<p>Hi, I'm currently a Life Scout, I've been in Scouts for 6 years, and I've volunteered hundreds of hours for community service projects such as scouting for food and as a camp counselour. I've also held multiple leadership positions. I was just wondering how big of a boost being an Eagle scout would be? Does being a Life Scout still look really good?</p>
<p>If I don't get Eagle, will it look bad, as if I didn't finish what I started?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>You’ve still done a lot of work with the Scouts and gotten very involved. You’ve got leadership, an activity it looks like you’re passionate about, and lots of dedication to something that clearly interested you.</p>
<p>Not getting Eagle would not look bad at all. As is, your experience with the Scouts already looks good. Eagle would only make it better.</p>
<p>Eagle Scout has been discussed a lot here. Here are a few threads:
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/154026-eagle-scout.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/154026-eagle-scout.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/404302-eagle-scout-admit-hook.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/404302-eagle-scout-admit-hook.html</a>
<a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/498556-eagle-scout-impact.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/498556-eagle-scout-impact.html</a></p>
<p>I disagree with RedSeven. While your community and leadership involvement is impressive, failing to complete your Eagle would indicate that your dedication/commitment is lacking. If you’ve been in Scouts for six years, why not finish what you’ve started? It’s never a good idea to almost achieve something. </p>
<p>If you really want to reap the benefits of your involvement without conveying any commitment issues, simply list the community service and counselor work. Refrain from even mentioning your scouting experience unless you’re an Eagle.</p>
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<p>Huh?</p>
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<p>Bad advice. Yodelo, putting hundreds of volunteer hours into a Scouting program is impressive by anyone’s measure. My son never earned his Eagle either, but listed his leadership positions and volunteer hours with his Troop as an EC. He is receiving some very nice admissions and scholarship offers.</p>
<p>It would probably help if you read Sherpa’s threads.</p>
<p>Can you explain why you don’t want to pursue your Eagle?</p>
<p>Ds1 is an Eagle, and I think it made a difference in his college acceptances. He is featured in this year’s recruiting materials for his college, and what do they highlight? His Scouting work, including detailing his Eagle project.</p>
<p>You’ll get more mileage out of being an Eagle at some colleges over others. Do I think it’s a huge hook? No. But, truthfully, it would be a bit of a red flag to me if I saw someone devote as much time and effort into his Scouting as you have and didn’t see it through to Eagle.</p>
<p>Beyond college apps, I’ve been told that an Eagle will keep that on his resume his entire life, and it will open doors. This week, ds did a phone interview for a summer job. When he updated his resume, he listed only three awards (a far cry from his college apps resume!), and one of those was Eagle.</p>
<p>I do want to get eagle. I just dind’t think I could get it in time for college apps next year</p>
<p>It is possible to earn the Eagle award after college aps. The deadline is different for each individual - his 18th birthday.
It probably isn’t a huge deal if you’re not an eagle by the time aps are due, since you can write “life scout, soon to be Eagle” and it will look like you’re still working at it, instead of looking like you’re just giving up.
Of course, it’s a great thing to have. But definitely don’t omit boy scouts from the aps because of it.</p>
<p>Lots of threads, as sherpa points out. I’m also the parent of an Eagle scout, and I would agree with Youdon’tsay. I don’t think it is a huge advantage, particularly at most highly selective schools BUT it does count for something. Obviously the most important components of a college application are still about the stats-- GPA, rank or decile, and test scores. The community service and volunteer hours you’ve logged are impressive BUT not completing your service project and getting that final award of Eagle does slightly diminish everything you’ve completed and earned so far, so I do not think StudiousMaximus is completely off-base either. </p>
<p>Identify what it is exactly that is making you question taking that final step in completing your Eagle. Is it the project and your inability to do something involving handiwork? Find someone to be your on-site “consultant”, if a parent doesn’t have expertise in this area either. Sometimes it is because you don’t have any project options to consider. Go talk to your scoutmaster or the person in the troop who handles the “Life to Eagle” responsibilties. Go visit some of the local parks, a place of worship, your local schools, etc. and find out what they need renovating or building from scratch. Many scouts don’t finish because they get involved in other EC’s after school, including girls?! Try completing your scouting requirements on weekends or this summer when you have more time. Hopefully, you don’t turn 18 by then.</p>
<p>I always find it interesting that people look at being Eagle Scout as the best Boy Scouts accomplishment. In my experience, being Senior Patrol Leader (basically, president) was a bigger responsibility and should matter more to colleges.</p>
<p>You’re a junior? I’d talk to your Scoutmaster or whoever would be the best Eagle adviser and ask how long the process generally takes for your patrol. Some patrols are known as “Eagle mills,” and there might be lots of support to move these things along. At ds’s, not so much. It did drag out much longer than we planned. Ds started in spring of his sophomore year, and we were sure he’d be done over the summer. Not even close. He finished winter of junior year (I hate bureaucracy) and had his ceremony in March of that year. It really did take almost a whole year. But it was really worth it.</p>
<p>I say start the project and even if you’re not done with it by the time apps are due, you write something like this on your resume:</p>
<p>“Eagle Scout project underway, expected completion date December 2011.” That way you get credit for the accomplishment, even if the i’s aren’t dotted and t’s aren’t crossed. But only do that if you really plan on doing it; don’t lie.</p>
<p>i am a Eagle Scout and the parent of a Eagle Scout. Finishing is paramount.
