"Don't do it just to get into college..."

<p>I agree with a-san, there's nothing wrong with follow your passion. Learning what interests you is a fun experience.</p>

<p>You're right, there is nothing wrong with following your passion. But my whole point was, and is solely limited to; when people tell others, don't do that just to get into college, it will leave you unfulfilled or something like that, that is wrong. You should do things just to get into college. I and loathe the sense of superiority those people get from telling others they must follow some sort of passion. That is my only point. I got a little off track their due to some contradicting arguments that weren't really relevant. I'm not trying to tell you what to do. I am just pointing out a common saying which I am certain you all have seen at some point and arguing against it.</p>

<p>As for proof of my arguments, I can't prove it the way you seem to want me to because I am only a junior and haven't applyed to colleges yet. I did however get accepted to RSI which is supposed to be more selective than the most rigorous colleges, eg Harvard, Yale, Stanford (I refuse to include Princeton because of their notoriously scandalous sports recruitment).</p>

<p>So you can see my point is simply against the people exemplified by this quote:
I always see someone on CC responding to a chances post by saying "you need to find a passion" and for ten minutes the he or she will be the sagacious CCer with all the answers to life.
^exactly my point.</p>

<p>The whole college process is a breeding pool of cynicism--it is unfortunate. While I agree that you--spyder--make valid points, I think it is presumptuous for you to assume that your theory applies to everyone attempting to attend an elite university. I, for one, did not even know what university I wanted to attend until Fall 2005. My high school experience was about enjoying the 4 years by succeeding academically and socially. I did not outline my high school career--with flashy extracurricular activities or an abundance of AP courses--in an attempt to gain admissions to elite universities.</p>

<p>My activities were genuine interests in debate, politics and the sciences. As such, my AP/Honors classes--Bio,Chem, Phys, Gov, etc-- reflected my interests. Even with the lack of preparation years in advance to my college process--as exhibited by many CCers--, I gained admissions to Brown, Duke, and Johns Hopkins.</p>

<p>However, what can I say, play the game as you see fit. Who am I to judge?</p>

<p>well I agree with spydertennis only to a certain extent, that you should to some degree, do things that will help you get into college, but also only do it if you will enjoy it. Dont do something totally offtrack even if it does not interest you one bit just to get into college, that is no good and can very well backfire right in front of you.</p>

<p>EDIT: I myself plan on starting a business this year. I for one, as said I love starting business', and I am doing it for one main motivation, to make money, but also I believe that starting a business is good to show in any business school, or college, shows initiative, leadership skills, management skills.</p>

<p>Did I say it applied to everyone?
Stop putting words in my mouth!</p>

<p>Hey A-san, how would it backfire?</p>

<p>
[quote]
Passion my ass, every passion on a high school app is faked.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>That statement alone spyder seems to insinuate otherwise.</p>

<p>Maybe I got a little carried away, not every, rather most or many.</p>

<p>Wow, you peeps are way too high stung! I see spider's point about it all being a game, but at the same time you can apply that theory to nearly everything. As he/she said, as soon as that college acceptance letter comes in its time to start freaking out about grad school. As soon as grad school ends its about doing what it takes to get that cushy job. Then you have to kick arse at things you hate to get that promotion, blah, blah, blah. Over and over and over again. If you don't mind doing it then fine, go for it, but don't cry about it either. No one is forcing you to go to Harvard. I'm sure you're a reasonably bright person even w/out all those pesky EC's and could get inot a fine school purely on your own merits. If you don't like the system then dont participate in it. Go somewhere easier to get in and pursue something that you love to do.</p>

<p>spyder, it would backfire because college app coordinators are not stupid. They are smart people. I am sure they will know when you are just stuffing your app especially if you make it that obvious. ;) If you want to play the game well, dont you think the best rule would be to try and be smarter then the college app directors... thats not being very smart.</p>

<p>thanx for pointing out the obvious.</p>

<p>While I can empathize with these posts, I think the passion problem is compounded by the resumes on CC. I don't really have a packed resume, I'm president of just one club, overseeing about 100 student volunteers in Interact. Freshman year I played three sports, dropped two because they weren't for me, continued to play basketball as I always have until Jr. year the freshman coach came back, who I didn't like. I've taken several college classes, mostly to keep busy. I would personally rather take classes than be a member of clubs and societies. If I don't feel like I'm making an impact then I can't become attached. I can't personally say I'm passionate about anything- I'm still looking. I've also played two instruments, each for at least 5 years. But I didn't end up loving either, and I knew when to stop. I had a part-time (20 hrs/week) job to keep busy at a coffeeshop, but hated the management. So there went that. I was always conscious that eventually these activities would be assembled into a laundry list, but my list isn't all that long and I'm not a really busy person. I like to learn, explore, and have time for myself. How do I tell colleges I would honestly rather read and write poetry than sell my soul for homeless people or something of that nature? I don't live my life for college; I feel we've all got a place we're going to end up- and it's just inevitable- accept your interests, your hobbies, and the laundry list may or may not follow. Some people just love to be busy- one of my best friends is one of those people and she hates it when people categorize her as someone (as the yearbook page about her did) who "is doing all this to go to Yale." She's not even sure where she wants to be in over a year. She would tutor kids every day and spend her summer at Summerbridge as a teacher whether or not colleges would ever find out. </p>

