<p>Well, music is my son’s biggest EC but he’s taken a different approach as a violinist. He’s built up a pretty solid teaching business, currently teaching 5 private students, teaching at an elementary school, and will be teaching a group Suzuki class in the fall. Also, he’s a rock violinist for two local bands that have EP releases. I guess the fact that he’s a URM might make it a bit unusual?? Dunno.</p>
<p>both girls had extensive community service hrs.
Mostly working at the pony barn at the local zoo.</p>
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<p>Where do you see the Jack of all trade recommendations? In all the years I’ve been on this board it seems the main message is to have a focus and take it to the highest level you can. That may not mean one single activity, but rather one passion that drives a set of related activities. Colleges are looking for “spikey kids” to make a ‘well rounded class’ rather than expecting everyone being well rounded. I’ve not read the books but from what I gather, the book writers are saying the same thing. </p>
<p>I think focus makes a ton of sense, especially as it suggests its coming from one’s true strength and passion. And yes big kudos to the kids (and their families!) that pull it off! Though I think trying to be a ‘national’ something seems quite ridiculous if its being sought for any reasons other than the kids’ own drive. Taking such a path to fulfill your parents goals, or worse, to follow some strategic advice to get into college, seems crazy to me. And if for the college resume, a risky strategy too: injuries happen, abilities peak out, children change their interests. And, depending upon the sport or activity, it may require more commitment than most young people want to sacrifice (e.g. giving up other facets of their life for this one shot).</p>
<p>Not an EC that would go on a college application, but I’m a moderator on a very popular, well-visited medical/health professions student forum (many of you can probably guess what it is), and I know at least a few of the others mods put it on their CVs/Med School apps/internship apps, etc. (I don’t personally). Some of the mod staff are also members of the site editorial board for “front page” articles and put that on their CVs as well (again, I don’t).</p>
<p>I don’t know how unusual this is, but I think my high involvement in Japanese language and related ECs <em>definitely</em> helped me stand out when I was applying to colleges (through Japanese VI, Japan Bowl Competitions, state Japanese speech contests, Japanese club officership, JNHS, etc). I’m white, from a region that you wouldn’t think of as having a high Asian population (although I had an amazing native Japanese speaker for a teacher), and I didn’t apply to any schools in California or other places where such ECs may have been more common, so I don’t know what, if any of those, may have helped it stand out more, but for whatever reason, I think it did. </p>
<p>Although IIRC neither made my essays, I loved both my speech topics, by the way–one talking about “finding my name” in Japanese (not liking my ultra common English name and going by a Japanese nickname for a while in Japanese class, only to later find that my English name translates almost exactly to a Japanese name with, IMO, a lot of meaning and loving that name) and the other about my admiration for Hoshino Tomihiro, a wonderfully talented Japanese artist and poet who is quadriplegic and paints and draws with his mouth and about how, as a writer with a physical disability, I connected to his work on many levels. The latter won some sort of special award for “most inspiring” speech or something like that. (Our teacher did help with our speeches–we wrote them in English, she modified and translated them into Japanese and we worked–extensively–on memorizing and speaking them with grace, intonation, etc. The second year we also had to answer questions about our speeches in Japanese.)</p>
<p>Also, cur’s daughter famously raised goats!</p>
<p>I agree starbright. Colleges seem intrigued by lumpy people. For example D1 had 2000 volunteer hours @ the zoo by the time she graduated from high school. ( she started when she was 12- it also included working every week, many weekends & a good chunk of summer/vacations), she applied to a school that was a reach financially for us & academically ( GPA & SAT) wise for her.
