<p>best ec for top tier colleges...varsity football</p>
<p>"I wish colleges could just accept that some people don't have the passion or enthusiasm to spend hundreds of hours 'giving back to the community'"</p>
<p>You've got your wish: Most colleges in the country don't pay that much attention to ECs. Instead, they select students based on grades, scores and coursework. This particularly is true for public universities, including those that are among the country's top universities.</p>
<p>It's only places like HPYS -- that have an overabundance of highly qualified applicants -- who weigh ECs heavily as part of the application process. That's because such colleges have so many highly qualified applicants that the colleges can select people based on creating a well rounded, active campus. Such colleges definitely want students who'll give back to the campus and local community, and after college will be active, involved alumni, too.</p>
<p>gone2gofish</p>
<p>I completely disagree with you. I myself am an eagle scout and do not agree that Eagle Scouts should be scrutinized, rather than be looked at as one step above the rest.</p>
<p>You complain that some younger scouts have built benches. I myself made benches. Yet, I do NOT feel that I shorted my duties at all. I developed the idea (after researching different styles of benches) and typed up the report and estimated the cost, I then planned and organized a fund-raiser to pay for the project and contacted 5 different lumber companies to find if they would offer any sort of assistance. After fund-raising and obtaining the materials a friend and I pre-cut all the wood in my garage. I then got a number of scouts and adults in my troop to assist in the construction. One morning in March everyone got together and i divided the scouts into two seperate teams. I taught them both how to construct the benches (3 each) and throughout the day went back and forth helping and encouraging my volunteers. Afterwards I created a program to add all hours (I kept track in a log all along) and typed up the concluding report after writing several thank you letters.</p>
<p>I did all of that with no parental involvement. You can "build benches" and still put a lot of work in. I put in over 50 hours of my time for my project (not exxagerated).</p>
<p>Ultimately, what other EC presents an award that is the result of over 5 years (at least) of dedication that involves leadership, service, dedication, integrity, and teamwork. An Eagle Scout does not need to be scrutinized...any Scout that has gotten through their Board of Review and been charged has earned the rank that they wear. Respect your brothers, they deserve it.</p>
<p>I know colleges look for leadership in ECs and would rather see dedication to a couple ECs than just adding ECs for the sake of having them.</p>
<p>I have a question in terms of religious activities in relation to religious affiliated schools. Here are some of my ECs from my church:</p>
<p>Eucharistic Minister at Holy Cross Church (Roman Catholic Church)
Youth Group Coordinator at " "
Choir Member at " "
Receiver of the Holy Oils for church at county ceremony
Confirmation Candidate at " "
Worked Full Time Summer Job in Office at " "</p>
<p>So I'm pretty dedicated at my church and always put in extra time doing things. Would having a lot of dedication and ECs at my church give me an upper hand at religious affiliated schools (Notre Dame, Boston College, Georgetown, Villanova, Providence, etc.)? </p>
<p>[Sorry if this is a really bad post! eek!]</p>
<p>ok lets face it all your ecs are pathetic when compared w/ mine =D
9-12 grade i manage to volunteer for one hour in a gaming store
Leadership in suspension program...too many times and the deans and I got acquainted
Voted in yearbook as the #1 bully in my school</p>
<p>stop worrying about your ecs...just do whatever you like and you're be fine =D</p>
<p>heh heh darkhope.........must've had awesome high year memories</p>
<p>^^ crap....<strong>EDIT</strong> awesome high school memories</p>
<p>Last June, I started a sports website (blog) with news- and opinion-based articles. It has attracted of 5.5 thousand visitors up to this point. How good of an EC would that be viewed as? Would it standout as something unique and above average?</p>
<p>By the way, here is the site address if anyone wants to see the quality: <a href="http://www.thesportshookup.blogspot.com%5B/url%5D">www.thesportshookup.blogspot.com</a></p>
<p>^^^^^^^^^^^^
Help, please!</p>
<p>10,000 and you've got yourself an EC.</p>
<p>Nah, joking. That's a v. good, original EC to have.</p>
<p>How about habitat for humanity? And, do colleges look at/do you have to report what year you did your ec's?</p>
<p>Haha, hopefully I'll be at 10K by the time I'm applying.</p>
<p>It's not really the number or users in your blog or how popular it is. In the end, it all comes to, say, things like:</p>
<p>-Did you learn anything else by writing blogs?
-What was your experience writing while thousands of others read your writing?
-What prompted you to write?</p>
<p>Things like these, IMO, are factors that AdComs might be enthusiastic to see in the Apps. </p>
<p>But let us not forget your great accomplishment, for it is a unique EC. Again, it all comes to how you craft your accomplishments with paper&pencil. :)</p>
<p>Yep, kevster. I'm interested in journalism, hence the inclination to start a blog.</p>
<p>That's awesome</p>
<p>That's a very cool ec. I think I've actually read your blog on occasion through random google searches. The only complaint I have is that tennis is never mentioned. This grieves me very much, as you even have it in your logo. And yet, never a mention. But that's just a tennis fanatic talking...</p>
<p>Following on the same note as Mr. Yankee, for the past two years I have developed, maintained, and administered (Lead Administrator) an online gaming website (Competitive Ladders/Tournaments). While it is not the most popular of these sites (Such as Teamwarfare or CAL), it does have a decent amount of teams registered (564 registered, probably around 50 active) and a good number of visitors (3500 Unique & 500,000 hits a month). Would this count as a considerable activity? Does the fact that I have developed several other websites (both paid and unpaid) help as it establishes a set focus? What could I do to further develop this EC?</p>
<p>Also, how much could a family situation make up for otherwise lackluster extracurricular? My mother is paralyzed from the chest down (Still has use of her arms) and thus requires extra help from me (My parents are divorced and my brother is in college), putting considerable strain on my ability to partake in certain things.</p>
<p>Thanks,
Dabu</p>
<p>what if your the top of everything. You have a 4 point unweighted GPA, a valedictorian, graduate with with highest honors and traditional scholars, and your high school is in the top 1000. you have a 30 or more on the ACT..BUT you have no ECs at all (aside from community service) ..then what happens? what is the best college you think that person will get accepted to???</p>
<p>Thanks for the help...</p>
<p>PS. let's say that person is a junior right now. what should he or she do to get into a top school)</p>
<p>anyone with advice?</p>
<p>NO ECs at all?!! Remember that there are other applicants that are either at the top or at the near top of their classes WITH extra curriculars. It's gonna be hard to stand out with nothing else on top. Because the deal is that almost everyone applying to top schools have similar stats - high test scores, great academic careers - so really it comes down to the rigor of your academic journey and the other things that you excelled in. Ultimately, it's not so impressive to be valedictorian if you're not doing anything else... GREAT - you're a hard worker with school on the top of your list. But what's even better is to be at the top or at the near top and be president of something, or participating in something. Otherwise your top GPA isn't so impressive. That's why top athletes with lower GPAs are given slack - b/c they excel so much in Sports AND do well in school. I'm afraid you'll face a tough time in the college admissions process.</p>