<p>Hi,</p>
<p>Am I the only one that think the hole thing about extracurricular activities is just absurd?</p>
<p>Why is a student who volunteers at a hospital just to have something to write on his resume better than a student who doesn't volunteer at all?</p>
<p>Because the student is doing something instead of...not doing something?</p>
<p>I'm sure NorthStarMom will show up soon with her "EC's are considered for admissions purposes only at very selective schools, at which there are so many qualified applicants that they must also use some other criteria to decide." [which is true] At some point, grades and numbers have to be supplemented by a picture of the applicant as a whole. The essays and ECs can help a lot in this.</p>
<p>Colleges don't put much weight into "extracurriculars" like volunteering at a hospital because, frankly, pretty much any student can do it. It takes no leadership, talent, "excellence"...I know because I've done it :(. Colleges would rather see that you spent 20 hours organizing a successful food drive than 40 hours canvassing for donations for a food drive someone else organized. </p>
<p>At any rate, some top colleges also want students that are not only academically qualified, but would add to the campus life - sometimes they hope that the student will continue his EC in college.</p>
<p>Zoax, I agree--admissions personnel want to find students who will be engaged members of their campus community. Given the choice between the perfect-grade-and-score student who plays games on their computer in their spare time, and the less-than-perfect-grade-and-score student who is an active member of their school community, they may very likely choose the latter. HOWEVER, their BS-o-meter is very highly-tuned, and they can smell someone who joins every group under the sun to pad their resume, (vs. someone who chooses one or two activities they obviously enjoy and dive in deeper) a mile a way</p>
<p>Extracurriculars are important - if you are elected SG President that shows you must have either some charisma or be a political sneakster, both traits very useful in future careers.</p>
<p>First of all, EC's tell colleges how you live your life, and that is a big contributor to the overall picture colleges get from you. It reveals your interests, your characteristics (passionate, kind, hard-working, social, leadership, political), and how you can get involved with the college community.</p>
<p>"m sure NorthStarMom will show up soon with her "EC's are considered for admissions purposes only at very selective schools, at which there are so many qualified applicants that they must also use some other criteria to decide." [which is true] At some point, grades and numbers have to be supplemented by a picture of the applicant as a whole. The essays and ECs can help a lot in this."</p>
<p>LOL. You've said it so well for me that I don't have to repeat it. :)</p>
<p>When it comes to ECs, their importance in your life is far more than what they can do for college admissions (which for most people isn't that much).</p>
<p>Doing ECs teaches you a lot about the world and about yourself including things that you're good at, things you don't like doing, things that could become your careers or a lifelong hobby. You learn leadership skills, teamwork and -- depending on what ECs you do -- you may learn skills ranging from language skills to writing skills to arts skills to technology skills.</p>
<p>You also learn a lot about getting along with all kinds of people, and you learn things that may serve you well in living your life. For example, just by volunteering in a hospital, you learn things that will help you some day when you or your loved ones have to use a hospital's services. You also meet people who become lifelong friends, mentors, and help you and support you in a variety of ways.</p>
<p>ECs also can lead to opportunities including paid jobs, internships, training, conferences, etc.</p>
<p>"Why is a student who volunteers at a hospital just to have something to write on his resume better than a student who doesn't volunteer at all?"</p>
<p>Answer: For the same reason that a student who takes AP classes in h.s. just to impress colleges is better than is a student who takes the easiest curriculum or doesn't go to high school at all.</p>
<p>I couldn't agree more with Northstarmom. Don't assume that students who volunteer, do a lot of ECs, are doing it to get into college. That's a pet peeve of mine. I'm in charge of a lot of school organizations, volunteer at a lot of community groups, working for a presidential campaign in my area and I always get the comment that my resume will be great or that colleges will love the volunteer work. Honestly, sure, it might help me a little bit. But, I really didn't think about that when I was running for spots, etc. I really just enjoy being involved. </p>
<p>Volunteering, especially my time at the local retirement and going door-to-door during my state's primary, has given me such great experiences. And being really involved in my school is actually fantastic. You build great relationships with teachers, you get to plan events and work with other students and it keeps school from being too prison-y, for lack of a better term.</p>