<p>Well I spent the whole July to study for the SAT and now I wanna do some EC. I check out Habitat for Humanity but because I'm not 17 so I need a guardian ->> my guardian is always busy ->> do something else.
So my question is: in the application, do I have to show the certification that I've volunteered or just say it in the essay ? Do I need a signature from the officer ?</p>
<p>You just put it in the EC list. You don't need to show proof.</p>
<p>lol so I think there must be lots of cheating huh :-? do colleges realize the truth ?</p>
<p>Am I understanding you correctly? You can't volunteer for Habitat for Humanity because you need to have an adult guardian volunteering with you, and your guardian is too busy to volunteer with you. Consequently, you are wondering if you can lie on your college app and say you volunteered with Habitat for Humanity?</p>
<p>Is this what you're asking? If it is, you're wasting your time. Most colleges don't care whether or not you volunteer or do any ECs. At most, the colleges will use ECs/community service for merit aid consideration. If, however, the colleges catch you in a lie on your app, they'll reject you.</p>
<p>The colleges like HPYS that have such an overabundance of high stat applicants that the colleges can select from those the students who also have very strong ECs would not be impressed by your volunteering for Habitat for Humanity for a few dozen hours or even several hundred hours. The students who stand out in their admissions are ones that, for instance, organize campaigns to raise the money to build a Habitat house.</p>
<p>I don't mean to lie to colleges. that's just an extra question that all of a sudden come to my mind. please don't misunderstand me. I just think how colleges can determine if a student volunteers or not.
I'm an international student coming to US LAST YEAR, and it took me 3-5 months to get used to the living here + school work + SAT (especially I'm from an Asian country which has completely different education system). I know volunteering just for 40-100 hours doesn't help me much but a little is at least better than nothing. I'm also looking for other places to volunteer but most require a guardian.
I know outstanding students are ones that started EC since freshmen year and have lots of strong records. As I said, I prefer a little volunteering than nothing.</p>
<p>In looking at your other posts, it seems you're considering applying to public universities. Public universities almost universally make their admissions decisions on gpa, scores, state of residence, and whether you've done the required coursework. With the exception of recruited athletes, ECs are used at most for merit aid. So, more than likely, y ECs or community service won't help with admission to the colleges that you're considering.</p>
<p>If you want to do community service, which can be a fine way to develop skills, learn about this country, learn about things that you're good at, and get a nice feeling about making a positive difference in the world, you should be able to find plenty of places that would welcome you even if your guardian doesn't accompany you.</p>
<p>You may be able to find a place to volunteer by filling out info here: VolunteerMatch</a> - Where Volunteering Begins</p>
<p>Thanks for your reply.
The two public universities that I'm considering are MSU and Penn State. The rest are private universities I'd say. I don't know much about EC so I just simply thing all or most of the schools require some EC. If the demand is not challenging, I may not have to do many ECs as I used to believe.</p>
<p>Yes, people lie because there's no proof. However, if your application seems unrealistically impressive or if someone puts the same leadership position (like soccer team captain or NHS prez) down from your school, they may make a few quick phone calls. People do lie on their apps, but just don't.</p>
<p>who ever that was that said ECs dont matter is a really dumb dumb. after transcript and SATs ECs are the most important thing on your app. Deff more important than the essay</p>
<p>No ECs are not weighted so much as what you do. I could say I was in Model UN for all four years, but that means something different in every school. In my school it really is not that big a deal; we're not champions or anything but we have gone to conferences and gained experience. More weight is given to different ECs in different schools. Also, people do lie all the time and this is known by admissions officers. I'm just putting down the most meaningful activities I do.</p>
<p>Tzar: you're WAY off base here. Firstly you're insulting. NSM is a Harvard recruiter/interviewer. I'm also a recruiter/interviewer for one of her rival schools. Between us we have about 40 years of doing this stuff. </p>
<p>Secondly, Transcript, recs, tests, personal statements are the most important things. ECs and awards, if spectacular (like NSM said) can be helpful too. They certainly are not more important than the personal statement in the holistic admissions of the ultra selectives. Interview MIGHT be useful if other things don't illuminate the file. A long list of ECs and typical awards are like saying one is on the Honor Roll in the context of HYPSCM applicants.</p>
<p>Now what book or what CC thread do you base your information?</p>
<p>So based on the judgments of 2 senior members, EC is not so much important ? It is somehow but the most are SAT, transcript, recommendation letter, essay ???</p>
