<p>I have SO many kids in my school and class who only do ECs and jobs and internships and classes for the sole purpose of getting into HYP + elite universities. </p>
<p>As if they know exactly what admit officers want. For instance: this one kid in my grade does newspaper class only to get into Stanford and Yale.</p>
<p>And now this kid wants to start fencing to get into Stanford. </p>
<p>I'd like to go to Stanford as well, but I do things I LIKE in high school for liking them, and hopefully admissions will follow! </p>
<p>I find this ultra annoying, and if this kid brings up starting fencing in 10th Grade (this semester) to get into Stanford, what should I say? </p>
<p>Read the S website- it’s not simply gpa and scores. There are a few things they let you know they like, if you can find and interpret (which would be one of the sorts of skills that would make you an S type,btw. That sort of inquiring mind.) Any old fencing club and lackluster journaism, uhhh. </p>
<p>Selective college admissions is an art and not a science. All participants should know that. It’s not as if Stanford or Harvard slap everyone’s stats on a spreadsheet, sort them, and take the top 2000 or so. That being said, you’re mistaken if you think “President Robotics Club” or “2 hrs/week Tennis” or “Founder: Charity fundraiser Haiti” is going to be more meaningful than a profound anecdote shared in a teacher’s rec letter.</p>
<p>Stop worrying about other posers and make sure you’re not one.</p>
<p>While EC’s are certainly considered, much of the “thumbs up” or “thumbs down” discussions revolve around what a student’s essays and teacher recommendations reveal about the applicant. While this video is not about Harvard, it will open your eyes about admissions at selective colleges. Watch how one sentence or expression from a teacher or an essay can kill (or elevate) an applicant.</p>
<p>I tell my kids to do the EC they love and completely disregard admission process. Why should they be miserable, superficial and waste their time. If they get into their chooce of school, great. Otherwise they weren’t a good match.</p>
<p>My own story is my medical school application experience. I targeted 4 medical schools but chose a 5th school to practice interviewing. I was so relaxed at the practice school that I answered unrehearsed questions, I told the truth, and had a great time! I was admitted to all 5 medical schools but chose the practice school. Why, it was a match, they accepted me for who I was. I received the best educational experience possible. That’s the message. Worry about being a good match not a superficial one.</p>
<p>Your question is, “what should I say?” The answer is very simple - say whatever you’d like as long as its nice and does NOT express your annoyance at the situation. You actually have nothing to be annoyed about; each person should pursue they’re goals in a way that they feel comfortable. Focus on yourself and being kind to others. When you have the occasional judgmental thought, there is no reason to share it.</p>
<p>“Fencing is an Ivy thing. No one cares for it at Stanford as far as I know.”</p>
<p>Not true. Stanford is one of about 42 schools that have NCCA Fencing teams. However, I can’t imagine a kid just starting to fence as a sophomore being a viable Stanford recruit. The kids from our local fencing club who have been recruited by Stanford and others, are competing at an international level and have been practicing 5 to 6 days a week under an olympic coach starting at a very young age.</p>
<p>I must say the OP “doth protest too much”…if you are the type of student that wants to get into schools like Stanford or Harvard…stop worrying about what “others” do…and do your own thing…</p>
<p>…the extraordinary students that pursue their “particular” interest to the greatest depth and highest achievements outside of the classroom “usually” are the ones who don’t particularly have a “dream” school…rather…the “dream” schools come looking for them…</p>
<p>True, I agree. I’m going for elite schools but I have my options open, I’m not just going for the Ivies. I also have picked schools based on visits and what speaks to my interests highly, like Stanford and Harvard for tech and business. </p>
<p>The kid I am talking about is going for Stanford for tech as well, but he has not visited or seen it. He’s basing off of its name and prestige, which is understandable and many do this. </p>
<p>@arwarw : I agree. So many kids in my class do fencing “for college” meaning they do fencing practice for one hour twice a week and get sports credit. They don’t compete nationally and win awards and excel at it, they do two competitions a year that are local. </p>
<p>This is why I find it ridiculous that the kid I originally stated was going to do fencing “for college” is seriously thinking that it will get him into Stanford when he won’t be nationally ranked and doing it for two hours a week, not to mention that he will be starting it in 10th Grade. </p>
<p>Would it look better on an app to have fencing in this situation or to not? </p>
<p>“Would it look better on an app to have fencing in this situation or to not?”</p>
<p>In my non-expert opinion, an applicant should use the common application to bring in to sharp focus the things that have significant meaning in his or her life and NOT clutter the application with meaningless activities.</p>
<p>I mean, throughout life you will always encounter “fake”, goal-oriented people who do things for the sake of getting one thing, such as an acceptance to HYP. You cannot change that, so the best thing you can do is realize that, most of the time, admissions officers will see through that, and just do you. Do the things you love to do so that if you don’t get in, you still know that you spent high school doing the things YOU love.</p>
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