She was accepted & they met 100% need with a grant & Subsidized stafford loan.</p>
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<p>Quod Erat Demonstrandum</p>
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<p>I agree. Kids should set their own highest standards. Parents should teach their kids that if you want to do something, do it the best you can. Make sacrifices. Do not compromise. You may turn out to be mediocre, and that’s fine, as long as your effort was anything but. Your effort should always be superlative. Otherwise that is the point of doing anything anyway? Be the best you can.</p>
<p>Of course, just saying it won’t work. Parents have to follow the same philosophy in their own life.</p>
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<p>Very nicely done. Kudos.</p>
<p>Agree with starbright. It is quite ill advised to be a “serial joiner” and to lack demonstrating a commitment to any one activity. I have a relative who was into legos from a young age and organized a lego building contest in his erly teens to raise $ for a non-profit. They collected $$ and donated the legos to victims of Hurricane Katrina.
It doesnt have to be a math team or a musical instrument. It has to show dedication and passion. Better to be unique than a dime a dozen. JMO</p>
<p>I don’t know how different it was, but D was a ballerina (very common) but also a Boy Scout, including president of her Venture Crew. Was only girl among 26 boys on week long trip in the Rockies, where they were advised not to use any scented products (shampoo, soap, etc.) due to the threat of bears. She’s a girly-girl and this was a major challenge for her.</p>
<p>She spent major time on her ECs, and was dedicated to many of them for several years, but also decided that she didn’t want to give up some of them in pursuit of top ranking in just one. So she learned to be content being a top dancer but not the best in her ballet company, and not being first chair in the orchestra. She still dances and plays violin in college, but knew she didn’t have the desire/talent to do either professionally.</p>
<p>After several years of reading results threads for the most selective schools, it seems to me that there are several kinds of kids who get admitted:
- Those who are exceptionally good at one thing, and at least good at just about everything else.
- Those who are very, very good at several different things.
- Those who are very good at everything.</p>
<p>So, they might take a person who is an award-winning violinist who was on From the Top, another kid who was a violinist who was first chair in All-State AND a competitive rock climber, and another kid who was a very good violinist with top grades and scores, but no major awards from anywhere. They probably take a smaller percentage of that last kind of kid, but they do take quite a few of them.</p>
<p>My daughter was a Peer Educator - about sex! The focus was on pregnancy prevention in an urban district. She trained at a women’s health organization, learned all about birth control methods, STDs, resistance strategies, and then taught her peers informally as well as middle school students in organized sessions that involved role play on resistance strategies.</p>
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<p>If you are exceptionally good at one thing, there really isn’t much room to be at least good at everything else.</p>
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So you might think, but spend some time reading the results threads for Harvard, Yale, and Princeton, and you will see that this just isn’t the case. I think some people underestimate just how accomplished the people at that end of the bell curve can be.</p>
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<p>I will. But can you give me an example?</p>
<p>OK. I know a kid at Yale who’s a Whiffenpoof, which means that he’s one of the most accomplished singers at the school. He’s also a top cellist, and played solos and concertos with campus orchestras. But he’s not a music major–he’s a neuropsychology major who is pre-med. He is also (according to my daughter) extremely good-looking.</p>
<p>(This is not my son, by the way.) But he’s just one example.</p>
<p>That’s not really an example of exceptionally good. That’s an example of someone who is very, very good at several things.</p>
<p>IndianParent, why do you choose to be so disagreeable in your responses? What is your goal?</p>
<p>I am sorry if I come across as disagreeable, Hunt. If you read above you will see that I have congratulated and expressed support for many parents and kids whose philosophies match mine.</p>
<p>In this particular case, I disagree with you that exceptional performers have room for doing other things well. Exceptional performers are not well rounded. And that is OK.</p>
<p>Well, then, I will amend my response to say that you don’t know what you are talking about in terms of what is exceptional and what isn’t.</p>
<p>One of my D’s friends will be a sophomore at an Ivy this coming year. She was one of the top ten athletes in the country in a particular sport (is a heavy favorite for the Olympics in her sport), while coaching underprivileged kids in that sport and starting a non-profit group to encourage minority participation in what is often viewed as a privileged, white sport. The girl is a whirlwind. Pretty and sweet, too.</p>