many other things she may not have found her voice in writing.</p>
<p>From one of my kid’s classes, we had lots of Vanderbilt applicants. The only ones who got in were (a) an athletic recruit, and (b) the class’s highest ranking URM. Our Sal was admitted to two Ivies but WL from Vandy. But hey, the school is full of kids, so somebody has to be getting in!</p>
<p>Having all of your EC’s in one area is just not a good idea. Since she has time, encourage her to seek out another area of interest, join the choir, take up a sport, etc. Cross Country teams are great because everyone gets to participate and skill levels can vary widely. Only doing community service is like a child only playing one sport, not a bad thing to do, just not very well rounded for elite admissions.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that none of her middle school accomplishments will be listed on her applications, nor will they be considered if she puts them on there. They only want to see things she has done while IN high school.</p>
<p>What is she doing for the physical fitness and personal development portions of the CA? Are they activities upon which she could expand her involvement?</p>
<p>If your daughter’s admissions file is sitting next to the file of another community service kid who also happens to be the captain of the field hockey team the fact that your daughter has twice as many CS hours won’t mean much. She’ll look dull and hyperfocussed by comparison. Ideally, you want your applicant to be “alike but different”. That is, well rounded enough that the committee can see her becoming involved in campus activities but still with something that stands out. </p>
<p>Think about it; when you hear about a kid with multiple math awards but nothing else, don’t you secretly wonder if they’re a little socially inept? When a kid is on multiple varsity sports teams but seems to have nothing else to offer does it not raise red flags that this kid may simply be a blockhead without the ability to relate to their artsy, nerdy classmates? But if that math whiz is also in an improv. group or the jock is a painter…bingo! That’s a kid you can see able to build bridges on campus.</p>
<p>She is on the teams for volleyball and track. Basketball was dropped this year due to her demanding schedule. She is not really much of an athlete (not captain, regional champion, etc.) I’m wondering if just being on the team has much weight. </p>
<p>Sue22 - Her physical development portion of the CA is for discus.</p>
<p>All of the previous posts has made me take a second look at some of her activities. She attended Writer’s Ink in Boston this summer and that has inspired her to write some short stories. One story was posted on a writing website, but she hasn’t received any awards or distinction. </p>
<p>This line of thinking brings up another question. Does an activity with no “measurable” accolades have any merit in the eyes of admissions?</p>
<p>I disagree to some extent. Top colleges are drawn to students with incredible focus and passion in one area. That does not mean, however, that one cannot explore peripheral subjects that build off of one’s core interests. The “math nerd” described above could create his own community service project leading a group of tutors that help inner city kids or maybe train seniors how to use computers so they can better stay in touch with their grandchildren. </p>
<p>The goals of showing leadership in ECs and community service can be met with a narrow focus on key interests. This generally looks far better than the kid who appears to be doing everything, none of it especially well.</p>
<p>I’ll take the contrary point of view. Many colleges are looking for a well-rounded class even more than they are looking for a well-rounded student. At least within reason. They probably aren’t looking for troglodyte math nerds, unless they truly are brilliant, but an applicant who is truly excited about one thing I think has a bit of an edge over one who has a harder time defining themselves. </p>
<p>My computer nerd made relatively little effort to be well-rounded. He had two in school ECs: Science Olympiad and Academic Team. In his spare time he contributed to Linux boards, wrote a program for a chemist that was acknowledge in a paper, and worked two summers and part time during the year doing programming. He did enough to prove that he could play with others, but other than good grades in non-science courses and APs, he did not do sports, music or theater. He was accepted by Harvard (admittedly with a legacy bump) and to what is one of the best CS programs in the country. He might have done even better in terms of acceptances if he’d stayed in band, but it would have taken time from doing what he really liked. And given that the schools that rejected him all have admissions rates under 15% one really can’t know. At least his school ECs proved he could play with others. (And my son did spend a summer teaching seniors how to use computers.)</p>
<p>If your daughter plays on two teams, and has done some summer activities outside of community service I don’t see any problem at all with her activities. You don’t have to have measurable accolades, though obviously it helps. What really helps though is to pursue an activity at a level where you really do make a difference. The Common Application has an essay about your favorite EC, my younger son wrote about some work he did for the neighborhood association creating an archive of their papers. What made his essay interesting was that he was able to talk about how he was able to make connections that showed him thinking like an historian. I think it was his best essay. It was a nice little project, but it was the growth he found in it that made it significant, not that our little association couldn’t have lived without his help.</p>
<p>If your daughter is really interested in policitcs, might I suggest yearbook, student paper, photography, volunteering at non political places like a family shelter, food banks, local park, library etc</p>
<p>It will round out her ecs, do some good, and she can see political issues from another side, the yearbook or paper is good as it helps with organzation, working independently, as well as with a group, and often those kinds of arenas need people with various skill sets</p>
<p>You dont need a sport to get in college, you need things you love and if you can help others while your at it, all the better</p>