<p>what does hiking have to do with the quality of eagle scout as an EC - lets get back on topic cuz admissions dont care if u went on a hike</p>
<p>sai2004^^</p>
<p>Just a question...what is the vegetation like at 5000 meters up in china? I am just trying to guage whether or not china is as pleasant as whitney. by the way whitney was snowing at about 35 degrees. far from pleasant by my standards. And why do you assume i'm aryan...you sound like a racist and a stereotyper (if that is a word). but yeah, what is the vegetation like?</p>
<p>closer to the bottom a lot of dense small trees.
Nearer the top, grass and a few small shrubs
almost at the top , rocks and some snow</p>
<p>haha. just checking to see what you would say. i agree with bja1288...what is the point. The fact is the admissions officers care about the eagle scout award...so that is all i care about.</p>
<p>It's a nice EC to have - but IMO, not as good as leadership positions in schools like Class Presidents or Editors of school newspapers. The top schools ask "What can this kid do on our campus?". I think it's a bit harder for them to figure out what specifically an Eagle Scout will add to the campus (outdoor clubs?). I think it helped my son get into some reasonably good privates - but didn't help much when it came to the really picky top 10 -20 schools. Yes, he showed what he did on the application. And he had other leadership roles and ECs plus great numbers. But so do a lot of other kids. IMO, it's just not a huge hook for top schools and it's best to be realistic about it. Still something to be very proud of though!</p>
<p>hey tone could u be specific on ur son's stats? no pressure jus wonderin
And as I said in another thread - class president is a popularity contest, plain and simple</p>
<p>my relative was a eagle scout and didn't do any sports but got into a school in HYSP (I'm not naming which one)</p>
<p>I have absolutely no respect for anyone that calls eagle scout a lame EC and easy to get</p>
<p>"""""It's a nice EC to have - but IMO, not as good as leadership positions in schools like Class Presidents or Editors of school newspapers. The top schools ask "What can this kid do on our campus?". I think it's a bit harder for them to figure out what specifically an Eagle Scout will add to the campus (outdoor clubs?)."""""</p>
<p>I must disagree, i think in most cases it is more then just a leadership position at your skool. Boy scouts is not just an outdoors club. It encompasses so much more, more than prolly any ec. With boy scouts you are intertwining so many aspects outdoors, service, leaderships, ranks, values and it teaches you so much more then anything. An eagle scout has to be a leader and you learn throughout your boy scout career how to become one. Camping teaches you leadership. Thus it adds much more then just some leadership position at your skool . </p>
<p>Eagle scout is one of the and should be valued as one of the best EC's when you apply to colleges.</p>
<p>Seems very easy to get in teh bay area. Basically just be a scout for around 10 years and you get it. A few of my scout friends told me this.</p>
<p>Teh commitment needed for boyscouts does not compare wtih that needed to learn an instrument or start a business.</p>
<p>If you play an instrument for 10 years u will get good at it and all that takes is commitment- whoop de friekin doo i think that we have begun to flog a dead horse...</p>
<p>sai2004...it seems easy maybe, but you just don't know. Like anything there are guys who skate by, and do so with fortune on their side, but for the most part the Eagle Scout award takes maximum effort. Sure, anybody can get it...and i mean anybody, but that anybody has to exert himself and apply himself. All i think the award is...is a reflection of your character...for the most part. And i played the piano for 7 years. commitment yeah, but i was also in boy scouts and cub scouts for 9 years, and coming first hand, the eagle matches, if not exceeds the commitment level of playing an istrument. anyways this thread is becoming a bit redundant, and a bit tiresome.</p>
<p>bja188 and others: I think Eagle Scout is a GREAT EC - my point is that I'm not sure it carries much weight on its own with Adcoms at the very top schools. Again, I think they are looking to fill gaps in their student populations so you need great stats plus an EC or two that will likely continue when you get on campus (Editor of a newspaper is a good example). I don't think Adcoms necessarily appreciate the amount of work and committment an Eagle scout puts in. Regarding stats, my son was a 3.9UW, 4.8W, 8 APS, 1500 SAT at a very competitive high school. Eagle Scout, Captain of his Varsity sport and a year-round regiionally ranked player (but not good enough for a top D1 team). Both of these activities were with him since grade school. Due to the time committment of scouts and sports, his school based ECs were on the light side (a few clubs). I think this hurt him. I don't think the Adcoms saw what he would bring to the campus (like playing a trombone for the marching band, or writing for the newspaper). He stressed the community service of scouting (which he did a lot of) but again, no hook. Rejected at an Ivy, waitlisted at a top public as an OOS (his first two choices). Accepted to a few very good top 50 schools. And thankfully, he also got into the honors college at our instate U - not an easy task. In contrast, he has a friend that is also an Eagle Scout, but on top of that, he plays a unique instrument for a regional/national orchestra, won numerous science awards, and held various leadership positions at his school (no sports). Top stats. He was accepted to multiple Ivies. Bottom line, it's hard to tell what the impact is on admissions - but it's certainly not an easy "in" to the top schools.</p>
