Examples of some Ivy-Level ECs.

Parent Cafe
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<p>Someone had posted this in the other EC thread, and I thought it was deserving of its own thread so it doesn't get buried. This is from the Daily Pennsylvanian.</p>

<p>The first paragraph shows how things that may be hooks at less competitive schools are par for the course at Penn. From looking at the things listed in "above and beyond," one can see what does count as a hook at places like Ivies, and just how hard such hooks must be to fake.</p>

<p>"The Class of 2008 .... is composed of 729 students who were captains of a varsity sport, 204 who were editor in chief of their high school newspapers, 95 student council presidents, 69 class presidents and 82 debate team captains.</p>

<p>However, many students reached above those titles ...</p>

<p>One ... is a fashion designer with 20 employees who sells clothes in 350 stores in seven countries.There is a student who ...who played the violin alongside Yo-Yo Ma. There is another musician who ... has a CD coming out soon from Virgin Records America.</p>

<p>One freshman has appeared on Jeopardy's Teen Tournament, while at the same time developing a program called "Jeans for Teens." It collects, mends and distributes jeans to those who cannot afford such clothing.</p>

<p>The admissions officers ...are often moved by the students' endeavors.</p>

<p>"I was particularly touched by a student who grew up in the Marshall Islands and completely didn't wear shoes until he was 12," says [a regional admissions director]...</p>

<p>Other students have more bizarre passions.</p>

<p>One freshman's family is in the Guinness Book of World Records for building the world's largest ball of tape....</p>

<p>Some you might see in the spotlight soon.</p>

<p>One Broadway actor has performed in shows such as Beauty and the Beast, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Ragtime, Titanic and A Christmas Carol....</p>

<p><a href="http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/41494495cc4bb?in_archive=1%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/41494495cc4bb?in_archive=1&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

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<p>I wonder if this would count:</p>

<p>(Note: This was not designed to be an EC. I started it because I wanted to and I could, not to get into college)</p>

<p>Since there's a bunch of kids at my school who program small games, including myself, I started TJGames.org (<a href="http://www.tjgames.org%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.tjgames.org&lt;/a&gt;) to act as a repository of these games. The games are all "donationware". That is, they're free, but we ask for donations from those who are appreciative of the effort and cause.</p>

<p>The donations are forwarded 100% to a charity called Child's Play that donates new game consoles, video games, and other modern toys to children's hospitals. It's considered "the gamer's charity". I wanted to do my part to prove to the world that gamers are not bad people. </p>

<p>Please, check out the site. Let me know what you think.</p>

<p>And please consider donating. It's for a good cause.</p>

<p>[/shameless plug]</p>

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<p>I love how they use popularity contests to help determine admissions to Harvard.</p>

<p>I should have spent all my money on $500 handbags and designer clothing instead of doing my research!</p>

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<p>Popularity contsts, (I believe you are referring to class elections) are extremely helpful in determining mainstream charisma and leadership potential. Forgive me for getting a little bit hot under the collar when someone suggests that a brilliantly constructed campaign that defeated the captain of the cheerleading team was simply a popularity contest.</p>

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<p>Whats wrong with not having mainstream charisma?</p>

<p>The mainstream isnt always in the right.</p>

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<p>I don't know... I think you can find a lot of those EC's at every college, not just at Ivy-leagues. </p>

<p>One of my best friends at school was in a band that recorded multiple albums and toured with the Cherry Poppin' Daddies during high school.</p>

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<p>"Popularity contests, (I believe you are referring to class elections) are extremely helpful in determining mainstream charisma and leadership potential. Forgive me for getting a little bit hot under the collar when someone suggests that a brilliantly constructed campaign that defeated the captain of the cheerleading team was simply a popularity contest."</p>

<p>Unfortunately some posters are very snide when it comes to something they personally chose not to do or (horrors) may have tried it but didn't excel. Look at all the anti-sports postings implying athletes are just a bunch of knuckledraggers on the edge of psychotic rage and that and that an athlete took so-and-so 's spot for college choice #1.</p>

<p>Who's to say the captain of the cheerleading squad is incapable of designing her own brilliantly constructed campaign?</p>

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<p>"One freshman's family is in the Guinness Book of World Records for building the world's largest ball of tape...."</p>

<p>I'm off to Home Depot to buy a pallet load of duct tape.</p>

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<p>"I was particularly touched by a student who grew up in the Marshall Islands and completely didn't wear shoes until he was 12," says [a regional admissions director]...</p>

