<p>NYLC is a scam too right?</p>
<p>NYLC, or NSLC are great experiences if you go to them, but I would only acknowledge them on your app if you did so, and definitely not as a primary activity, but rather in the additional information section.</p>
<p>I went to NSLC, and did just that. It was such a good time.</p>
<p>It'll be interesting to see if my son gets into all his schools, with no awards/honors. His applications all include a supplemental statement where he explains that he chose to attend a school that had none of those things, no AP courses, etc. </p>
<p>And so far, it hasn't hurt his admissions yet -- all acceptances so far.</p>
<p>Like Pachisi said earlier, It's BS, but you're expected to put it down. So I guess my question is, what are the easy BS things that everyone is expected to put down, and what are the stupid scam that you are expected not to put down?</p>
<p>he American Invitational Mathematics Examination (AIME), is a 15 question, 3 hour examination in which each answer is an integer number from 0 to 999. It is given on two different dates, (designated by the use of the "I" and "II" suffix on the contest names - AIME-I and AIME -II) about two weeks apart, in March. The questions on the AIME are much more difficult and students are very unlikely to obtain the correct answer by guessing. As with the AMC 10 and AMC 12 (and the USAMO), all problems on the AIME can be solved by pre-calculus methods. Unlike on the AMC 10 and the AMC 12 a student can only take the AIME once, and the student/school must make the decision as to whether they will take the AIME-I or the AIME-II. Again, after the contest is taken in the school, the contest administrator sends AMC the answer forms, and we score, compile and send email results back to the school, usually within 3 weeks. We then follow up with a written report, accompanied by the awards for the school. AMC 12 students who rank in the top 5% nationally (or score at least 100) will qualify for the American Invitational Mathematics Exam (AIME). AMC 10 students who rank in the top 1% nationally (or score at least 120) will also qualify for the AIME.</p>
<p>I put down a bunch of BS awards I won in the science fair. They give these out like candy.</p>
<p>It is kind of scarey how many dishonest people there are. It will all eventually catch up, dishonesty never pays off. It doesn't matter how many awards you won etc. D didn't even get all her awards until after apps were in! EC's-most schools don't care about all the little things you did, they look at a committed effort in one or two or a few things. They mostly want to see that you show committment not that you did all this little stuff to get into college. I believe admissions officers can see through that.</p>
<p>What I wonder about is the people who write down French Club or History Club. Tell me, what exactly does this mean -- that you helped out with a bake sale at lunch one day and then used the proceeds to have a class trip to a foreign film made in France? I mean, really. I think a lot of this stuff is nonsense. Just saying.
As for awards, I think a lot of them mean something and should be listed on the form.</p>
<p>sharpie,</p>
<p>Yes, awards that you earn for language exams do count. And, if it's for a classical language, all the better!</p>
<p>lmh91364, French Club or History Club may not be something at your school, but it is erroneous to assume that that means that everyone's French or History Club activity is BS. True, my German Club involvement isn't the most amazing ever, but it is a real club that does meet throughout the year and participate in cultural activities. Not BS or lying. Just because something isn't deadly serious and competitive does not mean that it is not a worthwhile activity (or not an activity at all!).</p>
<p>How often does the German Club meet and how many different cultural activities does it have?</p>
<p>Ours meets about 25 weeks a year (2 or 3 meetings a month) for 2 hours, and we do things like cook, talk about German history, and every year we go the the German Christmas Market in downtown Chicago. It's a lot of fun, but that doesn't mean that it or other clubs like it shouldn't be included on applications. </p>
<p>Perhaps needless to say, this was not my main extracurricular, but it along with a few other German related things (mostly awards, some tutoring, etc.) and a glowing recommendation from my German teacher added another element to my application (in my opinion!!).</p>
<p>So, to follow up, my son didn't put bull for honors/awards. He had NLE medals, and put those, and being chosen for NASA SHARP, and that was it. He also had no AP's, and very few EC's, because his school didn't have any. (It also didn't give any awards to students.) </p>
<p>He's been admitted to his first choice schools, Reed and U Chicago. He didn't apply to HYP, because wasn't interested in an Ivy, but there you go, one data point.</p>
<p>National Honor Society
AP Scholar</p>
<p>are worth putting down. Stuff like "Who's who" and "National Honor ROll" is BS, and colleges know it.</p>
<p>Yup, they won't give it a second glance, but who knows? It might be better than an empty space.</p>