<p>This summer I'm going to be going to an all-state band camp. I was wondering how much this EC would help in getting me into a selective school.</p>
<p>I have a 4.0, an ranked 1 out of about 80, got a 34 on the ACT (don't know about essay yet) but I basically have no ECs other than 4 years of concert and marching band. I was wondering how much going to an all-state band would help me. Basically I'm wondering if this raises my ECs from abysmal to something else. The reaches I'm considering applying to now are:</p>
<p>University of Chicago
University of Michigan (out of state)</p>
<p>Michigan & Chicago are not reaches -- you are a val. w/ a 34 ACT.</p>
<p>The All-State band will help quite a bit. It is better to be really good at something than decent at 10 things. But at the same time, depending where you are in all-state (& what state), there may be many more musicians that are even more qualified than you are. I remember someone saying that all-state music isn't necessarily a hook into Harvard b/c there are 2,500 musicians out there like you. </p>
<p>Certainly it will help -- there are few things that only 2,500 people can do. </p>
<p>But Chicago & Michigan are more than realistic. Harvard/MIT/Yale...maybe, but even if you had a 36 ACT & a zillion other things you'd still be a maybe.</p>