How important are Extra-Curricular activities?

Applying to College
1

<p>I am a parent new to these boards and I would like some assistance. </p>

<p>Our daughter has always been a bit different. Starting when she was 2 we took her all over the world with us, so she has seen and done a lot, more than most adults. This travel infleuenced her greatly and she had a difficult time adjusting to mainstream life among her suburban peers. She has always had a unique way of looking at life and shunned the status quo of white-affluence in order to pursue a dream she has had for years. </p>

<p>By the time she got into high school she was ostracized for pursuing her dream. This got her really down the first two years of high school, and she had a lot of personal issues as well as physical problems. Nevertheless she continued with her dream. Her grades were okay (3.5 GPA) and because she is super smart (IQ 140+) she could coast with a minimal amount of effort. Her sophmore PSATs were in the 620 to 640 range when she was at her worst (she had to go on anti-depressants and mood regulators for a year). </p>

<p>Finally she came out of the "black hole" and she decided to graduate 1 year early (at 17) this spring. So now she is now taking 4 DE classes as well as 2 Honors classes and a couple of electives. Her GPA has gone up to a 4.1. She wants out of high school YESTERDAY! </p>

<p>Outside of school the activity that daughter is involved in requires an immense amount of leadership and planning, contact with people (adults) all over the world, as well as intensive travel to remote destinations. But she believes in what she is doing and it has helped her "climb out of the ashes" of a personal meltdown. Over the past 6 months she received national recognition for her unique work and she has won awards, etc. as well as been on TV and in the major news for her pursuits. </p>

<p>Questions: How important is this kind of extra-curricular activity in her college applications? We never "groomed" our daughter for college, no SAT prep, nothing. We just let her do her own thing and find herself (for better or worse), and this is where she has excelled. She is a great interviewee (one of the reasons she has been so successful in her pursuits) and she is very mature, but her school record (for the first 2 years) is not noteworthy nor the traditional track. However, her first-attempt SAT scores came in the low 700s. </p>

<p>Any advice from been there, done that? Are there any liberal arts colleges which are seeking these kinds of students?</p>

2

<p>Um. Her SATs/GPA/Etc. don’t really matter if she has received “national recognition” and has been on major news such as primetime FOX or CNN, or the Today Show. What was her “dream” anyways?</p>

3

<p>Most liberal arts colleges and many national universities including Ivies are very interested in bright, self-directed gems like your D. Post over on Parents’ Forum to get lots of wise advice from parents, some of whom have similar kids. </p>

<p>Most colleges don’t factor ECs into admission, but may factor ECs into merit aid consideration. The college for which ECs are most important are places like HPY, Amherst – the colleges that are so flooded with high stat applicants that the colleges can use ECs and other factors to pick and choose from among those outstanding applicants.</p>

4

<p>Most non-Ivy, non-elite LAC type schools rarely take ECs into account. I did next to nothing in high school and was still accepted to a majority of the schools that I applied to.</p>

<p>So, don’t stress it unless you plan to apply to a place like Amherst or Williams. There, having some ECs under one’s belt might be a bit more crucial during the admissions process.</p>

5

<p>XX55, you got into BC with no EC’s?</p>

6

<p>Pretty much. I listed only three ECs on my application (only one which I was an officer). They were not very impressive: Treasurer of the Student Forum, one-time Classics Club member, one-time math/chemistry tutor…</p>

7

<p>Thanks for all your help–food for thought. I was under the impression that the Ivy League schools did NOT care about specialized focus and interests, only grades and tests matter, and it was the generic state schools and lesser quality colleges that want students with unique backgrounds and self-motivated extra-curricular activities. I guess I have it all backwards. </p>

<p>And thanks for the tip about posting in the parents section.</p>