unconventional ec's

Prep School Admissions
1

<p>ok.. more odd EC's of mine. see, i like these things and they each give a hint to who i am, and i def want to note them, but i'm not sure if i should stick to the basic, boring "soccer, basketball, softball, drawing, piano, work experience, etc.".. i don't think that explains your real, real passions and what you're interested in and what you could maybe make a career out of..</p>

<p>okay:
i make t-shirts.. as in, i design a picture, word scheme, photo, etc., and then modify it for a t-shirt on my computer and then print it out on a high-quality printer and then transfer it to a blank t-shirt. and then give them to my friends (for free)! .. i'm sure this counts, right?</p>

<p>i do some investing and i've made a significant amount of money (relative to my age at least, and def. for what i started out w., which was just savings from birthday an xmas money, etc.. my parents didn't help), and i'm interesting in trading and whatnot. my parents don't help, and i started out against their word... </p>

<p>Also: i go to Mensa meetings (i'm a member).. so does that count as a club? i would think so, given that not any body can get in and you meet regularly to discuss issues, etc. and what about the poetic genius society? (i guess it's like mensa, but in adition to the IQ test, you also need to take a verbal test to get in and you need to submit your best poetry.)
--or do these count as awards, given the requirements for applying and being accepted?</p>

<p>oh! whenever i get the chance, or whenever i visit my father, i do activities like mountain-climbing (not really intense climbing), hiking, backpacking, camping, overnight sailing trips, white-water rafting, horse treks, scuba diving, waterskiing, skydiving (only once. dad made me stop lol), heli-skiing... etc. i don't do them on a daily basis (duh..), but i look forward to them for months at a time and do it fairly often. </p>

<p>.. there are more, i can't think right now.</p>

<p>point is: i'm interested in these things and i do them independently and not most kids do (or any kids do, really) .. so is it an EC? can i list it? should this take the place of something more conventional, like soccer for 7 years?</p>

2

<p>I think you should stop posting inane topics.</p>

<p>I wouldn't mention the out-doorsy stuff, because that is just recreation and not a competitive sport.</p>

3

<p>Hm... Poetic Genius Society. Thank you for introducing me to this. </p>

<p>It is not what "counts" or what does not "count"; the motive is not to generate a massive list of accomplishments. In this case, you are not lacking; I would not worry too much about the quantity of extracurriculars. </p>

<p>It is not really "odd" ECs that define a unique person. If we based one's uniqueness upon the oddity of their ECs, then we truly cannot define anyone as unique, because there is no defined "odd" and "common".</p>

<p>There are certain things that define a person, that really shape them into who they are, and I see that you have mentioned that these ECs have done that. Upon seeing your interests, one should be able to recognize what type of person you are. The audience, or reader, should be able to see through these accomplishments and say "Oh, thats Blair!" If making T-shirts for your friends has sparked within you a special "something" and has changed you, truly, then it is "worth" mentioning. Hence, we say "I am passionate about mathematics" or "I am passionate about poetry".</p>

<p>That is just my opinion on the topic.</p>

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<p>what i meant by "odd" was "uncommon", so i wasn't sure of the accepted conventions for stating them (ie, i wasn't the captain of my t-shirt making team, but i've taught all of my friends and everyone around school wears them). of course i'm passionate about these things, that's why i figure they're worth noting.</p>

<p>also.. theres another i didn't note: independent thinkers of ventura (name of my city). lol.. it's mainly philosophy and advanced theories, etc.</p>

<p>so, should these EC's take the place of the others (ie, basketball, which i've been playing for 6 years and was on traveling team and was pretty good, but i'm not on a team right now? same w/ soccer, softball, swimming.. i'm not on a team because of my school's situation.</p>

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<p>The fundamental question is: Where do your interests lie?</p>

<p>From what I know, philosophy is very important to you, as is literature.</p>

<p>If you feel that things like Mensa, Independent Thinkers of Ventura, Poetry Genius Society really bring out your interests in literature and philosophy, they would be worth mentioning, although the matter of listing them as "ECs" would be questionable. What have your contributions been to each society? They can exemplify your interests. I think it would be best to focus on one or two things and show have you have branched out into other things because of your . . . (insert: desire to try new things, curiosity, etc.,).</p>

<p>Good luck. :)</p>

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<p>Sure, put all those ECs down as well as the normal, boring ones. I guess your one of those people that likes to make the application as thick as possible, so definetly put down everything. However, I do suggest that you add more ECs such as skiing, snorkeling, running, and perhaps ceramics/making pots....</p>

<p>Maybe schools will look at the quantity instead of the quality.</p>

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<p>:D</p>

<p>Tread upon this matter gingerly; Blair seems to be asking an honest question and seeks an honest opinion. Sarcasm in this point of the application process wouldn't help the situation much. It would add all the more chaos. ;)</p>

