Help!

<p>I am very ambitious. I feel like there's something to make up for after messing up and doing very poorly my freshman year, so over the summertime, I did many applications and wrote up my resume in anticipation of what I would be doing this school year, my senior year. Lots of the items in my ECs are still applicable, but I found out that one of them won't be happening this year -- I had planned to help coach my old middle school's Science Olympiad team, since that program was the highlight of my junior high years and the teacher is an amazing guy.</p>

<p>The first two days of school, I emailed the old coach about helping out and handed out my resumes to four teachers I wanted to write rec letters. One of them was finished by this past Thursday, and one said she would finish over the weekend -- and I just learned on Friday afternoon that Science Olympiad would not be happening this year. Now, the first teacher is not a science teacher, so I doubt that she would have mentioned it, but the second was my Earth science and chemistry teacher, and she probably would have.</p>

<p>I know that it was stupidity and absolutely my fault, I was too anxious to jump the gun, so to speak, and get everything done early. So, dear readers, what would you do if you were in my position?</p>

<p>Option 1
Should I still convince my old coach give Science Olympiad another go this year? The last two classes to come out of the middle school were really wretched in a lot of ways, but the two that are in now are, from what I know, much better and more willing to work. He said it wasn't a definite that Science Olympiad would be eliminated, just that he had not run the program in two years, but I honestly think it's still worth a try and not just because it's on my resume; I'm not the only one from the teams way back when who thought it was the best thing to happen in the seventh and eighth grades.</p>

<p>Option 2
Should I hope that my history teacher mentioned nothing of Science Olympiad and that my ES/chem teacher hasn't finished her letter yet, give her and the others a new version of my resume, and apologize profusely for the inconvenience? It won't look good either way, but I think that they would all understand. The other science teacher that I asked to write a letter, my AP bio teacher from last year, said he probably won't get it done until October because he coaches the soccer team, so that shouldn't be an issue. My Spanish II/French I-II teacher probably has it started, but she would understand and be okay with it after giving me a short lecture. (I'm one of her favorite students, and she would probably joke about it and use me as an example of what not to do, etc.)</p>

<p>or...</p>

<p>Option 3
Should I let things go as they are, call the schools that I have already sent my applications to and alert them of the change? Even though I am not doing Science Olympiad, apparently, I would still like to tutor down there at the middle school, and it wouldn't be too horrible of a switch -- "Science Olympiad flubbed, so the years participated past my freshman year are inaccurate, but I'm tutoring students at the middle school in its place"? More than that, should I send out the second version of my resume to the other schools I am applying to, and tell them of what happened with my first resume in the event that the teachers who finished their letters already sent them out?</p>

<p>Man, this waiver agreement is a pain in the patookus!</p>

<p>Thanks, all. I am trying not to panic here. If I change this early, it shouldn't kill me, right?</p>

<p>Your honesty and preparedness is impressive. Do not put yourself down for getting an early start with recommendations and applications. You were very smart – not stupid – to do those things.</p>

<p>Just e-mail or tell the teachers and let them know that you’re not in Science Olympiad, and ask them not to mention it.</p>

<p>If you’ve already sent apps in, just e-mail colleges to let them know that you’re not in Sci Olympiad because it’s not running this year.</p>

<p>Colleges are reading teacher reccs for info about what teachers know of you from their experiences with you in class and outside of class. Colleges aren’t reading teacher reccs to read info that you’ve listed in your resume.</p>

<p>Oh – an option for Sci Olympiad would be to see if some teacher would be willing to advise it. You could, for instance, get students to sign a list saying they’d like to participate, and then if the former advisor isn’t able to do it this year, take the petition to the principal and see if another advisor can be found. Usually administrators and teachers are thrilled when students advocate for something academic instead of something relatively trivial like the dress code.</p>

<p>If you are able to get Sci Olympiad restarted, that would be something to let colleges know about as it would demonstrate leadership, assertiveness and an intellectual passion.</p>

<p>NSM’s advice is sound, and similar to the reply I would have given.</p>

<p>I notice that the same people post in my threads repeatedly. Awesome. :**)</p>

<p>That seems like the best sort of thing to do, and I will get on it Monday morning. I appreciate the advice, thanks!</p>