<p>Yup- Nothing in the top 50 is easy- Personally my EC's include Eagle Scout, starting computer repair business, building 2 pcs and volunteering at a place that fixes up pc's for the disadvantaged. Coupling this with 4 yrs of cross country I think im pretty well rounded and have shown interest in Computer Engineering, and Eagle Scout is just icing on the cake- sure i have no chance at MIT but im gonna give it a shot</p>
<p>bja - nice ECs. Sounds like you have a decent shot at some top schools especially if your stats are good. IMO, the top 15 -20 schools want to see something really special while top 50 are OK with well- rounded kids who have excellent stats. Good luck!</p>
<p>How could being class president or playing a team sport be more prestigious than an Eagle Scout Award? Ivy League schools see applicants who were class presidents every day; it's nothing special. If only 3% of Boy Scouts receive the Eagle Scout award, how could class president be "better"? The US Government goes out of its way to hire Eagle Scout recipients; the Police Force loves to see Eagle Scouts patrolling the roads. Universities realize that an Eagle Scout is a rare find seeing the low amounts of them. To discount the organization just completely boggles my mind.</p>
<pre><code> I am a recent Eagle Scout recipient; by no means was I handed the award without work. My project took nearly six months to complete, months to gain donated material, meeting with top officials to get permission to complete project, etc. Merit badges were a tad bit more difficult than "weaving a basket" I had to do the lifesaving merit badge which included performing LBDs (lost body drills) which spanned for hours, "rescue" a drowning a victim, learn how to perform first aid on a neck trauma victim, etc. Environmental science required scouts to write a 500 word essay, build nature refuges, and memorize countless facts. In wilderness survival, we had to build primitive shelters with logs, dead leaves, etc, then spend the night in that shelter in pouring rain and 30 degree temperature. The bottom line is that the Boy Scout organization is by no means a group of people where we barbeque all day.
Bottom line is that a recipient of the Eagle Scout Award should by no means be discredited. Colleges, military, government, will all greatly laud you with acceptances, job openings, and other ideas which "class president" probably could not do. Sure, I have seen helpless, sissy Boy Scouts who couldn't start a fire with ten gallons of lighter fluid; but that is rare. Eagle Scouts in general are fine leaders in the community, capable in the wilderness, and adept in college and the workforce.
I am so proud to be an Eagle Scout; that pride can never be taken away from me.
</code></pre>
<p>Having attained the rank of Eagle IS a great achievement, no question in my mind. It is important to remember tho that there are kids who are Eagles AND class president and have other great credentials.</p>
<p>My S is also an Eagle & we're pretty sure it has helped him as well, as it's one of his most prestigous ECs. Still, there are a lot of Eagles out there applying for a lot of very competitive schools. More than the rank, it's helpful if the student can relate his experience in scouting and/or attaining his Eagle to his app & post HS goals & ambitions (the maturity & growth & leadership skills that come along the path of the Eagle, etc.) Since I never read my son's aps, I have no idea whether he mentioned any of this in his college apps, but have read of others who have. I've heard of at least one college that even awards additional merit scholarships to eagles that are upperclassmen.</p>
<p>Yes, yes, I know. But, if Student A and Student B with the exact same stats but different ECs, I am sure I would know who would have the advantage. If student A just has the Eagle Scout Award, and Student B was just class president, it is simply clear that the Eagle Scout recipient would have the distinct advantage.</p>
<p>I would not count eagle scout as better than class president. Eagle scout is generally a matter of being a scout for 10 years or so. Not difficult. There is only 1 class president. You have to compete to become president and there is often real work involved. </p>
<p>I do not have anything against eagle scouts. In fact, a few of my friends are eagle scouts, but I would like the point out that it is extremely easy to become one. A simple matter of seniority. From what I've seen of eagle scouts, while they are fun to hang around, they are pretty rowdy and often cause damage to public property.</p>
<p>IMO - it is generally not the case that getting an eagle scout designation is a matter of seniority. OK - there may be some bad troops out there with low standards but most eagle scouts I know worked VERY hard to get there - inlcuding my son. Regarding impact on admssions, my sense is that is DOES help for selective schools that are perhaps in the top 50. But I don't think it's a big deal EC for the Ivies or top 25 schools (it's hard to impress those folks). My son did use his essays to bring out what he did as an ES but it didn't help. I think some more school involvement would have been better. Life isn't fair. But getting to ES is still something to be VERY proud of. My son recently went on a 5-day backpacking orientation tour and he was one of the informal leaders in the group. He wants to be a orientation leader next year as a result of his positive experience. It's too bad that there are Eagle Scouts out there that didn't earn it...</p>