<p>Maybe I'm an idealist, but if I need time to sleep and am still bursting at the seams with "only" 3 APs and 2 college classes, then I'm not truly sure how people are functioning. I've lived my life trying to find a happy medium, discarding activities that eat time and don't enlighten me. I find ARML practices more fun than water polo was, but my interests are always changing. </p>

<p>Good luck all, and accept your place.</p>

<p>I think the fault lies in the college admissions process itself, and the expectations that the elite colleges have. They expect all applicants to have a well defined passion. However, what they don't tell you is that certain "passions" look better on apps than others. What if your passions aren't necessarily intellectual, athletic, or community service related, but rather revolve around video games, hanging out with friends, going to movies, listening to music, or other such pursuits. I agree with spyder's contention that you can't tell everyone to just "find a passion", because the passion has to come from within. What about those applicants who don't really have a passion but still desire to go to an elite college? For them, I believe, spyder's strategy works best. Colleges admissions, after all, is a game.</p>

<p>
[quote]
While I can empathize with these posts, I think the passion problem is compounded by the resumes on CC. I don't really have a packed resume, I'm president of just one club, overseeing about 100 student volunteers in Interact. Freshman year I played three sports, dropped two because they weren't for me, continued to play basketball as I always have until Jr. year the freshman coach came back, who I didn't like. I've taken several college classes, mostly to keep busy. I would personally rather take classes than be a member of clubs and societies. If I don't feel like I'm making an impact then I can't become attached. I can't personally say I'm passionate about anything- I'm still looking. I've also played two instruments, each for at least 5 years. But I didn't end up loving either, and I knew when to stop. I had a part-time (20 hrs/week) job to keep busy at a coffeeshop, but hated the management. So there went that. I was always conscious that eventually these activities would be assembled into a laundry list, but my list isn't all that long and I'm not a really busy person. I like to learn, explore, and have time for myself. How do I tell colleges I would honestly rather read and write poetry than sell my soul for homeless people or something of that nature? I don't live my life for college; I feel we've all got a place we're going to end up- and it's just inevitable- accept your interests, your hobbies, and the laundry list may or may not follow. Some people just love to be busy- one of my best friends is one of those people and she hates it when people categorize her as someone (as the yearbook page about her did) who "is doing all this to go to Yale." She's not even sure where she wants to be in over a year. She would tutor kids every day and spend her summer at Summerbridge as a teacher whether or not colleges would ever find out.</p>

<p>Maybe I'm an idealist, but if I need time to sleep and am still bursting at the seams with "only" 3 APs and 2 college classes, then I'm not truly sure how people are functioning. I've lived my life trying to find a happy medium, discarding activities that eat time and don't enlighten me. I find ARML practices more fun than water polo was, but my interests are always changing.</p>

<p>Good luck all, and accept your place.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>You can tell colleges you would rather read and write then do all the other volunteer stuff and everything that might be expected. How? Put your writing to use! Write for the newspaper, start your own column, start your own local newspaper, maybe do something with a local library, start a bookselling business, a book review business. There are so many ways that you can put your interests and "passions" to use and then even so viable that it can be put on a college app. </p>

<p>
[quote]
I think the fault lies in the college admissions process itself, and the expectations that the elite colleges have. They expect all applicants to have a well defined passion. However, what they don't tell you is that certain "passions" look better on apps than others. What if your passions aren't necessarily intellectual, athletic, or community service related, but rather revolve around video games, hanging out with friends, going to movies, listening to music, or other such pursuits. I agree with spyder's contention that you can't tell everyone to just "find a passion", because the passion has to come from within. What about those applicants who don't really have a passion but still desire to go to an elite college? For them, I believe, spyder's strategy works best. Colleges admissions, after all, is a game.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>The same goes with you, why dont you find your interests as you said there and be creative, maybe there are clubs which focus on social things which you seem to be into the most (as any other kid would). If you are going to do a dozen clubs just because they look good on the app, that really sounds stupid. If I were you, sign up for a dozen clubs then after you tried each one, drop the ones that dont interest you and then focus on 3-4 that does interest you.</p>

