<p>yeah i got a well-paid internship at a local software company this summer, workin a 40 hr week...i am going to major in history...do i care, no :)</p>
<p>so you're telling me RSI is more impressive than eagle scout? Forget it! It takes A LOT more time, effort, dedication to become eagle scout than to be accepted into the crappy MIT program...</p>
<p>um, RSI is definitely more competitive than eagle scout, any person with determination and time/effort can get an eagle badge. but to get into RSI takes a lot of innate ability...i mean the program accepts what, 8% of its applicants? You have a better chance of getting into harvard than RSI. At RSI, you conduct research with a renowned professor...it's a little more prestigious than earning a badge. that's not to say eagle scout is something to sneeze at</p>
<p>
umm..."crappy" program? Are you out of your mind?</p>
<p>There are many, many more Eagle Scouts than RSI alum. As with "time," yes Eagle Scout may require a lot of time but does research not?</p>
<p>I would say it takes more talent to get into RSI as opposed to getting Eagle Scout status. This is not to say that Eagle Scouts are not talented; My friend is one and he is a bright and talented young man. But I would say there are some not so dedicated Eagle Scouts as well.</p>
<p>I have a great deal of respect for those who attain Eagle Scout status by means of hard work, effort, dedication etc.</p>
<p>I have none for Eagle Scouts who call the RSI program "crappy."</p>
<p>
um, RSI is definitely more competitive than eagle scout, any person with determination and time/effort can get an eagle badge. but to get into RSI takes a lot of innate ability...i mean the program accepts what, 8% of its applicants? You have a better chance of getting into harvard than RSI. At RSI, you conduct research with a renowned professor...it's a little more prestigious than earning a badge. that's not to say eagle scout is something to sneeze at
</p>
<p>well about 3% of all boy scouts become eagle scout, think about that...</p>
<p>Also were you a eagle scout? If you weren't you don't have any position to say that getting eagle scout is a piece of cake</p>
<p>Are you saying eagle scouts are crap?</p>
<p>Are you also saying that if someone is in RSI, than he can get into any college JUST by going to RSI?</p>
<p>"Are you also saying that if someone is in RSI, than he can get into any college JUST by going to RSI?"</p>
<p>Let's ignore the merits of the 2 programs for just a moment here. RSI has a 60% acceptance rate to Harvard. RSI identifies the very best in math and science. Therefore, they do a lot of the work for Harvard and other top schools. The same cannot be said for Eagle Scout.</p>
<p>I had none of the extracurriculars listed by Northstarmom. My grades were less than stellar [they weren't good at all]. I am attending Yale this fall. I am not a legacy, URM, or athletic recruit.</p>
<p>So, take it with a grain of salt.</p>
<p>I'm curious...what are your stats SonataX?</p>
<p>I'm curious too</p>
<p>ALSO what do you think is better for college admissions, going to RSI or winning the olympic gold medal in swimming while you are in high school?</p>
<p>hahahahaha RSABach, what have you got against RSI?</p>
<p>And unfortunately, the answer is RSI. You might have heard that this year Harvard rejected speedskater Joey Cheek, a gold AND silver medalist at the Olympics. He plays guitar, donated 25K he won to a good cause, and I heard his SATs were in the 1400s...but Harvard rejected him. He's going to Princeton.</p>
<p>I must say, Eagle Scout status is NOT comparable to an Olympic medal....</p>
<p>WindCloudUltra, I was not talking about comparing olympic medal with eagle scout, I was comparing it with RSI if you READ</p>
<p>Also, whats better for college, going ro RSI, or being on the United States math team (only 6 students in whole USA) which competes in the international mathematical olympiad...</p>
<p>I DARE you to say RSI, cuz you know only 6 of the brightest students in america can compete in the INTERNATIONAL mathematical olympiad....</p>
<p>Believe it or not, there are RSI kids rejected from Harvard.</p>
<p>I'm sorry, but what does EC stand for?</p>
<p>extracurricular.</p>
<p>"And unfortunately, the answer is RSI. You might have heard that this year Harvard rejected speedskater Joey Cheek, a gold AND silver medalist at the Olympics. He plays guitar, donated 25K he won to a good cause, and I heard his SATs were in the 1400s...but Harvard rejected him. He's going to Princeton."</p>
<p>There were other factors in his rejection. He's much older than most freshman going into college; how will that affect his interaction w/ his peers? Will he be a good contribution to the campus life? Will he even care that much about academics or will he continue to pursue speedskating at the same level, which would detract from his studies? Those are individual questions, and at that level, when the poster asked for a high school student who won Olympic Gold, some of them will not matter.</p>
<p>I think unfortunately this has become a forum for the obsessed and misguided. People, seriously, there is no magic EC formula here. If you design you life to meet some mythical standard of your dream college's perfect person, you will be the poorer for it. Northstar Mom is being much too formulaic, and the truth is, there is no formula. Do what you like, do it well, show that you have energy, drive, and that you're a person who can get things done - whatever you're doing. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT HAVING A LAUNDRY LIST OF ECs!!! Invest your energy in quality, not quantity, and don't try to predict what will be in fashion at the Admissions Committee when you apply, because you never know.</p>
<p>Northstarmom's comments have been accurate for the most part. She really knows what she's talking about. But, to all those people who keep saying that you are from underrepresented areas and that the ec's section of the application is intimidating, I think she already mentioned that the Ivies and other top colleges will take into account the fact that you may have extensive work commitments or that you spend a lot of time taking care of family at home, etc...a couple of the best ec's though that haven't been metioned here are the Siemens Westinghouse and Intel Talent Search science competitions, which are very prestigious as well, but you don't have to win one of these to get into Princeton, U Pennsylvania, Columbia, etc. They want diversity in all forms, and they are (for the most part) not going to penalize you for not being as knowledgeable/sophisticated about admissions as Northstarmom is. In terms of where this information goes, it should be on the brag sheet (you don't need to submit a resume with your application to top colleges). Anyone who doesn't understand what the brag sheet is should contain should read Michelle Hernandez's book "A is for Admission", who was an admissions officer at Dartmouth (and an alumni of Dartmouth as well), who discusses in detail how to present yourself in the best light to admissions directors and how you will be evaluated. In general, there is an overemphasis on scores, grades, and URM status though on this board. In terms of scores, they just want you to be in their expected range, and then they'll evaluate the rest of your application. In terms of grades (in isolation), they really aren't important without taking into where you go to high school, the courses you took relative to the available honors, AP, IB program classes, the reputation of the school in terms of rigor, etc. CONTEXT is very important in admissions. Also, for URM status, they'll help you once you have the numbers they are looking for, but again, they will review you as an INDIVIDUAL and evaluate your background/opportunities/location etc. to see to what degree you will add to school with your own unique perspective and whether or not you are disadvantaged, etc.</p>
<p>I agree though that there is no "magic formula" in terms of EC's (to some extent; I think an incredible amount of important honors/work experience, etc. could make a real difference), but I think the real reason why admissions is somewhat unpredictable to many applicants is that the average applicant to top colleges maybe doesn't recognize that the admissions officers are evaluating PEOPLE, not numbers or lists. How you present yourself as a PERSON is very important. By the way, I was accepted (EA/ED) to my top choice college, an Ivy League school.</p>