<p>I’m not saying it’s not true, but I’d like proof that being an Eagle is a detriment at a “liberal” school. Ds got into several of them. I don’t see that it was a hindrance in any way.</p>
<p>No proof, but anecdotally, son noted a luke warm reaction or glossing over this award a a couple of schools during interviews. He was still admitted to them, so it did not change any admission outcome.</p>
<p>What do you mean by a “liberal” school? Do you mean Liberal Arts Schools?</p>
<p>By liberal I meant left-leaning as noted in post 19.</p>
<p>Thanks YDS!! I’m wondering what those schools are…I thought ALL colleges were left leaning…LOL!!</p>
<p>I’m not an adcom, but speaking as a person to whom human rights in general and gay rights in particular and religious freedom–and freedom from religion–is very important, I do not view the BSA with unmitigated admiration, to say the least. (I know all about how individual troops pay no attention to such things. We’ve heard it all. Nevertheless, Eagle Scouts have chosen to associate themselves with an organization that I find abhorrent in some respects.) I also have some negative as well as positive experiences of Eagle Scouts: I know one great kid who is an Eagle, but I also had a HS classmate who was (literally) an ax murderer who was an Eagle Scout. If I were interviewing an Eagle Scout, I would want to get some idea of what the kid actually did, and would be more interested in the projects and activities themselves than in the fact that they were done for an Eagle designation. I would also be interested in exploring the kid’s attitudes towards religious and gender/sexual diversity. I’ve heard plenty here and elsewhere about troops that are “eagle factories,” enough to know that it does not necessarily represent some huge achievement. I’ve also read plenty about the domination of the BSA by Mormons, something that I do not regard as a positive.</p>
<p>Flame away. I’m just attempting to be honest about why some people might not regard the simple fact of being an Eagle Scout as an automatic positive in and of itself. One would hope that the person would remain open-minded about the kid himself, and be interested in what he has accomplished on a personal level, without regard to the organization with which he was associated. I know I would. I’m sure that experienced adcoms would be also, because I would think–or at least hope–that they must make an effort to confront their own personal prejudices in order to do a responsible job.</p>
<p>My son is a math and science geek. He is also an Eagle Scout. It is by far his most important accomplishment in life to date. He spent 7 years of sustained effort toward becoming an Eagle.</p>
<p>Scout Statistics
For every 100 boys that enter scouts:</p>
<ul>
<li>30 will drop out the first year.<br></li>
<li>Only rarely will one appear before a juvenile court judge.</li>
<li>12 will be from families that belong to no church, 6 of these will be
brought into contact with a church and continue.</li>
<li>3 will become pastors,</li>
<li>4 scouts will reach the rank of Eagle Scout.</li>
<li>45 will serve in the Military.</li>
<li>1 person will use scout skills to save somebody elses live.</li>
<li>2 will report that they used scout skills to save their own lives.</li>
<li>17 will later serve as adult volunteers</li>
<li>8 will find their future life vocations from scouting</li>
<li>5 will receive church emblems.</li>
</ul>
<p>
.Only 4 out of 100 boys in the USA will become scouts but of the
leaders of this nation in business, religion and politics, 3 out of 4 were
scouts. </p>
<p>Only 4 percent of our nations youth were scouts, yet 65% of
all college and university graduates were scouts. </p>
<p>26 of 29 of the first Astronauts in NASAs program were Eagle scouts,
and 133 of the 233 Astronauts were scouts at one time.</p>
<p>A Nationwide survey showed that:
Of Senior Class Presidents 89% were scouts.
Of Junior Class Presidents 80% were scouts.
Student Council Presidents 85% were scouts.
School newspaper editors 88% were scouts.
Football Captains 71% were scouts.
Basketball captains 64% were scouts.
64% of Air Force Academy graduates were scouts
58% West Point Graduates were scouts.
70% of Annapolis graduates were scouts.
72% Rhodes Scholars were scouts.
85% of FBI Agents were scouts at one time.</p>
<p>So, 4 out of 100, make Eagle Scout.
So what about the other 96 scouts who didnt make it to Eagle.
Is it just wasted time? The scouts have Aims and Methods. Things
found in the Scout Oath and Law, the Patrol Method, Outdoors
training, Personal growth, Leadership and So on. Advancement is
certainly one of these, but only one. Just being part of the program
gives the opportunity to better and belong.
Sure we know some famous Eagle Scouts like Sam Walton, James
Lovell, Hank Aaron, Gerald Ford, John Glenn Ross Perot and Steven
Speilberg.</p>
<p>But how about some Not-Quite-Eagles like John F. Kennedy, Jimmy
Stewart, Harrison Ford, Merlin Olson, Richard Gere, Nolan Ryan, Jim
Morrison, Joe Theisman, Bill Gates and not-quite British Scouts
Queens Scout Paul McCartney. The list goes on and on.</p>
<p>Scouting makes a difference !</p>
<p>i am an Eagle Scout and my son is an Eagle Scout. You should definitely push your son to obtain the rank of Eagle. I cannot believe that he is so close and still thinking about quitting. Eagle Scout can help in admissions.
However, it is one of the few things and possibly the only thing that will appear on his college admissions form and his resume for a job. Eagle Scout is carried through life with you whereas most HS achievements are not.<br>
The two state schools in MS have a $1,000 automatic scholarship to Eagle Scouts.
