<p>Recently I have seen some CC profiles, and it seems like everyone is joining clubs nowadays.</p>
<p>Personally, I am a good student, I have a 4.0, good scores, several AP's, LOVE science, blah blah blah. I am applying to MIT this year, but I have a concern about my extracurricular activities. I work at my parents grocery store and I am afraid that this is not much of a lucrative EC.I use the money I earn in the store to improve my car. I like to hang out with friends and go to parties, but this is not something I can put under EC's. </p>
<p>Essentially, I have no EC's. Why do you think, or not think, that joining clubs and volunteering is better, or not better, than working at a grocery store or getting any other job ? </p>
<p>The way I see it, working demonstrates more responsibility than, say, being in a math club.</p>
<p>^ You have an honest profile & the EC’s which you do, you DO enjoy doing them!
Most of the ppl who boast of their <em>some club positions</em> are idiots. MIT knows that & that’s why there are so many rejects each year inspite of the candidate having xyz under the belts.</p>
<p>Be as real as you are & hopefully MIT will be your home from this coming year!</p>
<p>By EC, most top schools are asking “What do you choose to do with your time when you are not in class?” That can be being captain of the debate team, or the field hockey team, or the math club. But for a student who is working outside of class, particularly for a student who is working to help his family, because they need his/her labor, then that is a perfectly reasonable position to be in. MIT is looking at your choices. If you don’t really have a choice, then that is not something that you are penalized for in any way. And there is a lot you can actually learn at a job that will stand you in good stead at a top university.</p>
<p>@LionHeart365 Is it bad to have xyz leadership positions? I have four leadership positions and I spend a good amount of time in all four clubs and there all in science/math. Is this going to look bad?</p>
<p>^ I didn’t mean to say it will look bad, what I meant was that do you really feel you are doing what you REALLY want to do ? Having four leadership positions or having five leadership positions are all the same for the admissions officers, I guess.
People just do things just for the sake of getting into good schools, THAT’S IT !!
Would you have participated in any competitions that these good schools wouldn’t value ? Or would you give CLEP instead of AP ? The Answer is a big fat NO !</p>
<p>Yes, on the application it never hurts to have multiple leadership positions, but make sure they don’t contradict each other.</p>
<p>I used to get crazy as to what can I do to impress those mystical creatures i.e. admissions officers. But no more! I guess living life as you want to is what MIT wants. You don’t want to be manufactured, do you ?</p>
I beg to differ. In fact, a lot of people beg to differ. Do you really think people put themselves through countless hours of USAMO studying just to get into college? Or do they do it because they want to actually make IMO. I highly doubt that everyone does research just to get into college. I don’t think people decide to do it just to get into college. I don’t think every one decides to spend hours memorizing random facts for quiz bowl just because they want to get into college. No they want to win. People on robotics don’t work weekends and after schools just so they can get into college. They do it because they really enjoy engineering. Sorry if you don’t find it fun, but we do.
Oh yes, just like how runners are willing to put their body through miles after miles of pounding just to get into college. Heck NO! Ask any runner who runs marathons, who competes at State level and they will tell you that they do it for the competition. They are willing to endure the pain, not because it looks good on their resume, but because it is what they like. We don’t subject our body to cramps, stress fractures and sprained ankles for the fun of it. Nor do I think students who participate in research competition. Do you even know how hard research is sometimes. There are tons of set backs, hours of meticulous work, hours of getting grilled by your peers for not doing something correctly. It’s mentally exhausting. Most of the time research doesn’t work. And those are the time where you want to give up. But those who succeed are the ones who find ways around hurdles. They are the ones who say “I will get to the bottom of this, regardless of the setbacks.” You don’t know others, so DON’T try to speak for other people</p>
<p>Also, YOU ARE NOT EVEN AN MIT STUDENT. YOU MAKE IT SOUND LIKE YOU KNOW MIT ADMISSIONS, BUT YOU DON’T. OF COURSE I’M NOT SAYING I KNOW MIT ADMISSIONS BECAUSE I DON’T. ONLY THE PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THAT TOP SECRET COMMITTEE DO. BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS THAT WHAT YOU TALK ABOUT OTHERS IS WRONG. SORRY BUT A LOT OF US DO THINGS BECAUSE WE LIKE IT. SORRY IF WE HAVE THESE POSITIONS AND YOU DON’T. DON’T HATE US FOR IT.</p>
<p>You took 10 mins to reply to my post (Let me invest more time)</p>
<p>Anyways, here’s the thing -
The fact which I wanted to state was that there are ONLY A HANDFUL of people who really enjoy doing what they do and don’t care about college admissions.PERIOD!</p>
<p>If you have 10 club presidencies, what do you feel you have varied interests or you’re multiple-talented or you’re trying too hard for college ?</p>
<p>Number 1. It’s called depth not breath. I never said I had 10 clubs (read harder).
Number 2. Last time, I there are many people in the world that have multiple interests. If you didn’t know, Justin Timberlake is a great singer, a wonderful actor and a hilarious comedian. Sorry if he tried too hard, but I think he’s more successful than you. If you don’t think he’s just some jerk who tried to hard for college, we’ll your missing out on a lot in life. Oh yeah, by the way, Benjamin Franklin was very multi-talented, author, printer, politician, inventor and scientist. Da-Vince? Oh yeah he did what again? That’s right, he came up with the ideas for the helicopter, tank, solar power, calculator, along with painting The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa. Oops, he must have tried to hard for college too. Sorry, but I can’t help it if I do like many things. I’m sorry if I am skilled at math, science, and athletics. I’m just trying to enjoy life.</p>
(Let me invest more time)</p>