<p>As a general rule, I would always have backup to prove I did what I said I did. A counselor, advisor for a program, someone you worked for, etc. Volunteer for a soup kitchen - the person you worked with can verify it.</p>
<p>ECs are important if they are meaningful to you and you show that you have put considerable time into them. What ECs do you have? You could continue whatever ECs you have been doing...</p>
<p>hikids: Really? I mean what if we don't send in a recommendation or note saying that we started/did/continued projects...I mean I can verify it in that I can speak hours on end (ok well not hours) but I can prove in my speech and writing that I am doing/did them. Are we required to have someone verify them for us?</p>
<p>legend.dracula: Different school put different amount of weight on each of those things you mentioned.</p>
<p>chinnychinchang: You're not required to have someone verify them for you.</p>
<p>"So based on the judgments of 2 senior members, EC is not so much important ? It is somehow but the most are SAT, transcript, recommendation letter, essay ???"</p>
<p>In general, gpa, coursework, scores are the most important part of your application roughly in that order. State of residence also is important for public universities, virtually all of which favor students who are residents of their states.</p>
<p>Essays, recommendations tend to have less importance than the factors that I've mentioned. </p>
<p>ECs are important for admission for the most highly competitive colleges -- those like HPYS that have such an overabundance of high stat applicants that the colleges are able to pick and choose from their pool of out standing students the ones that most would contribute to maintaining an active, diverse campus in all meanings of the word "diverse."</p>
<p>Colleges that give merit aid may consider ECs strongly when it comes to determining merit aid, which often depends on factors like leadership, musical or art talent or community service.</p>
<p>The US News premium college on-lineguide, which you pay $15 for full access to for a year from mid Aug., has information about how thousands of colleges weigh various factors in admission.</p>
<p>"According to a MONEY survey of more than two dozen college admissions directors and consultants throughout the country, the two most important factors are grade point averages (GPAs) and academic rigor (the difficulty of a student's course load). But scores on standardized tests such as the SAT count too, and so do intangibles such as the impression an applicant makes in an essay. ....</p>
<p>People worry about test results, but standardized-test scores take a back seat to a student's overall academic record," says Daniel Walls, dean of admissions at Emory University in Atlanta. ..."
THE</a> INSIDE SCOOP ON GETTING INTO A SCHOOL COLLEGE ADMISSIONS OFFICERS TELL YOU WHAT'S MOST IMPORTANT IN AN APPLICATION--AND PROVIDE OTHER KEY TIPS TO FOLLOW. - September 1, 1997</p>
<p>A national survey* of college admissions officers identified the 5 most important factors they consider when evaluating candidates. The survey showed the rapidly growing role of standardized tests in college admissions.</p>
<p>The following section outlines what these 5 crucial factors are, why they're important, and how you can get ahead.</p>
<p>Grades in College Prep Courses
Scores on Standardized Tests
Grades in All Courses
Class Rank
College Application Essay"
5</a> Most Important Factors</p>
<p>"Your students probably know that grades and test scores are the most important factors in college admissions, with essays, recommendations, and other elements—such as class rank—also given weight. "</p>
<p>Class</a> Rank College Admissions</p>
<p>"In its most recent State of College Admission Report, the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) says that the four most important factors used by colleges when making admission decisions are, in order of priority, grades in college prep classes, strength of curriculum, admission test scores and overall grades in all courses.</p>
<p>Private colleges have a tendency to also look at factors other than grades, but public colleges seem to care a great deal about grades, and many have minimum GPAs for admission. Nevertheless, the NACAC survey demonstrates that all colleges scrutinize grades in individual classes as well as the overall GPA."
COLLEGE</a> BOUND / A weekly guide to higher education</p>
<p>Hmmm so GPA and tests are the most important. I've freaked out for months cuz I don't have many ECs.
But what activities are counted as ECs ??? Working for community, playing in sport team, going to gym, part-time job ???</p>
<p>Well yes. school clubs, community service, sports, anything you really do for fun that you consistently do - play a musical instrument, art shows, etc.</p>
<p>I see that the most important factor is the grades in rigorous courses, and the second most is standardized test scores. The essay is last. However, could an outstanding essay and passionate ECs balance out modest SAT scores? I know the applicant is viewed holistically but I heard from people that due to several applications, adcoms will chuck your app if your scores are not "competitive." Also, when I say modest I don't mean 2200 (which I think puts an applicant in the competitive range) I mean something like 2000.</p>
<p>lol I also think because my GPA is good but SAT is low and not many ECs, I will have to write an outstanding essay. maybe it will help me out :P</p>