<p>Would the admissions director be equally impressed by a kid who didn't wear pants? Maybe starting an essay a la David Letterman: "I'm not wearing pants."</p>

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<p>Agree with Motherdear that winning elections cannot be dismissed so derisively as a "popularity contest." Apart from evidencing a willingness to lead others, and to accept the responsibilities of doing so, winning office generally proves that your peers picked you as the person they wish to follow -- for whatever reasons, and usually there are more than being "just" the captain of the cheerleaders or lacrosse team. Effective leadership requires willing and supportive followers. The ability to develop these is indeed "popularity" -- but it can be the kind that has real significance in life, as well as college admissions. </p>

<p>Plus, isn't it a pleasant prospect to spend four years with some people with this kind of "popularity"?</p>

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<p>I always wonder where the elites are heading when they want a class full of leaders (and many of them are pretty frank about this!).</p>

<p>Problem one: not all the students can be leaders, unless you have a lot of veeeery small units. Maybe this is why the internal culture is so dissatisfying for some students?</p>

<p>Problem two: Good leadership training teaches that the first requirement for being a good leader is to be a good follower!! Even leaders must follow, after all, both above and below. I wonder how many of these wonderkids have learned that?</p>

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<p>Good leaders don't necessarily follow!!! Some are creative, innovative and entrepreneurs. Some do their own thing and do not comply with the corporate culture. Organizations want people who fit in and follow the organizational culture and protocols. They want "leaders" who also follow. No wonder there are so many dull bureaucrats in this world.</p>

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<p>To play the devil's advocate here: Harvard, Princeton, Yale, etc. are principally academic institutions, whose ranks are filled with professors and graduate students of English, Musicology, History and other disciplines who may know and care very little about "leadership" qualities in a student who is writing a paper on Chaucer or Schubert or Machiavelli. These schools simply have so many applicants that they have begun to focus for admissions purposes on extracurricular activities that may have little to do with their own missions. The cost is that it is placing enormous pressure on kids not to relax and have fun while in high school instead of constantly polishing their resumes.</p>

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<p>I like StickerShocks ideas!
"But Ms. Principal, I can't wear shoes to school. It's important for my college application."</p>

<p>My daughter had an unsual EC: she got so good with our dog at canine agililty that they made it to nationals for it. Granted, no school recruited her for their canine agility team, or had one for that matter, but it helped her stand out. More importantly, it was a <em>genuine</em> passion.</p>

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<p>StickerShock - thank you so much for your sense of humor! ;)</p>

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<p>edad,</p>

<p>I think you are mixing up different definitions of leadership. If by leadership you mean "blazing new trails" or innovation, I will agree with you. Most of us, though, when we use the term leadership, refer to the ability to influence the behaviour of others. All too many creative, innovative or entepreneurial types have little ability to influence the behaviour of others. Maybe the best we can say is they are leaders of ideas?</p>

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<p>Call me old school but I dont think "mainstream charisma" should be that important in college admissions. Most of the time it is better to be able to view things away from the mainstream.</p>

<p>I think academics and a true passion should be much more important than who can get elected class president and such.</p>

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<p>Colleges are, and should be conscious of not creating an anti-social atmosphere at their schhols. Naturally charismatic leaders do wonders to prevent that, and the easiset way to find one is through looking into a school wide elected position. I have a 2350 on my SATs, just because I am sociable, and likeable doesn't mean that I'm not academically oreinted. The fact that when people put their pen to paper, and wrote my name down to be their leader is absolutely something that should be evaluated during the college admissions process.</p>

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<p>Elections aren't popularity contests in every school.. I hate how some adcoms think that "student leadership" and clubs like that are pointless, when in my school it means hours and hours of dedication and on weekends too =/ Bah.</p>

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<p>newmassdad: I really dislike the term leadership because I think it is very vague without a generally-accepted definition. In the broad sense, I would agree with your definition: the ability to influence the behavior of others. I work in a world where there are lots of teams and committees. Most of the leaders for these groups are appointed. They lead based on delegation and because the group members are expected to cooperate and follow the appointed lead. I think we often view leadership as some sort of cleverness, charisma or social skills which influences others. Usually these skills are not well defined. And finally, individuals can influence others with ideas, products, or processes which are unique and valuable. Yup, I really don't like the term leadership.</p>