<p>I have a diverse assortment of ECs, too, which on paper translates to a "laundry list." :rolleyes: Of course, to me, it's anything but! </p>
<p>Sigh... why don't we live in the UK? XD</p>
<p>^I know! I could apply to Oxbridge, but I am NOT ready to declare a major.</p>
<p>Sometimes I feel that people with diverse interests can have problems. I'm accomplished at state level in math (got 7 on the AIME), state officer for Latin Convention, placed in state (team got 2nd) in Science Olympiad, starting up one for the middle schoolers, need to do a project for Eagle Scout, got 3rd in Knowledge Bowl and hoping to improve this year, etc.</p>
<p>It all makes sense to me and I love all my activities. It's not like I do them to boost my resume, I actually enjoy them. But they're so different. They're not a laundry list to me. :p I don't know what I'm going to do.</p>
<p>Anyway, I think that Duke and Dartmouth are some elite private schools that weigh scores/GPA heavily. Notre Dame does as well.</p>
<p>If your diverse ECs are actually things you all enjoy, you should be able to write a convincing essay demonstrating that.</p>
<p>I know, but I need to pick a topic that somehow relates all of them in a real manner. :p I'm just worried that I'll appear too eclectic. I am, but I just like a lot of things...</p>
<p>I know a kid who got into Cornell this year with a 2350, 800s on three SAT Subject Tests, and all 5s on six AP tests. She had a 4.0. She was not the member of a single club, unless his community church counts? </p>
<p>BUT her family was very wealthy, so maybe that helped?</p>
<p>
Eh, I'm taking the "don't recap your activities; talk about one that is important to you" route (I assume that you're talking about the EC essay, not the general CommonApp one?) and writing about one thing. :/ </p>
<p>But on my resume, I describe exactly what I do with each club, so colleges will see that I do stuff; I don't just go to meetings so I can write down my name as a member of the club, lol.</p>
<p>A lot of the top students at my school who were kind of lacking in ECs got into Penn, and slightly less into Cornell. When I say lacking in ECs, I mean I strain my head to think of what they've done, and I can't think of anything besides like holding a leadership position in one service club. XD Maybe they went to like one Model UN conference. Idunno... With this stuff people are always going to say "You weren't that person, you didn't have complete access to their resume, how would you know what activities they had?" I concede that this is true, but the way it is at my school you pretty much know who's officer of what, and there aren't that many clubs that really do anything, lol. Outside of school activities besides maybe an instrument are highly unlikely, and again if they did it you would've probably heard about it somehow. I don't even know their SAT scores honestly, but I'm assuming at least 2100, and ranked in top ten with most likely a 4.0/97+ average.</p>
<p>Ironically, there was one girl last year who was HIGHLY involved. She had a lot of leadership and I believe organized/started the local branch of some kind of charity organization and raised at least ten thousand dollars. I'm pretty sure her SAT was at least 2100, and I think she was in the top ten, but she didn't get into many schools she wanted. A lot of people assumed that she began the organization for college (since this was like, 2nd sem junior year she decided to do this), so that might've had something to do with it.</p>
<p>
<p>But on my resume, I describe exactly what I do with each club, so colleges will see that I do stuff; I don't just go to meetings so I can write down my name as a member of the club, lol.
</p>
<p>Oh, okay. I see.</p>
<p>people overrate ECs here. My brother put some bs ones down and got into JHU and Wash U. I have plenty of friends who did the same with similar results. Just put down a few clubs and whatever and your fine. Your stats are the most important, as long as you have some ECs than your fine (anyone can put a few things down)</p>
<p>Yeah, I guess so. I mean, I am involved in a lot of things, but nothing on my EC record screams that I'm "passionate" about any one thing. And I hear so much about how colleges hate people with great stats and no "passion" and blah blah blah "laundry list" flkdjflkjdsgg</p>
<p>No surprise that "Any great admission stories of high gpa, great ec's but not super high sat's?" already has more replies than this one...!</p>
<p>Come on, let's beat the high GPA/great ECs thread!</p>
<p>Well, the people who excel academically but aren't involved in any (or many) ECs generally aren't the type of people who are obsessed with attending highly selective schools, nor are they prone to flaunting their successes. In any event, you're dealing with a smaller and less prominent subset of all applicants; on the other hand, mediocre students with a fixation on top-tier universities and the determination to accrue an imposing list of EC activities abound. So by strength of sheer numbers if nothing else, the latter group will experience more successes than the former (and, inevitably, this thread will lose the battle).</p>
<p>I'm having the classic ambition versus potential debate right now with a friend... and with myself. </p>
<p>I mean, of course, SATs and grades and what not aren't terribly representative of "potential," anyways, which alone should settle the debate. But I feel like "ambition" can only be measured to a certain extent, too, when different people have differing amounts of opportunities available to them. </p>
<p>I realize that people with great ECs and not-amazing stats should get the places in top schools, for the reasons that (a) stats don't represent intelligence in the first place and (b) people who actually do things are obviously going to be more successful in the future...</p>
