It's Not Easy Being Libertarian!

Applying to College
1

<p>One of my EC's is being the president of my school's Libertarian political student club (my school has a Republican and Democrat one as well). I am very interested in the viewpoints of the Libertarian Party, and have spent countless hours reading/researching/preaching/etc.</p>

<p>But I admittedly don't have anything really tangible. Unlike the Reps and Dems, we don't have any local campaigns to support, we don't have a huge pool of politicians to come and speak, and we aren't a clique of friends that just have parties after campaigning season. All we really can do is talk to people in our school and hold biweekly to monthly discussions.</p>

<p>So I have a few questions:</p>

<ol>
<li><p>My rather nonconformist political affiliations don't affect admissions decisions... do they? I'm afraid someone on the adcommittee is going to think I'm some kind of nutjob since I'm not like every other Republican or Democrat out there. Unfortunately, many people seem very jumpy/prejudiced when it comes to politics.</p></li>
<li><p>Is this EC really any good for me, if I'm interested in top schools (I mean UCLA/UVA on up to HPYS)? [This is not my main EC, and I think I have better things to talk about in my essay than this]</p></li>
<li><p>If your answer to number 2 is "No," what are some suggestions for turning that frown upside down? As I said before, the club is really stuck with seminar-like discussions, and I would love to expand it somehow.</p></li>
</ol>

<p>Thanks!</p>

<p>PS I'm new to this forum and was wondering for future posts if this kind of thing should go here or under "High School Life."</p>

2

<p>Trust me, your political affiliation is not crazy, and will not appear as such to admissions. Sometimes I swear every seventeen-year-old boy out there is a libertarian, and also probably an Objectivist.</p>

<p>It’s not a bad EC, but it won’t make you stand out. I know there aren’t really any libertarian candidates in your area, but are there any initiatives on the ballot which might be of interest to libertarians? Or you could try lobbying your representatives, expanding your club to the community…things like that.</p>

3

<p>Any club you are president of is good for you.</p>

<p>And I am a libertarian as well, you aren’t crazy…</p>

4

<p>Most colleges don’t factor ECs into admission. At most, the colleges factor ECs into merit aid.</p>

<p>The few colleges that do factor ECs into admission are the most competitive colleges – places like Harvard, Amherst, etc., that are looking for students who’ll best contribute to active student bodies in all meanings of the word “diverse” including political diversity. So, your being a libertarian could make you stand out in a good way at such colleges.</p>

5

<p>

</p>

<p>I feel the need to say, from what I’ve seen that many do not respect the views of Ayn Rand and Objectivism- ie “F**** you, I’ve got mine.” - in political circles. I don’t know anyone besides those who consider themselves objectivists to respect objectivism. So honestly, I’d stay away from that. </p>

<p>I also feel the need to point out that some (though not all) still think of the libs as the communists- my mother is often astounded at the use of the name “libretarian” because when she was younger, the libretarians were communists (“Geolibretarianism”). However, I don’t know what type of libretarian you are- just like there’s a big difference between dixiecrats and progressives in the Democratic party or the fiscal or social conservatives in the republican party, libretarian covers a big range- some perhaps (bluntly) more appealing than others. </p>

<p>I can’t tell you people wouldn’t be worried if you told them you were Anarcho-
Capitalistic lib, or Mini-anarchistic. (Extreme libretarianism does basically equate to border-line anarchy, by the way.) What about the Tea Party movement? Is that where your values lie? (I’d be careful before I used the rather unfortunate term of “teabagging” that the movement came up with; lest you cause admissions officers to fall out of their chairs laughing at you, not with you.) </p>

<p>[Libertarianism</a> - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia](<a href=“http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Libretarian]Libertarianism”>Libertarianism - Wikipedia) Perhaps knowing what sort of libretarianism you identify most with would help you get into a “cause” of some sort. You can always start voter-registration drives or put forth Ron Paul signs, and so on. </p>

<p>Right now, your views have a weird position in the media- we hear a lot, but mostly, I’d imagine, from the extremes. If that isn’t you, then either present your views with no elaboration, or just acknowledge that that isn’t your view. You can be for small government without actually wanting to be in somalia/total anarchy/a commie.</p>

<p>This is true, I should think, for any political view- I would take care to distance myself from PETA if I was an animal rights activist, just the same as I would distance myself from NOM if I wanted only man and woman marriages. (2M4M was perhaps even more unfortunate than the term “teabagging” and I advise against using that as well. :wink: ) Political activism is great, but I’d caution against showing it as fanaticism or extremism no matter what the view.</p>

6

<p>Yurtle, I think you’re reading too far into this. In terms of applications, adcoms won’t read it and say “Libertarian? What kind? Are we talking capitalist, socialist, anarchist?” Most political groups aren’t homogeneous, so the “details” don’t really matter. Regardless, being president of a club will help him/her.</p>

