<p>Has anyone tried NOT having a packed schedule during high school and gotten into an Ivy-League-tier school? It seems like every "chance me" and "acceptance results" thread I go to has tons of kids with way too many ECs and leadership positions and overpacked schedules. Is anybody here just... relaxing? I feel like I'm relaxing: I have a 4.0 GPA and at least 3-4 hours a night devoted to things other than school work (Rubik's Cube, reading, Japanese, etc...), and my only ECs are a math team, an outside of school math class, and math tutoring. Overall, these only take up about 3 hours a week, 2 of which are on the weekend. Also, I have no leadership positions.</p>
<p>Has this relaxed strategy ever worked for anyone? Does anyone else want to try it? ;) Discuss.</p>
<p>I will not be going to an Ivy League, but I can confirm that there are plenty of kids who have graduated from my school who have done exactly what you do (like they are only taking 8 APs throughout Soph-Sr year instead of 15) and have gotten in. You ECs do sound a little weak though - an Ivy would probably want a more well-rounded kid. We had a kid graduate last year who had almost a perfect GPA (it was very close, if not basically perfect) and awesome SAT scores and he got rejected/waitlisted at all the Ivies he applied to b/c he had ECs like yours (and that even includes Cornell, which many agree is the easiest Ivy to get into).</p>
<p>ECs like mine? What constitutes a good EC? Not all ECs are developed by one’s sophomore year, and I would imagine that they often change for most students… Last year, I was in 3 clubs and an after-school activity, but I’ve dropped all of them this year, and next year, I’ll probably develop different interests as well. I’m only in high school. :)</p>
<p>I’m sure he enjoyed high school a lot more than many of his peers did, and he’ll probably be a very successful person. Getting into an Ivy isn’t everything, as there are tons of other great schools. The two reasons I want to go to an Ivy are 1) they have great FA and my family can’t afford to send me anywhere and 2) the teachers, students, and opportunities are great. It wouldn’t kill me if I ended up not going to an Ivy - I’ve considered NYU, and I’m sure I’d have a chance of getting in, but rumor has it that their FA is terrible.</p>