<p>doesn't apply to me, but what if you played Halo and were champion and went to nationals or something, would the adcoms think that is tight or will they just look @ that like it's idiotic and a waste of time.</p>
<p>Likely not: (a) playing video games is a common activity for large numbers of students; (b) they have become one of the recognized problems at colleges in that many students have done poorly academically because they are spending too much time with video games and blowing off studying (and classes) as a result.</p>
<p>i think that if you play at the national and international level, it could be seen as something of a significant accomplishment</p>
<p>Let's be reasonable here, at this point and time, I don't think colleges are looking for the people who are the best at blowing other people up in a virtual world.</p>
<p>Have you seen this IBM report?</p>
<p>IBM</a> - Virtual worlds, real leaders - United States</p>
<p>"What new skills and competencies will leaders need to succeed in work environments that are increasingly virtual and distributed? What types of training and tools can forwardthinking companies use to enable a new breed of leader that thrives in these uncertain environments? Are there people who already have these skills, or places where these new skills are being developed and refined?
Online games, and specifically massively multiplayer online roleplaying games, offer a glimpse at how leaders develop and operate in environments that are highly distributed, global, hyper-competitive, and virtual. This report explains how."</p>
<p>Maybe high achievement in gaming could be an attention-grabber. Spin it!!!</p>
<p>WOOT WOOT HALOOOO 3</p>
<p>Best game ever, most popular entertainment product in the history of the human race</p>
<p>Well, ever since my brother got his xbox360 for Christmas, he has neglected all of his school work. He doesn't do any of his homework or study. He is a pretty mediocre student, but he at least used to try to do his homework before Halo 3 and his xbox360. Finals were this week, and while he was going on another eight hour halo binge, I asked him, "So, studying for your any of your finals this week?" And he proceeds to drop to the ground and do push ups. He says, "Yup, just got done studying for my Weight Lifting final." </p>
<p>Video games, as one poster said, are a problem on campuses. There is no well in hell it could be a hook. Here is what it says, "Hey, I am a lazy good-for-nothing who likes to play video games all day rather than cultivating and crafting my intellect and mind. Pick me!"</p>
<p>Call of Duty 4 is so much better than Halo 3. Try it and you probably won't go back.</p>
<p>i agree with beefs, if your playing on an international or national level thats a big accomplishment. and i also agree with dank08 =]</p>
<p>hook probably.</p>
<p>Yeah I think if you went to Korea or whatever for the World Cyber Games and actually made like 100 grand by winning you would be ultra unique.</p>
<p>I am sorry, but all of you guys that keep insisting it is a hook are wrong. Look, I don't play video games, but I play Magic: The Gathering, a card game; some of you may be familiar with it. I spend time playing it on weekends and have enjoyed moderate success at tournaments. I am ranked very highly in my State. I have even won a scholarship playing the game; however, there is no way I am going to discuss it as a potential hook. I am just a nerd playing a nerdy game. You are just a nerd playing video games, holed up in your bedroom. It doesn't matter if you are competing at some national level, you are not contributing ANYTHING to society as one who does community service or something.</p>
<p>Halo, and its fellow First Person Shoot Em Up games probably won't net you much attention, since the game requires less number work than other games. </p>
<p>As Payfor said, games like MMORPGs are more likely to help though. These games require a greater level of coaperative work with a larger group of people beyond the teamwork of "Go here, kill there", an enviroment where you interact with many people. The game my college-applicant family member plays requires a good deal of math, I've seen the spreadsheets he made that are tracking his statistics for his characters, and there are a few websites he uses for the higher rank math. </p>
<p>As far as community contribution goes, sports scholarships and such fall under the same category of worthlessness to society. As Sligh_Anarchist said, he won a scholarship because of his "nerdy game". The question wasn't will it help you become loved by your local organizations, it was whether it will help you get into College. </p>
<p>For people who basically degenerated into a lump on the chair with a game-paddle in their hands, that is taking it too far. They are mismanaging their time and energy, which is the problem. </p>
<p>Video Games is too broad a word nowadays, I agree with Sligh_Anarchist that games like Halo 3 will certainly not help, but knowing how to control the game, will let it work for you. </p>
<p>He still gets his work done, and he does well in school. He even does volunteer at the local library. If you let it get out of hand, of course it will get in the way of everything you want, but if you can keep it under control, you can turn it into an asset.</p>
<p>^^</p>
<p>Moderation is key, I suppose. I moderate my playing time of Magic: The Gathering so that it doesn't interfere with my academics. Those who can manage video games + school, I suppose, will do well, also.</p>
<p>I agree, video games do not count as a hook, or anything. If you win any competition, I would make a mention of it in your "Additional Info" section or any other list of miscellaneous accomplishment.</p>
<p>Otherwise it's pretty dumb. I think putting gaming on your resume is about as pointless as putting "Boyfriend/girlfriend" on your application as an extracurricular activity. "But it shows that I have social skills!"</p>
<p>@Sligh:
Hehe, former MTG JSS competitor here too, I quit the summer before junior year because I just suddenly lost interest. I should probably sell my collection...</p>
<p>Yeah but playing games, especially in a clan, shows dedication and teamwork along with the competitive fire that colleges want.</p>
<p>I don't agree that playing video games on an international level is an accomplishment colleges dont care about. If you go to CPL, Cyberathlete Professional League world championships, that probably means you are sponsored by a huge corporation, usually logitech,adobe,intel,nvidia, or ati, and you are getting paid A LOT of money to win games. In addition, ifyou have a strong transcript to go along with this gaming success, i think it could be a major tip in admissions.</p>
<p>I dont think video games can be considered a hook, but it could add a great deal of uniqueness if you were to win some huge contest or something.</p>
<p>it's an interesting accomplishment, moreso than winning a debate tournament or academic decathlon</p>
<p>I think if a student's academic credentials are at par with the rest of the applicant pool AND is a national/international level gamer, that would count as a great hook (maybe even more than being a recruited athlete), since it would signify how the applicant is extremely versartile and is extremely talented in areas other than academics</p>