My son changed schools in the 9th grade and was a Life Scout from the age of 14 to 17.5 years old. I told him that to finish his Scouting and after some moaning and groaning he finally got interested and finished. he is so glad he did. PUSH HIM !!</p>
<p>My S is an Eagle Scout and while I do not think it helped him in his college admissions (he was a Theater Design and Production major, so his portfolio and theater experience trumped all else), he has told me that in just about every job interview after graduation, his Eagle rank was noted. He believes it spoke to his character in a way that grades and EC’s could not. </p>
<p>His Eagle rank even helped him land one of his jobs when his application was screened by computer and pulled for an interview BECAUSE he had it listed on his resume (at least that is what the interviewer told him).</p>
<p>My S got his Eagle rank shortly before his 18th birthday and for some college apps he was only able to list that Eagle was pending. However, he was able to update colleges after he made Eagle and while I’m not sure if it helped or not in admissions, he has already been seen in a different light when others heard of his accomplishment.</p>
<p>His experience was that the initial write-up and approval was the hardest part. Even though his project was physical (planting trees) he had more difficulty in the beginning phase. If your S’s project is such that he needs outside help then he can recruit members from his sports teams and the coaches may actually look upon his project as team-building. I say this because my S utilized members of his soccer team (as well as other scouts and friends) to plant 10 trees in a mostly rocky area. These guys had a tough workout digging but to this day they are quite proud of the trees they planted and have followed the growth of the trees. It was an excellent way for the team to come together. The coach even placed information about the project on the soccer website.</p>
<p>The follow-up writing about the final project was no where near the difficulty in getting approval so your son should know that the hard part is over. </p>
<p>I had to nag my S in the beginning because he had several rewrites of his approval which frustrated him but he was so glad he completed his Eagle. Even his teammates were proud of him and were impressed. </p>
<p>Unless your S is almost 18 I wouldn’t worry about waiting till November so he can devote the time he needs at that time. It may or may not help with college apps but I am in the camp that future employers etc… will be more likely to give some preference.</p>
<p>
</p>
<p>I can only hope that none of my children would ever have you for an interviewer, not least because you would delve into extremely inappropriate territory.</p>
<p>Anyway, as an addendum to my last post, I think it is worth noting that the Eagle Scout award should not be earned for the sake of a college application, but instead because of the effort and the hard work that it represents in most cases, and the dedication to the variety of skills that the BSA imparts on its members.</p>
<p>Baelor… RIGHT ON!! My S is an atheist and has 3 really good friends who are gay… so there you go. He would have a lot to say about embracing diversity…</p>
<p>I can tell you that in my case when I graduated 30 years ago. It made the difference the recrutire that hired me told me so a couple of years after the fact. I was still employed with the same company and just happened to run into him. He told me that two things made his decision to choose me over other graduates with better grades. #1 was my Eagle Scount and #2 was eye contact.</p>
<p>I am afraid that the kids these days are losing personal skills due to all the time they spend texting and on face book and on the computer in general. I have made it a point to teach my son to always look the person you are talking to in the eye, listen listen to every word and make sure to listen.</p>
<p>Pass it on it cannot hurt.</p>
<p>My son received considerable merit scholarship offers at numerous schools … right, left and center leaning … and I believe that his Eagle Scout Award was a piece of the puzzle that led to such strong admission results and scholarship offers. It was not THE reason, but was a contributing factor. My son is very self motivated, and yes we nudged him to get it done. He did the work, and we encouraged him.</p>
<p>I have a D with her Gold Award project underway. I can tell you that when DH had to make a hiring decision, the girl with the Gold Award got the nod (D did not know the Scout). It’s one of those “forever” accomplishments.</p>
<p>I do think it should be the acommplishment of the SCOUT, not the parent. But encouragement it a good thing!</p>
<p>One thing that you may not be aware of is that your son will need to be active in the troop for 6 months prior to receiving his Eagle. Active can be defined in different ways but I think the most lenient that I have heard is one meeting per month</p>
<p>PS-my son is going to a liberal college and admissions said that the Eagle Scout rank was a definite plus.</p>
<p>“I think that at least some types of colleges, the Eagle Scout award is very well respected.” Agreed.</p>
<p>It means you started something and finished it. Go ahead and finish it. You won’t be sorry.</p>
<p>One thing to remember is that those without family associations with scouting probably have little or no knowledge of what obtaining the Eagle Scout designation entails. One kid I know who is an Eagle Scout was not selected for the National Honor Society at the HS junior year, despite academic and athletic accomplishments, probably because he didn’t go into sufficient detail about his scouting-related volunteer activities in his resume. Scouting means a lot to those who have been involved, as this thread demonstrates, and being an Eagle Scout means something specific to them. To the rest of the world, it can sound only vaguely positive. </p>
<p>I assume that those in a position to evaluate the accomplishments of young people are more familiar with it, but it is wise not to take anything for granted.</p>
<p>,To the rest of the world, it can sound only vaguely positive.,</p>
<p>I agree the Eagle Scout is recognized by those who really do not know a thing about scouting. They may not know much about scouting but they are likely aware that the Eagle Rank is the hardest to achieve and is the highest rank in scouting. They would likely have no clue what a Life scout means. All the more reason to get the Eagle Rank.</p>