<p>I just feel like most of us haven't found our niche in the world by application season; not all of us have had the foresight, the self-awareness, or even the chance to distinguish ourselves in any particular realm. And I guess there are schools that will take people like me (I'm not one of those people who finds it necessary to go to an Ivy League or comparable school), but it's discouraging to see how lowly everyone -- not just the general consensus of top schools' adcoms -- looks upon people with high numbers and no outstanding ECs. Shouldn't I be proud of myself for at least distinguishing myself in academia? Oh, and spending my time doing a diverse assortment of things that I actually enjoy without regard for how they look on paper? Because clearly I joined a bunch of clubs in areas of interest because I wanted a "laundry list," after hearing for years how much colleges hate that kind of stuff. :rolleyes:</p>
<p>God, that was melodramatic.</p>
<p>People with awesome stats but few ECs probably won't find themselves at the "crapshoot" schools we all love to lament. However, they can get themselves into good honors programs or good merit aid at decent privates. Not every school is looking for someone who has already changed the world!</p>
<p>So would someone with a high SAT and GPA and a "laundry list" of ECs (lots of things w/ time put into them but no/few leadership positions or national awards) applying to a top-tier institution be comparable to someone with an SAT way below the school's threshold? </p>
<p>I don't want to apply to my crapshoot schools if they're gonna laugh at me, lol. D: </p>
<p>I know I'll be happy at whatever school I end up at, so I'm not worried about where I get in; I'm just worried about my pride, lol. I just don't want to flatter myself and apply to places that are just as much a superenormousformidable reach for me as they are for someone with, like, a 1500.</p>
<p>You'd still be better. Remember, you can always choose to omit ECs or list them in a way that lessens the 'laundry list' perception. They can't lie about their test scores.</p>
<p>And no crapshoot school will laugh at you. They do that to people with 1700s, not a nearly perfect score.</p>
<p>^Apply anyway.</p>
<p>I've read a fair number of guides, and one in particular talked about this. There is something called the "reward/risk" ratio. You want it to be as large as possible. For a candidate who is an excellent student but has little ECs, you want to focus on the "reward" part of the ratio, since you have no risks. Similar to that ratio is the principle of fitting in but standing out at the same time. You probably won't have a probably fitting in academically, but you need to show how you will stand out and add to the campus. People with great ECs but mediocre stats already are obviously rewarding to the campus, but they also present great risks. They need to focus on the "risk" side by showing how they would fit in.</p>
<p>I would plya up the ECs you have, and definitely demonstrate how you would contribute to the campuses in any way possible (interview, essays, etc.). People with a large list of ECs may choose to show some aspect of themselves in their essays, but I would suggest demonstrating what unique qualities you have and what you can bring (versus, "I'm very compassionate, let me share this quirky anecdote with you").</p>
<p>amciw: I listed my ECs as honestly as possible -- describing the time and effort I put into them and what exactly I did. I think I did a good job representing how much I put into each EC and (indirectly) what they mean to me. </p>
<p>But having NO leadership positions is equivalent to having no ECs, according to CC. Some people suggest that in chance threads, people should only list clubs in which they have officer positions. </p>
<p>The SAT is like a "screening test": it's likely one of the first things considered. But maybe some of the top-tier institutions have a "screening test" later in the game that involves counting how many "officer position" boxes are filled out in the CommonApp activities section.</p>
<p>Baelor: I feel like even essays don't give me enough room to say all the things I want to say, haha. But I'm working on them. </p>
<p>Lol sorry I keep talking about myself in here. But APPARENTLY very few people have stories to make me feel better, lol.</p>
<p>Not everyone is outgoing or likes to be a leader. I think it makes more sense for you to present a honest view of yourself, rather than one you think the colleges will like to see. As we discussed with "Stanford Girl", people that look fake usually will be detected. Since you have exhaustively discussed your ECs (with details, ect.), you should give the perception that although you have varied interests, and have no leadership positions, you still get involved and care about what you do.</p>
<p>As for the SAT, colleges only laugh at the candidates so hopelessly unqualified they should not have wasted the application fee. Your SAT will get you past the first round, so your app will be seriously considered.</p>
<p>Also, as I just remembered, doesn't the Commonapp permit you to upload an additional document to tell more about yourself? You could use this to discuss your varied interests/ECs, even if you are going the specialized route for the other essays.</p>
<p>^^Not true at all (to above above post). What you contribute to the club is important, regardless of your position. I'm a member of the Science Olympiad team, but am not captain (partly due to lack of time). Does that mean that I shouldn't put it down? I place at state on the team, and have been doing it for three years. Why is it less important because I'm not in a leadership position.</p>
<p>Granted, I am in officer positions in other clubs. But what YOU give to the club or organization is what is important. Focus on what you have. Leadership is important to colleges. Play up any leadership you have demonstrated elsewhere -- community service? Work experience? Something you planned for your school?</p>