<p>Yes, but chess has a long tradition and respect with it. So does football - that's a game too. W3 does not, whether we like it or not.</p>
<p>warcraft 3 is actually a very complex game (ladder). it requires a lot of strategy and such; i've been playing it on and off for about 3 years. if your kid could somehow parrallel warcraft 3 ladder to the intellectual/foresight aspects of chess or other strategy boardgames without making it sound like he's consumed by the game, then yea, it WILL work. true, it won't be as respected as say chess, but better graphics and a more engaging atmosphere never really hurt anyone, and he could use that as an excuse (with tact ofc).</p>
<p>it depends on your child educating the adcoms about warcraft, turning it from a seemingly guilty indulgence into a "promethean" exercise. i recommend him using this on the essay to make him stand out, but not focusing too much on it for ECs (the less time he spends on a game, the more talented he must be!) unless he has no other choice.</p>
<p>good luck!</p>
<p>Thanks for all your responses. Clearly, he'll use this gaming "skill" in his essays. I agree that it would be good if he could expand on the gaming and possibly work on video game design, etc. Actually, he was contacted by a NYC film producer who is producing a documentary on strategy games and was asked to edit, review game replays, etc. It would have been a paid job and great experience. Unfortunately, they couldn't hire him because he was only 16 yrs old :-(</p>
<p>Warcraft Mom -
As an employee who has worked on "virtual teams" I think the Warcraft angle has another dimension that you may not have thought of. I work in my home office with people across the globe that I will never, ever meet. I work on projects, where I never have face to face contact with anyone, ever, yet I perform well. This is a new paradigm for communication and your son is on the vanguard.</p>
<p>So, when he writes his essays, he might think about incorporating this angle. Something along the lines of "I work well with others, both in the virtual and real worlds." Well, better worded and integrated into his essay, of course...</p>
<p>how would mastering a computer game benefit a university?</p>
<p>That's what we're all wondering.</p>
<p>How has he used it to benefit his community? I think he should donate the money or otherwise use it for a computer-related nonprofit/service program.</p>
<p>Don't let the EC Nazis get you down ("No Ivy League for you!"). Okay, y'all aren't Nazis, but you have scary amounts of activities. I'm amazed. Anyway, I think this is a great thing to include on an application. Colleges don't only want kids fresh from the prep school conveyer belt. Your kid is obviously passionate and dedicated. Sure it's a bit wacky for most people, but if it's something he is strongly interested in, he should take pride in his accomplishments and make them the focus of his application. Maybe this isn't as beneficial as a cure for cancer (which I'm beginning to suspect some CC'rs are working on), but if it makes your son happy, he should pursue it. It's not frivolous and selfish if it means alot to him. Plus, if he has great grades and test scores, this will help his application stand out. Best of luck to your son!</p>