I absolutely believe listing Eagle Scout on college applications help. My son got into all the schools he applied too except one. I really believe the commitment and service these kids give is amazing. In NC it is very prestigious to be an Eagle Scout.
I agree that listing Eagle Scout or Gold Award is worthwhile on oneâs college application. The issue I have with my relatives is to list it & move on to other qualities or accomplishments. Plus, these designations are viewed favorably by some, negatively by some, and who gives a darn by many.
I am asking how to explain such an award as an achievement in a favorable light. I believe that in the instances where oneâs capstone project is beyond that of cleaning up a park & making a pathway to qualify for the award, it might carry more significance.
Regardless, it certainly did not help my nephew. And I love all of my nephews & want to help. It was embarrassing & frightening to him that he may not have been admitted to any university despite very solid numbers & genuinely positive recommendations.
This article has a nice summation:
https://www.thespruce.com/the-value-of-earning-the-eagle-scout-rank-2958843
The US military understands that the long-term effort required to complete all of the requirements for this distinction cannot be mailed in, and the experience gained by these Scouts is very much in line with what the academies are looking for in officers:
@Publisher, you seem to think that this rank is achieved by clocking hours or doing community service but neither of those is particularly relevant to earning this rank. It took our son six years to achieve Eagle (though he was in Cub Scouts/Boy Scouts since kindergarten), and his Eagle project required 210 hours of planning, documentation, execution, and review. His troop and our state review board would not approve âmaking a benchâ as an Eagle-worthy project. The minimum requirement in our state is 180 hours âon the Eagle project itself, not community service hours or badge work. The 21 merit badges, plus the Eagle merit badges, take years of planning, participation, and hard work to earn, they arenât just handed out and they canât be accumulated in a short period of time. Itâs the depth of the rank that adheres to national standards that speaks to its worth.
For our son, Scouting was more important to him than anything. He did it for love; the honor followed. To this day, he says his Eagle award means more to him than any achievement in his life so far, including winning a New York State Championship in collegiate rowing. He will commission as an officer in the U.S. Army from West Point next year. Heâs no mamaâs boy.
Agree with a lot of the posts about paper Eagles and kids who quit early or stop showing up after earning their Eagle. Not a good way of showing commitment.
I think my son was the exception in his Troop-got his Eagle in 10th grade and ended up being elected to OA and earning 3 Palms before aging out. He still volunteered to take on leadership positions (Troop Guide/ASPL) even though he was SPL at the time he earned Eagle. He was considering joining a Troop in college since he didnât turn 18 until December of his freshman year in college and there was a Troop within walking distance of his dorm, but their meetings were on nights when he took midterms so he decided not to continue. Perhaps heâll join a Venture Crew once he is settled down.
I know who the kids who are really committed in my sonâs Troop (the kids who were close to him when he was Troop Guide and Senior Patrol Leader-he pretty much taught them most of their First Aid and Orienteering skills). And there is the Scout who I think is his Troopâs equivalent of Eddie Haskell.
@ChoatieMom: See, now you understand. Thank you !
Also there is no required number of hours for an Eagle project. Any district/council that is imposing rules like that is violating BSA policy. I told the Scouts I advised that a rule of thumb is 150-200 hours for an Eagle project but they could not have the project proposal rejected if the hours fell below that.
Merit badges take commitment and I have turned away Scouts who show up unprepared or have sloppy work. I have met with Scouts who expected to earn all 3 Citizenship badges in one night. Forget about it-wonât be working with you.
I think adcoms and those who are familiar with Scouting can figure out how someone is committed.
But you cannot count on anyone being familiar with these awards.
@ChoatieMom laid out the explanation so that even one like me can understand & appreciate the designation for what it truly represents.
The gold award comes up all the time in internships and job interviews my college daughter has. Most employers in the US recognize it and ask about it.
Your nephew, publisher,was one of tens of thousands with merely solid credentials. One award wonât overcome that.
âI am asking how to explain such an award as an achievement in a favorable light.â
Itâs not necessary. Colleges know what it means, and the commitment it requires. It can be a tipping point, like many other features of an applicant, but itâs not a hook.
Nephew greatly exceeded 75th% of SAT & was at 75% GPA. Had strong recommendations. State flagship.
Unfortunately, it is necessary for all the reasons discussed above.
Just to be clear, you believe that your nephew was otherwise qualified for admission to a state university but was denied because he was an Eagle Scout?
I believe that is what he is saying. Seems pretty ridiculous.
No. That it didnât help.
Too much emphasis on Eagle Scout at expense of communicating about other qualities & achievements.
Really just asking how to handle it on apps.
Seems nonsensical to pick out Eagle Scout as a problem on the app of any particular kid who was denied admission to a college. Eagle Scout would either be a positive (for the reasons discussed in this thread) or a neutral like any other EC. The issue isnât with the EC not being valued, itâs how the kid describes his involvement. Did the entire app portray a picture of a kid who was doing well in school and also exploring and succeeding outside school or was it just a list of unconnected labels that didnât tell a convincing story?
Weâve all seen kids write posts where the list of stats is impressive - perfect grades, perfect test scores, long list of ECs but there is no indication of how it fits together or why the student did things or what the student values or learned, etc. Those apps read as if the kid was just attending everything and checking off boxes and appears to be one of the reasons that high stat kids are denied to places they appear at first glance to be qualified for. Not because they listed âEagle Scoutâ or âviolinâ or one of a hundred other common ECs, but because the kid was unable to show in the app how it tied together, why it makes the kid special and what the kid will bring to the college.
Maybe he shouldnât have worn his uniform to the interview ?
No idea if youâre joking about the interview since your posts about this topic have been so bizarrely argumentative, but yes wearing a boy scout uniform to an interview could prove problematic. But certain kids could pull it off especially if it was a central part of their âstoryâ.
Itâs not a clear cut case where there are general common sense guidelines, like not wearing your swastika armband. Could some kids be a completely impressive figure as an Eagle Scout and impress the heck out of an interviewer with their articulate description of their leadership and service? Of course! Or the kid could look like a dork. Same thing with wearing a sports uniform to an interview.
Tough to pull off but possible. YMMV.
^^ Well, that certainly sets him apart from those who didnât wear it. Depending on how much your nephew talked about scouting, the interviewer might have found him a bit too pointy (opposite of bland).
Not argumentative without a purpose. Plus, you have got to be kidding regarding the uniform.
This thread is a funny read! Hardly a discussion though.