<p>I'm a freshman in high school and a Scout rank. :( I really want to put eagle scout on my application but I don't know if I can make it. Should I focus more on academics or continue to try and rank up in Scouts?</p>
<p>What rank are you now?</p>
<p>As stated before, I am Scout.</p>
<p>Oh, so you are not even a Tenderfoot yet? You’ve barely started! It would be really hard for you to get to Eagle Scout rank. Usually boys start at Tenderfoot in fifth grade!</p>
<p>To put Eagle Scout on your app, you’d need to be totally done by the fall of your senior year in HS. The process to select a project, complete it, and finish all the paperwork takes a LONG time. There are a lot of hoops to jump through. If you do a search, you’ll find threads such as, “I’ve finished my Eagle Scout project but haven’t technically gotten the rank - can I put it on my college app?” and the answer is “No.”</p>
<p>So I would stay in Scouts if you enjoy it, but focus on academics for purposes of college applications.</p>
<p>Okay, thanks. Do you know if colleges like Stanford would look at things like this or other extracurricular clubs like “Future Business Leaders of America”.</p>
<p>I’m the mom of an Eagle Scout and a Gold Award Girl Scout and to be perfectly honest with you, neither award did much for my kids as far as college admissions/scholarships went. I would recommend, like MaineLonghorn above, that you focus on other extra-curriculars instead. Stay in Scouts if you enjoy it - but don’t kill yourself trying to get from Scout to Eagle in less than 4 years. It’s just not worth it.</p>
<p>Alright then, I’ll see if I can get into any other extracurricular activities. However, I’m not so sure that I will be able to “fit in” to any of the other activities as I am not so involved in them, compared to academics. Is there any large “clubs” or communities that I can join in SoCal?</p>
<p>Starting that late, I wouldn’t give you a very big shot. I started in 5th grade. No one in my troop, or anyone I know, has gotten their Eagle before age 16, I just completed the requirements a month before my 18th birthday. Keep in mind there is a time requirement to advance from Star to Life and Life to Eagle that would also cause you problems.</p>
<p>If you’re a freshman you have a lot of time to try other interests. I’m biased, but I recommend Theatre, it’s okay if you’ve never done it before. </p>
<p>The reason colleges like Scouting so much is the community service and leadership aspects of it. To fill that gap, find something you’re passionate about and volunteer. Try the local humane society or your school’s Key Club. And if you get involved enough in clubs you can run for officer positions in Junior and Senior year and demonstrate leadership in that way. </p>
<p>I’d say to stay in Scouts as well. Only about 5% of boys who join ever make to Eagle, so it’s no great shame if you don’t, and if you can still do some kind of leadership capacity that would be great. Do you know about the Order of the Arrow? It’s an honor society of sorts for scouts available to First-class and above. It would be a good thing to add to your r</p>
<p>I have a friend of mine who signed up for scouts in 6th grade and finished in 8th at 13 years old. However, he worked crazy hard and middle school is nothing like high school. He got great grades and had many other ECs too.</p>
<p>My son, 20, was a Life scout at your age. He took some AP and honors classes, had a 3.75 GPA and a 1750 SAT. He had a few C’s, too. No EC except Scouts. However, when he interviewed at his current college, he took his Eagle Scout book. Needless to say, he got in with a $60,000 merit scholarship! He finished received his Eagle December of his senior year, just in time to put on his college applications!</p>