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<p>Hmmm I suppose you are right. Although I admit that I may be being a TAD :)bit sarcastic, I do think that some people just may want to put more ECs or recs in their applicatioin and thats fine. You just have to think about what an adcoms impression will be.</p>

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<p>I am a genius,I go to meetings with other smart people to discuss how smart we all are.Did I tell you I was a genius.Boarding schools will love this approach.I would talk about this during all of your interviews.</p>

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<p>ChaosTheory, you have patience and wisdom beyond your years. It is a valuable asset. :)</p>

<p>blairt, I agree with a mix of what Chaos and soccerprep said. Don't put stuff on just to thicken your application, but don't leave it out if you feel it deomonstrates your interests. The most important thing is to express your passions.
Since you listed specific things, I will be specific. Do not list tee-shirt making or investing; neither are extracurriculars. Mensa is a club, so if you actively participate in it, you should put it down. Pretty much everything you listed about doing with your dad you should not put down, since you don't compete or do them very frequently. It would be different if you did. For example, I have a friend who is totally devoted to downhill skiing, and his family goes to Tahoe up to ten or twelve times a winter so he can ski, and he has been doing black diamonds for years (he's 13). If your level was like his, you could put it down, but it's not, so it's really not relevant.
I sympathise with you. Admittedly, if you just put down that you've done basketball, soccer, piano, etc. it might seem a little boring, because they probably get quite a few applicants with those ECs. Still, you must differentiate between hobbies and extracurriculars. They are different. For example, I didn't put down that I handmake candles, chocolates, and sweets, or that I like shooting (not animals, don't worry, just target practice) because I don't sell them, so they aren't a business, nor are they a club, and I don't have lessons in riflry. They're just something I do for fun; they're not something to put on an application.</p>

<p>By the way, getting into Mensa is not an award, nor is the Poetry Genius Society. If you think that, I think you have missed the point of them.</p>

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<p>It seems lke you are really obsessing over your applications. Just chill out.</p>

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<p>Blairt -- While they want to get a sense of you as a person. they really want to know how you will contribute to their community once you become a member of the community. Thus, basketball is probably more important than Mensa if the school offers basketball as a sport. Be sure to give them a sense of where your passions are, and how you can contribute to the school community. Good luck with your applications!</p>

13

<p>Not another frivolous post from blairt. How many more absurd topics can you think of?</p>

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<p>
[quote]
point is: i'm interested in these things and i do them independently and not most kids do (or any kids do, really) .. so is it an EC? can i list it? should this take the place of something more conventional, like soccer for 7 years?

[/quote]
</p>

<p>I'd just like to add -
Take soccer, for example. A person could be devoted to soccer, and may become an exceptional player. Hence, you have a unique, passionate, and talented individual. The sport itself is meaningless. What makes a person so exceptional is not the sport, but the dedication, hard work, and effort that they have put into it.</p>

<p>Mia Hamm plays soccer. Michael Jordan plays basketball. Wayne Gretzky played hockey. Babe Ruth played baseball. Ian Thorpe is a swimmer. Maurice Green is a runner. Tiger Woods plays golf. These are not interesting people? ;)</p>

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<p>oops i think we might have scared blairt away from her own post since shes not answering anymore...</p>

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<p>No, I just don't have any questions because the adcoms told me my initial plan was best.</p>

<p>But I do have this: Thank you Chaos, very helpful. Since I have dedicated a lot of work to all of my EC's and have received recognition, I'm going to list all of those that demonstrate that, since that's the objective.</p>

<p>Oh, and.. Sure, Babe Ruth is interesting, but he was a celebrity. Every other boy below age 12 also plays baseball, but I don't see how that makes them particularly interesting. That was my point, but it doesn't matter anymore.</p>

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<p>You are quite welcome. I am glad I helped.</p>

<p>Can you tell me how Babe Ruth became a celebrity? He was good at baseball. How did he become good at baseball? :)</p>

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<p>The adcoms are always right.</p>

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<p>he was dedicated to baseball. he became good at it through dedication (and amazing natural talent). he got the opportunity to play professional by a chance meeting w/ a recruiter. he became a celebrity through markeitng and profitable salaries. not every 11 year old little-leaguer is like babe ruth.</p>

<p>my initial question was basically, if you're good at alot, what do they want to know first? (since most schools only have like, 8 slots for EC's).</p>

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<p>Blair, that isn't a sufficient argument.</p>

<p>Mia Hamm is a CELEBRITY. Tiger Woods is a CELEBRITY. According to you, so is Babe Ruth (though he's dead).</p>

<p>They became CELEBRITIES because they were GOOD at things. Unlike other <em>cough</em>Paris Hilton<em>cough</em> people.</p>