<p>DiscipulusBonus, do whatever summer program sounds most interesting to you, don’t worry about which gives you the best shot at acceptance. I can guarantee you that no admissions officer will say, “Gee, ze went to RSI instead of our program. Better reject him.”</p>
<p>The above advice extends to everything. Do what interests you, not necessarily what looks best on an application. Colleges want “real” applicants, not applicants who do what they think the admissions officers are looking for. Don’t pretend to be an aficionado of 17th century cuban art, if in reality you are pre-med, just in an attempt to stand out. Sure, there are about 50 million premeds out there (myself included), but all of them are unique; it’s your job to show how your interests separate you from the others.</p>
<p>I know, I’m just trying to find some way to stand out. Right now, I don’t feel like my interests are very original. They are real, and I’ve shown depth in them (e.g. the chess example), but I don’t know if that’s enough.</p>
<p>My main EC was being obsessed with soccer. Judging purely by popularity of the respective sports, I’m sure that my interest was more common than yours.</p>
<p>Of course, it doesn’t hurt to have a second…</p>
<p>I think it is good to show really strong interest in one area because it shows you’re genuine about that, yet at the same time it is necessary to branch out in other respects. Leadership in honors societies are a good way to achieve the latter.</p>
<p>Do you think I should join NHS just for college admissions though? It really doesn’t interest me, and I would prefer to show leadership in other areas (e.g. chess example).</p>
<p>I’d say it depends. My school’s chapter of NHS literally had no requirements other than continuing to be a good student. If that is similar to your situation, then it can only help to join. If your chapter actually requires you to do stuff, then it might still be worth it if you are willing to spare the time.</p>
<p>My advice is generally not to do stuff solely because it looks good on a resume, but obviously all generalizations have their limits. Neither being a tutor nor a member of the NHS were really my interests, but I decided the benefit : cost ratio was high enough to entice me to do them. Only you can decide if that applies to you as well.</p>
<p>Does anyone know how much weight WUSTL puts on ACT/SAT scores? (e.g. Without regard to other factors, what percent of people with 35-36 ACTs get accepted into WUSTL ED?)</p>
<p>I doubt you will be able to find what weight they place on test scores. As with all other top schools, higher test scores may help but are but are but one factor. I would venture to guess that grades and transcript are a lot more important.</p>
<p>You asked an improbable question. Every admission officer at top 25 colleges in the country uses only one word to describe the admissions process: holistic. No one could credibly provide you with such information, even if you could talk to the admissions deans. My other child had pretty lame ECs - member of three you know what clubs in HS, didn’t hold P or VP positions, a dime a dozen volunteer activity (two hours a week for three years), didn’t score what you mentioned in previous post, ranked probably top 3% of HS graduating class… That’s it; in at WashU. I guess my point is, enjoying HS, or what left of it, do what you are most interested in. Whenever the chips fall, it falls. I just saw an announcement from Duke Energy, the largest stock owned utilities in the US, appointing some woman to be its CEO. Where did she go to school? Miami U in Ohio. You’ll be doing fine, wherever you attend college.</p>
<p>Here are some of the things I’ll be doing/trying to achieve before college:</p>
<p>-USAMO (aiming for USAMO qualification, at least AIME qualifier)
-NMSQT Finalist
-USABO (aiming for camp, at least semi-finalist)
-PROMYS math camp
-RSI/Clark Scholars/HSHSP (if I get accepted)
-Siemen’s Competition (aiming for finalist, at least semi-finalist)
-Project Euler (Solved 300+ problems)
-NCEE Top Scorer (national etymology exam, pretty big achievement)
-NLE Gold Medalist (two years in a row so far, aiming for three)
-AP Scholar with Distinction (probably National Scholar after senior exams)
-Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest (aiming for finalist+, probably at least semifinalist)
-USAMTS (?)
-USACO (?)
-Chess Activities Mentioned Above</p>
<p>Can anyone give be a case-by-case analysis of how these things will help me (if at all)?</p>
<p>C’mon, now it just sounds like you’re begging for compliments. You know full well that earning prestigious awards will help your application. Nobody, including admissions officers themselves, is able to give you “a case-by-case analysis of how these things will help” that is significantly more specific than that.</p>
<p>All I will say is that if you accomplish half of those things, then essays/recs will be the things that would keep you from being accepted, not your ECs.</p>
<p>Ok, then, thanks for the motivation! I suppose I was looking for validation in that regard…</p>
<p>Any tips on getting good recommendations as a homeschooled student? I’ve got a couple of teachers, but one doesn’t know me that well. Most of my stronger subjects were self-studied.</p>
<p>The best recommendations are personal, from people who know you well. Teachers are good, but maybe impractical in your situation. A rec from somebody associated with your chess ECs should probably be included. Another should probably be from your other ECs.</p>