Hey guys, I know this is kind of a strange question, but here goes. So I was blessed to have made some awesome connections over summer that allowed me to get involved with the political crowd in my city (fairly large city) and meet some important people. I have been attending the Republican Executive Committee meetings for my county, and I think I’ll be able to become a member. While it may not sound out of the ordinary, this committee really is more exclusive than you probably think. The majority of the members are state congressmen, influential figures in the area, county commissioners, etc., and there is even one U.S. congressman. The question is this: Will this give any real bonus points in the application/scholarship stage? My passion is clearly politics and law (my application screams it), and I feel like this is a pretty good addition. However, I haven’t done much research on this, so it could A. not be as rare as I thought or B. not be as good of an activity as I hope. If anyone can let me know what they think about this, the feedback is appreciated!
Nice EC, but not an unusual one - especially in an election year for students who are interested in politics. This can make for some nice essays in your application, but it is not going to give you a huge, magical boost.
It’s a good EC that you are involved in and you can easily show that it relates to what you want to study. Who cares if it is rare? Absolutely use it.
For things like this it’s not so much whether it’s unusual or not, it’s what you do with it.
It is a very nice EC but I doubt it will get you into a school you are not otherwise qualified for.
You attend meetings. Do you participate in any way? Do you do any projects with them? You could tie it into an essay or additional information section somehow.
But it’s not always a matter of who you know, but what you do.
I agree with others, nice EC but not boost at top schools.
I am getting involved with the group beyond meetings @KKmama , so I guess that is something. I am thinking about the essay potential, and I think that could be a viable option. Thanks everyone for the feedback!
This is a great EC. As mentioned above, rarity doesn’t matter that much. This is rare, but it’s not “new” ––very few activities are considered rare. But who cares? This EC substantiates your academic interest in politics, and I think it’d be a terrific essay topic. What matters most is what you do with the experience and what you gain from it.
The only ECs that are hooks are ones that that give that college something to brag about.
Also, US college faculty, administration, admissions tend to be overwhelming liberal and anti-Republican.
@golfcashoahu Thanks for the feedback! and @GMTplus7 I completely get that. Firstly, it isn’t as much for admissions as it is for a few school-exclusive competitive scholarships… just that extra little bonus point that shows the commitment. And with the whole liberal thing, I agree. However, the two to three schools I’m focusing on (UVA and ND right now) are moderate with a slight right-lean. The Ivies are too liberal for me… I’d make enemies too quick haha.
Being on this particular Executive Committee may be uncommon, but political activism is hardly a rare or unusual activity. As others have already noted, any EC is what you make of it.
But I would look at it this way: there must be something that people see in you to invite a high school kid to participate in a group consisting of adult business and political leaders. What do you think it is? And how would whatever that is add value to a prospective university? If you can convey that added value in your application, then you will have increased your chances. Adcoms are ultimately looking to add value to their respective universities, so the more value you can add, the better your chances.