<p>relaxmon-My cousin had same problem with her daughter. Started texting her and sending emails. Took a while, but everything great now.</p>
<p>My D is starting to see that persuing her “passion” leads to very few entries on a resume or application. She has devoted countless hours to one thing, but on paper, it’s just one thing.</p>
<p>what is her passion? my son has very few ECs, his school really doesn’t have them.</p>
<p>She’s a dancer. It’s a 10-15+ hour a week EC, but on paper it’s just Drill Team. Son was primarily a choir kid, but between various solo and ensemble contests and auditioned groups, it made a pretty decent list, even though it took up a lot less time than D’s activity.</p>
<p>I have to believe her interest and dedication will come through, maybe get rec from coach? In any case the obsession with ECs drives me crazy, don’t these colleges want scholars? If a kid is really smart why obsess with number of irrelevant clubs? (Sorry, just venting).</p>
<p>This came up last night when she was filling our her NHS application. The list of activities was really short. I told her that it is what it is.</p>
<p>I like the idea of using a calendar for this stuff–I think I may have our kiddo learn to use Outlook and the calendar features there…</p>
<p>As far as organization–we have a cool black mesh/metal file box with hanging folders for kiddos room–Stuff being kept --filed accordingly. </p>
<p>We have an excel spread sheet with the school, the test scores, and other stats as well as wheterh kiddo sent a letter to coach/whether the team was at a national event kiddo competed at as well etc…</p>
<p>and kiddo is keeping separate folders on the email for each school …</p>
<p>On ECs–they are what they are–we want kiddo to follow passions and let that shine through…</p>
<p>Kiddo’s NHS induction is next week.</p>
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<p>I agree with you on that relaxmom! S has made it clear he is sick of the pressure to do ECs and thinks most HS activities are stupid. He plays a HS sport which he loves, plays and practices music in his spare time (but nothing organized that he can put on a resume-- his favorite activity is to jam with his friends), participates in some community service, and reads philosophy for fun. He’s got the scores and grades to get into top colleges, but not the activities (from what I read on CC). Fingers are crossed that he can make his passions shine through in the essays …</p>
<p>Very similar here… Brilliant kid (says the mom) but his school has no ECs. Has always done theater at school and has done machinima (digital puppetry) during the year and in the summer (his theater teacher got him involved in this), but that’s it. His school just started a rowing team which he joined and enjoys, but since he started as a junior, it will not look serious. Otherwise he likes to spend alot of time reading and playing computer games… THe reality is his interests are academic. What on earth is wrong with that?</p>
<p>I just have to believe that tons of ECs are not necessary. Because if a kid is really into something, it simply doesn’t allow time for other activities! My D is a theatre girl, and she’s been in every play (a fall and spring production) every year. That is a demanding process that requires them to keep every day after school available for rehearsal for a couple of months, plus a couple of weekend intensives before they open. There is no way she could play a sport and do that, so she had to give up soccer. She ran for class office as a freshman and sophomore but didn’t win (it’s very competitive at her school), which was a blessing because of the time issues. But she’s on the board of the theatre club, which requires meetings and helping put on three other events a year, and she’s been a class retreat leader every year (just invited to be a senior retreat leader, which is a really big deal at her Catholic girls’ school), and that’s a short-term but quite significant time commitment. So it all adds up to very little compared to so many CC posters: heavy theatre for 4 years, theatre-club involvement and leadership for 4 years, and retreat leadership for 4 years. That and bogus membership in a couple of bogus clubs. I have to the think the schools will appreciate depth over breadth.</p>
<p>Plus she has had to reserve enough time for Law & Order, American Idol and her many friends!</p>
<p>From everything I have read, schools are looking for kids with focus and a passion. They are not interested in a long list of activities that have little or no meaning to the student. There is a reason most applications have a limited amount of space to list ECs.</p>
<p>I think the reason AdComs look at ECs is to get to kmow the kid a bit-- who are they beyond the classroom? And are they involved in something beyond themselves.</p>
<p>And just as importantly, they are looking for what that student can bring to the campus. They are not looking for resume padders that belong to every group. I remember one college admissions book I read where the admissions people tend to characterize the prospective students in just a few words. For instance my oldest might have been Miss volunteer teacher because all of her EC’s were either service or teaching. My youngest might be techy kid from PA. I think it’s just better if your child looks focused - a job, a club, band, a sport, whatever. They just don’t want those couch potatoes.</p>
<p>I just need to stay away from the chances threads. A kid will list wonderful scores and grades, a interesting list of activities, and posters (probably other teens) will respond “I don’t see anything special here.”</p>
<p>Definintely stay away from the Chances threads!</p>
<p>Guys, I’m panicking. I feel like I’m the worst student ever. I got 1 D and 1 C last year (sophomore year) and don’t think I can get into any decent college, especially since I’m 0 EFC. Why did I slack off? Ugh ugh ugh ugh ugh.</p>
<p>Console me, please.</p>
<p>CIA: There, there. There’ll be a home for you, I promise. </p>
<p>I saw your standalone thread about looking for polisci schools. Why not add some more info to that thread? Test scores, the level of rigor or nonrigor of your courses, what your high school is like. What will your essays and teacher recs be like? What were the C and D in, and what’s happened in those subjects since then? Are you an URM or first generation college student or have a olympic medal? 
And, what state are you in (for public)?</p>
<p>Would you qualify for a school like Berea?</p>
<p>Those chances threads are just bad</p>
<p>bad because </p>
<p>the people putting them up have either amazing stats and really want someone to tell them how great they are</p>
<p>or perhaps
the kids are pretty well rounded and seem like great candidates and then some other people snipe at them and tell them how they aren’t anything…which makes me wish I could wash their mouths out with soap–they are so spiteful…</p>
<p>I keep wondering where the parents and GCs are for these kids who post so much of that …</p>
<p>The again the threads about 8th graders and freshman wanting to be recruited or to know which ECs look best…</p>
<p>kind of wish we could delete it like junk mail into the bin…</p>
<p>Absolutely stay away from Chance Threads!!! In my opinion, they are toxic! I used to find them somewhat entertaining, but I am officially over them now. First, all those surreal achievements knock any confidence one might temporarily be feeling, leading to useless doubt and second-guessing. Furthermore, the only opinion that matters is that of the admissions office!! Who knows who will get in and who won’t?!?! Certainly none of us :)</p>
<p>I guess I have to agree. After reading a couple of these “chance” threads it just depresses the living hell out of me. </p>
<p>I was starting to go stir crazy with the waiting, so I decided to get started early this time, printed out a copy of the commonapp, and am starting to fill out the vital information (address, high school info, etc) . My D will take care of the creative parts later. A fair division of labor given the creative essays she will have to spit out.</p>
<p>Let the games begin!</p>