7

<p>I agree with most of the above, it probably won’t matter too much one way or another, I think the important this is what did she do with her presidency- stage debates? invite speakers to school? organize voter registration? That’s what I would expect to hear about the president of a political club- GOP, Dem, Lib, Green…</p>

8

<p>Why don’t you start some event to get more people informed about your club/views?</p>

9

<p>Mentioned being a libertarian (though nothing radical) in my CommonApp essay, and got into Harvard regardless.</p>

10

<p>Honestly, I don’t think it’s a big deal either way. It’s hardly alarming to adcoms that a 17-year-old is socially liberal/financially conservative at an age when they’re generally trying to distance themselves from authority. </p>

<p>If you have better things to write about in your essays, do so, and leave the club for where it belongs, in the list of your ECs.</p>

11

<p>Trust me, your political affiliation isn’t as obscure as you might like to think it is.</p>

<p>It’s not going to look any different from being a republican or a democrat to your adcom.</p>

12

<p>No one will care what you list as your political club memberships. Besides, many people change their political views throughout their lives.</p>

13

<p>The admission committee doesn’t care if you are a Libertarian, a Democratic, a Republican or a Whig. They will care if you come across like you have a chip on your shoulder about your participation in whatever political party you choose to be involved in. And they really, really care if the essay you may choose to write about said involvement is incoherent and filled with grammatical and spelling errors (not to say that your post here is.)</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

14

<p>I mentioned my libertarianism in my JHU essay and I’ll be matriculating there this Fall. It doesn’t seem to have hurt me much.</p>

15

<p>OP

</p>

<p>Theoretically, you will not be discriminated against. You will be judged on “the overall quality of your file”. :wink: In reality, I don’t think you will be, either. My theory is that most admissions people are Democrats. If you were a Republican (unless you are applying to Hillsdale, Bob Jones, etc.) that might be a problem. As a Libertarian, you are not a threat.</p>

<p>

I think it is irrelevant for top schools, unless you hold a major position, i.e. National Grand Poobah of Young Libertarians.</p>

<p>

Gee, that is a tough one. Just because you are not an R or a D doesn’t mean that you cannot have a statewide or national presence. Think BIG, SPQRPraetor. Make a website. Maybe you can find all of the other young libertarians in your state. You can start a virtual group for young people. Link each “pod” that exists elsewhere together. Form a statewide group and be in charge of it. Check out the Young Republican and the Young Democrat websites. Borrow ideas. Plan a debate: D’s versus R’s versus L’s. Get press. Get Bigger. </p>

<p>Next, set your sights on the national scene. There. That was easy, wasn’t it?</p>

16

<p>Well since the OP <em>had</em> asked, I answered. Those views are not uncommon ones, and he knows that libs can get a weird name. However, I ended it as such for a reason;</p>

<p>If that isn’t you, then either present your views with no elaboration, or just acknowledge that that isn’t your view.</p>

<p>If he’s not extreme- nothing saying he isn’t- then there’s no problem. Just simply state: “I run the libretarian club.” (Or whatever.) Don’t explicate. However, I pointed out what I did because I know quite a few libretarians who often come off more than a tad extreme, in all sorts of areas. But like I also said, that’s true for every political alignment. Just don’t begin with something blatently offensive, and chances are, no one will care.</p>

17

<p>Most of the libertarians I know don’t like the Libertarian Party, so don’t be worried that they aren’t fielding any good candidates. There are many libertarians in the Republican and Democratic parties. Libertarians, by and large, want the government to leave them alone (not too disimilar to the founders).</p>

<p>Being a libertarian won’t hurt you anywhere, except some small, heavily religious schools - even that is a maybe.</p>

<p>Caveat: One man’s libertarian club is another man’s Duke Lacross team</p>

18

<p>Unless you write down things people consider truly bigoted or hateful, I doubt that your political views are going to affect anything.</p>

19

<p>A fellow Libertarian!!! Good for you! And no, I am pretty sure admissions officers in top schools will know what modern libertarianism is, no need to worry they’ll think it’s communism, although, who knows, maybe you would be better off that way anyway. But, I think your leadership role shows great dedication and activism, it should not harm you in any way. I would put it on there, just the fact that you are politically aware in this apathetic generation is a big plus. </p>

<p>I get a lot of bs for being libertarian from family and friends and such, but I think at that level, no matter their political preference, they would have to be unbiased. Besides, it’s never good to shy away from things you so strongly believe. And good for you trying to make this bigger… you’ve given me ideas, maybe I could start something as well! </p>

<p>Seriously, good luck with everything! It’s nice to see another libertarian! Ron Paul 2012!</p>

20

<p>I spent a summer working for the Socialist International and they couldn’t care less. If anything you qualify under “diversity” as in diversity of opinion.</p>