While I am well aware of the Life rank, those that have never been associated with scouting may not know exactly where Life rank fits into the scheme of things. Everyone knows Eagle Scout is the highest rank. All admission offices will realize that you obtained a goal that is not easily achieved. Someone said that only 4% of scouts achieve Eagle. I think that % may be 2%. How many scouts achieve Life? Probably nobody knows or cares. Furthermore, you will regret not getting your Eagle as you grow older. While your ACT/SAT score, high school GPA, etc. will fade into the past, the Eagle rank never fades. Most all, if not all, of your high school accomplishments will not be listed on your resume years from now. The Eagle scout rank will be listed and your employer will know what it means. You will not list Life rank years from now. Many scouts are lost between Life and Eagle because of the mandatory 6 months wait required. The scouts get interested in other things (girls,cars,etc.). As soon as you complete your Eagle requirements and complete your board of review, you can update your folder with admissions. You do not have to wait until the Eagle ceremony because that is only a formality. The moment you exit the board of review you will know if you passed the review or not. When you receive your official paper work a few weeks later, send it to admissions. I would e-mail the good news to admissions the day I walked out of the board of review.</p>
<p>Let me clarify my previous post: If you can achieve your Eagle Scout within the windows of consideration for the colleges that you’re applying to, do so. It would definitely improve the extracurricular portion of your application. However, if you cannot, I think you should definitely list the hundreds of hours of service and volunteer work that you’ve done. These accomplishments are impressive and are sure to help your chances at any college you apply to.
However, I don’t see what help listing these under ‘Scouting’ could do for you. It would only indicate to the admissions officer that, after hundreds of hours applied and multiple leadership positions held in the Scouting realm, you’ve failed to complete the ultimate rank–Eagle. Just list them (service hours and volunteer work) independently; they’re strong involvements as it is.</p>
<p>Do it. I’m an Eagle Scout who just finished applying. My Eagle Board of Review was in Sept. and that made it onto apps. It took me a year from project approval to BOR. It can easily be done in 6monthes. Weather was one of my obstacles.</p>
<p>Carleton College, one of the colleges I applied to, lists how many Eagle Scouts they had in their incoming class, indicating it is special and unique. It is completely worth it.</p>
<p>my state schools automatically award a $1,000 scholarship for eagle scout.</p>
<p>Another vote for “do it”. Get it done over the summer or get some college apps done over the summer. My DS and his freshman roommate were eagle scouts. It will be with your forever. Do it.</p>
<p>Obviously the most important components of a college application are still about the stats-- GPA, rank or decile, and test scores.</p>
<p>Many on CC think this is “obvious.” And many others, time after time, disagree and point to the massive numbers of top-stats kids who routinely get rejected. </p>
<p>The whole picture is important- stats are only the beginning. ECs, essays, short answers and recs count as much. At the Ivy I work for, Eagle is impressive and nearly always noted in the reviews. Obviously, it weighs more than never finishing. But, there are many legit reasons a kid may not complete before the coll app deadline. Agree with YouDon’tSay: write it as, “Eagle Scout; projected completion: (month/year.)” Then, when it’s done, let the colleges know.</p>
<p>Some kids turn 18 earlier than others, so have a shorter time frame to work with. They may miss that deadline and never get it. They can still decide to take full credit for the effort they did put in. </p>
<p>OP is NOT saying he doesn’t want to finish.</p>
<p>just to add …once you have completed all your paper work and your Eagle scout project and turned it in to the proper Eagle board representative, you have beaten the “18 years old deadline”…the board of review can take place months later …the official ceremony moths after that</p>
<p>THANK YOU EVERYONE!!! Today I passed my Eagle Board of Review, after working on the Eagle requirements for the past 1 and a half years. Thank you for all your support and motivation, and I can’t wait to start college this fall =]</p>
<p>Congrats, Yodelo. Hooray for you!</p>