<p>I just finished my freshman year in LSA. I was in MCSP, a learning community. Besides that, my extracurriculars are a little below average: I was in a fraternity and the snowboard club. Additionally, I had a job over the summer where I was the assistant program director at a summer camp (which I wrote about in my extracurricular essay). I did manage to get a 4.0, but I'm starting to hear that ECs and essays matter even more than GPA once you're above a 3.7. I think my essays were a relatively above average, yet I think I might have really messed up on one cuz I had hidden (but not deleted) margin comments that a friend made in track changes when he peer reviewed it. So, with my lack of strong ECs combined with that blunder on one of the essays, do you think my involvement in MCSP will look good?</p>
<p>Chill out man. What if someone says “no that’s not good enough”. There’s nothing you can do at this point. Try and think about something else. As it stands I feel like you have as decent a shot as anyone.</p>
<p>Yeah you’re right but it is nice to have some sort of peace of mind; it’s so stressful waiting for these decisions to come out.</p>
<p>If you had a 4.0 with reasonable courses you are in decent (not guaranteed) shape</p>
<p>For future Ross applicants I would not recommend listing a social fraternity under extracurriculars. All it tells a committee that you party more than the average student.</p>
<p>Yeah, that’s really bad advise. Fraternities provide leadership opportunities and community service opportunities</p>
<p>I think I put my fraternity as like 4th on the list, and I don’t think it will hurt me putting my fraternity on there.</p>
<p>Also, my course load wasn’t extremely difficult. I passed out of math 115 from APs, but I did take Econ 102 and Stats 250 my second semester and get A’s in both.</p>
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<p>Sure, sure. And leadership opportunities and communities are only available in Fraternities? Leadership within a fraternity for a freshmen is most likely very limited anyways since most will be in the pledge process. I’m not saying people shouldn’t join greek-life, just saying people shouldn’t list it on their application. Huge difference. But I will give business oriented fraternities an exception.</p>
<p>I listed my learning community first, followed by being assistant program director for a summer camp (do you think that this is good leadership experience even though it was for a paid job), followed by volunteer tutoring, followed by the fraternity. And for the fraternity I said participated in, set up for, and helped plan various social, community service, and philanthropic events.</p>
<p>Unless there was something in MCSP that you did of particular accomplishment, I don’t think it means much other than you didn’t want to live on North Campus and were fortunate enough to get picked to join the learning community so you didn’t have to live there.</p>
<p>Am I missing anything?</p>
<p>Well if you have 3 other extracurriculars above the fraternity then you’re fine.
I was just throwing that out there for future applicants, since I know some whose only extracurricular is their fraternity and trust me that will not look good. You should have another main extracurricular that invests some time(a part-time job could count depending on what it is).</p>
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<p>Suspicion confirmed. I wasn’t missing anything. I’m not sure how getting out of living on North Campus is a qualification for business school.</p>
<p>While I did initially join to stay off North campus, I did actually end up involving myself a decent amount as the year went on. What I’m saying is that half of the people are die-hard MCSP members and the other half don’t participate as much. Still, throughout the year, I did volunteer for non-mandatory events, I did participate in some student initiatives, and I even led an econ study-group with other MCSP members. Overall, I really did gain from the experience and would do it again. It wasn’t a huge time commitment, and my reasons for joining were primarily for the housing, but I did truly gain a lot from it and would recommend it for others.</p>
<p>And people want to know what is wrong with corporate America.</p>
<p>I dont think learning community itself is anything extraordinary. Arent they designed for “students of similar interest and attitude?” If so its just like joining a club unless you have achieved something from within. Im sure there are many others who are part of it as well. Regards to frat, there really is no merit. Could just look like a space filler since unless you are in a business frat, well they know its just all and only about parties.</p>
<p>Also I won the Branstrom Freshman Prize, which is given to students in the top 5 percent of their school. Do you think that will look good? Or is it kind of redundant since you can tell from my GPA anyways?</p>
<p>Redundant given the gpa, which does pop out in your app. I guess though you could have taken a few more econs. But freshman classes are all gonna be pretty generic anyways.</p>
<p>Looks like my app isn’t as good as I thought it was at first. Hopefully everything will work out</p>
<p>Like i said, academics, extracurricular, social life: choose two. But then again you can trade in sleep.</p>
<p>Your academics itself isnt bad at all since u pulled A for both 101,102. We wont know how much of a premium ross will give to those who took more concentrated econ. If you took topic classes like 310,395,398, you will have encountered same freshmen who will have taken like 4 econs. Of course your gpa would have to be 3.7+ or close to 3.8 to make that count. I think if your essays were straight to point, you are in a good shape.</p>