<p>A-San, it's quite interesting that you are here rabidly defending passion, while on another thread you created, you are asking users to offer up any advice and activities you should do to get into Ivys. Not even specific schools, just 'Ivys' in general.
I do my extra curriculars because of passion (I've been pursuing several of them since elementary school), but it really bugs me when people are hypocritical. Leave spydertennis alone, worry about your own self. :)</p>

<p>Can't anyone see the difference between living life and playing the "admissions game?" Be normal, do the things you like for your own sake. </p>

<p>When junior year swings around, sit down and review your extracurricular activities, organize your leadersip positions, take your standardized tests, write your essays as well as you can, buy some resume paper to print it out the applications on, comb your hair and smile for your personal photo, buy some stamps with the American flag on it to show that you're patriotic, ask your parents to go on vacation "for no particular reason" to random places like Middlebury, VT; Raleigh, NC; South Bend, IN; go to the school's website and beg for an interview, go to the interview and beg to be admitted, send in mid-year reports, send in extra materials that might sway their decision- even in the middle of March- and sit back and wait for your acceptances to roll in.</p>

<p>If you want to do something particular for college, go get a job and save up money. But for gosh sakes undertake an activity for the sole purpose of getting into college. Say you join the academic decathlon team but you really don't love competing- how are you going to look into your teammates faces when you don't hold up your end of the bargain? Or the kids at the orphanage where you volunteer, and once you go away to college they never hear from you again? Or the Quiz Bowl teacher who wrote you your recommendations thinking you seriously enjoyed it, and when he sends anecdotes from the latest crop of QBowlers he doesn't get a return response? We hold responsibilities to not only ourselves, but to others around us. It's never just about "me and college." If you think college is a Number 1 priority in life, then there's needs to be some serious re-evaluation.</p>

<p>It is hard to imagine a young freshman falling into these boards the first time and seeing spydertennis's initial response. And let me tell ya, it's NOT giving them some wonderful, magical insight into getting into the top schools.</p>

<p>TTG</p>

<p>please, read the whole thread before you speak filmxoxo17. If you did read it, you will notice that I stated my interests very clearly there and then I asked what would be good EC's and activity ideas that I can do that pertain to MY INTERESTS AND PASSIONS.</p>

<p>Please, read before you speak. Thanks. ;)</p>

<p>EDIT: As you can see several posts down, perplexism, another member, stated numerous good ideas for me and my interests. That is 100% different then what spydertennis is proposing here.</p>

<p>Its may sound bad, but in order to get into college, you must take as a game. You have to work smart, not hard :)</p>

<p>
[quote]
Its may sound bad, but in order to get into college, you must take as a game. You have to work smart, not hard

[/quote]
</p>

<p>In my opinion that does not sound bad at all, thats where I think spydertennis is perfectly right. You need to play it smart, and competitive, but I still think if you have a passion or interest, follow it, if not, then try and find it by joining and experiencing as much as you can and then cutting down on those that you find boring.</p>

<p>Yeah, spydertennis I love this thread.</p>

<p>I don't like it when people do things that are wrong, but what I like even less is when people decide that something not so bad is below them. I hate these preachers telling us not to try to get into great schools by doing what they want us to do, and how we should follow our passion and all this crap.</p>

<p>The way I see it, if I follow my passion and do not pay attention somewhat to the things the adcoms want, I won't go to the best college I could have attended.</p>

<p>If I define my life on what college I go to and what I need to do to get there, that is sad. It is okay to pick a college though, and do what they want me to do.</p>

<p>People are full of crap when they act like they are above doing something just to get something else. If joining a club I'm not in love with will get me into a top tier school, then I'll do it.</p>

<p>If you do everything that you perfectly love in life, you'll end up hating life because you'll feel inferior to those who went to a better college than you, and make more money than you. You'll feel inferior to those who did what made them come out on top, while you were pursuing some goal that didn't matter much to others.</p>

<p>People interact with each other, and people try to impress other people, that's the way the world is. Everyone has to do some things they don't want to do to succeed. If you don't succeed you aren't impressive. It's not fun to do something you love and have no one care about it.</p>

<p>You should do some things you love, so that you aren't miserable. However, it is absolute bull that you shouldn't do what others want to look good. Any social person is miserable without some gratification from their peers.</p>

<p>I'm going to package some of these outrageous responses and send them over to the Admissions Offices of the best schools. They'd be glad to see that the future of America is in good hands.</p>

<p>TTG</p>