Wonder if Eagle Scouts are actually worth mentioning on an application.
Yes
It helps. My son is an Eagle and wrote his Common App essay about his Boy Scout experiences which was good enough to get him into WashU ED last year.
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At my daughterâs school, Eagle scouts/Gold Award gets the student $2500/yr in extra scholarships.
Absolutely. One of my sons is an Eagle Scout and it is definitely something work mentioning. Itâs one of those things, like being a National Merit Finalist that almost everyone recognizes and respects.
Agree with the posters above-there are a lot of colleges that will give scholarships/stipends to Eagles and GSA Gold awardees. And colleges will look highly at Eagle. Once an Eagle, always an Eagle. Although there are kids in my sonâs former Troop who look at Scouts as something for the resume-donât have any respect for them since they donât have the true Scout Spirit. I have chaired Boards of Review for my sonâs Troop and opt out when those âScoutsâ ask for a BoR.
If you search the following website, you can find information about which schools will give financial aid to Eagle Scouts:
https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org
If you are a member of NESA, you can apply for their scholarships as well.
Also if you are applying to a service academy or any ROTC scholarship, Eagle Scout is highly valued.
Absolutely!!!
You absolutely should mention Eagle (or Gold for Girl Scouts). Itâs not a golden ticket, but it is meaningful. In addition to listing it as an accomplishment, my son used his project in his essay, and itâs a great talking point in interviews. He had photos of the project on his phone and ended up showing them to more than one interviewer - especially at Catholic colleges, since his project was done for our church and was very visual.
There are some who arenât as impressed because of the proliferation of âpaper eaglesâ where itâs all about earning the award and not about the learning and growing - by using his project in his essay my son was able to show that his project was substantial and demonstrate how he used skills heâd learned throughout his years in Scouting to lead and complete the project.
Think about it, old men still mention that they achieved Eagle Scout. Yes, it is highly respected.
There is an older thread that discusses whether or not Eagle Scout status is a plus or minus (preconceived idea that Eagle Scouts are mamaâs boys not ready for college).
Because I do not know much about Eagle Scouts, my first thought (which is sure to cause unpleasant comments to be directed my way), is that this goody-two-shoes wonât fit in at many colleges or universities. Honestly wonder why this applicant had no social life or significant high school related ECsâŠ
I understand that some may comment that my unenlightened stereotype is an ignorant preconception, but OP must be wondering the same or why start this thread.
My nephew, an Eagle Scout, applied to colleges last year. 1450 SAT score & 3.7 something GPA. I advised them to minimize mention of Eagle Scout status & focus on something not readily evident from his application. Of course, they were insulted as his dad was the Scout Leader. College admissions results were disastrous, but eventually worked out as he was admitted off the waitlist to the state flagship. (He should have been admitted to parents alma mater as he was in-state, a double legacy & legacy status is considered, but was denied.)
It is difficult to assess any aspect of an application without reading the entire applicant file.
Fire away !
Eagle Scout is highly respected @Publisher because only about 5% of Scouts achieve this rank that takes years of commitment and a lengthy review process to earn. In addition to a high degree of leadership and organizational skills, the rank requires a significant level of physical grit and aptitude to complete. âMamaâs boyâ is about the last term that could be applied this level of Scout. For a high school student, it is uniformly recognized as a gold standard of leadership. The United States Military Academy breaks out the number of Eagle Scouts in the annual candidate profile of each incoming class and awards a formal number of points for this achievement in the Whole Candidate Score (WCS) used to determine appointments to West Point. This rank is not something you need to care about or by impressed by, but it is a fact that colleges and our military recognize it for what it is.
Some colleges, not all.
Thanks for the info.
And please understand that I offered an honest response to the issue raised by this thread.
The 5% could be for several reasons. Every scout that I knew well left scouting when high school began or shortly thereafter.
It certainly did not help my nephewâand he is an imposing figure. Plays one sport. Got waitlisted, deferred from match & safeties even though received high school awards & was praised by teachers.
Really could be that many colleges just donât care.
Heaviest emphasis that I see overall is on the rigor of oneâs coursework if not hooked, and I think that Eagle Scout is not a hook.
Thatâs the point. Not many go the distance. Eagle Scouts arenât quitters.
Depends on what you did and how you present it. I know a boy who built a bench. I know a girl whose Gold Award project reached thousands of kids. Tell the story.
I know of some schools that offer a scholarship just for eagle scouts but they didnât offer the same for the gold award.
@VickiSoCal: I agree. Itâs what you do with your capstone project that may make a difference.
Please, bear with me as I think , actually I know, that many folks do not understand the significance of being an Eagle Scout.
For example: 5% become Eagle Scouts & they are not quitters has been posted above. To me, that is without significance as it would seem natural to grow out of scouting when high school & high school activities come along so few would remain. In short, and I am trying to help here, what makes the designation of Eagle Scout worthy of a college admissions boost ?
What makes the designation of team captain, class president, first chair in the orchestra worth of a college admissions boost?
I guess thatâs up to the college.
Iâm not terribly familiar with Eagle but organizing and completing a Gold Award and getting ti approved by Council is tremendously difficult. Nothing like being appointed Volleyball team captain.