<p>What type/tier of colleges can a good student (2300+ SAT, 3.8/9+ GPA, rigrous classes) get into if they don't have significant or remarkable ECs?</p>
<p>Public Schools where stats are really important, but private ones will think you are all books and no substance. Sorry.</p>
<p>Your stats are high enough that you’d probably have at least a shot anywhere, with a few exceptions. Probably not at most of the Ivies. Probably not at the top liberal arts colleges on the two coasts (Amherst, Williams, Swarthmore, Pomona, etc., down through about the top 15). However, if you show strength in your essays, LORs or interviews, you may have a decent shot at the University of Chicago, Reed, or almost anywhere below number 15 or 20 in the US News rankings. Besides, you might prefer some of these schools. Be fairly inclusive in what you list as your interests. Do you have any hobbies (ones that do not violate local laws)? Have you ever read all the works of a single author? Jobs?</p>
<p>Most state schools do not look at ECs for admission purposes (there are some exceptions). Many flagship state schools just admit by essays and stats (GPA and test scores) and give only nominal importance to ECs (if they care at all). </p>
<p>Most top 30 (or so) schools do look at ECs for admission purposes.</p>
<p>What is your home state?</p>
<p>What schools are you considering?</p>
<p>How much can your parents pay for your schooling each year? That may have a bigger influence on where you can go.</p>
<p>This is more hypothetical than anything else, but . . . </p>
<p>Home state: NY
Money not a major issue</p>
<p>Minimal ECs:
Member of Model UN, Amnesty International, Math Olympiads
Editor of Literary Magazine
One of 5 Junior Editors of School Newspaper
Volunteering at a Nursing Home</p>
<p>Possible Summer research - how much would this help?</p>
<p>There are outstanding Canadian colleges that don’t care about ECs. Consider McGill or University of Toronto or UBC or Queen’s.
[A</a> new Ivy League, far afield - The Boston Globe](<a href=“http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/02/22/a_new_ivy_league_far_afield/]A”>http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2006/02/22/a_new_ivy_league_far_afield/)
I think you need AP scores or SAT II scores, though.</p>
<p>(Do you have a non-traditional EC that you spend a lot of time on? Not all ECs are school-sponsored.)</p>
<p>Summer research would show interest beyond the classroom in your field of study- that can definitely help. Most top publics/state flagships would find you a very attractive candidate (as previously mentioned, these schools often focus on GPA and test scores, and with some, essays), and there are a number of non-ivy privates that would be interested in you as well. Don’t fret, you’re definitely still looking at top tier schools with solid reputations. ECs become vital at extremely competitive publics and ivy-league level privates, but are not as important at many others.</p>
<p>With high scores it’s a crapshoot, so don’t include too few reaches. Going out to do volunteering at this point may not help that much, but, as someone said, is there an intellectual interest you can pursue more? There may be writing contests to enter. Look for schools where your scores are at the top of their range (Hamilton, Colby?) because they may be less concerned about EC’s if you have high scores. Showing interest at top small schools (Middlebury, Bowdoin, Haverford) may also help, so visit, do interviews and maybe meet with someone in a department you want.</p>
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<p>All study and no play may make you a dull person (to ordinary people), but doesn’t make you a “no substance” person. On the contrary, these very focused individuals are often quite substantive in their chosen fields of study and become outstanding scientists and scholars.</p>
<p>^^</p>
<p>I agree. And, I don’t think the OP was saying that he’s completely lacking in ECs. I think he’s saying that he doesn’t have spectacular ECs. </p>
<p>Many kids have club memberships and/or have partipated in some teams, but nothing of great length or accomplishment.</p>
<p>I had stats and ECs similar to that and got into Northwestern, Johns Hopkins and a lot of public schools gave me scholarships.</p>
<p>I think the ECs listed are decent enough that, combined with those great scores, you’d have a at least a shot at most top schools. HYPS and AWS are probably out, but you could potentially get into other top 15-20 unis and LACs, especially if you utilize your essays well, showing how the ECs you do have relate to your interests.</p>
<p>For instance, if you’re interested in writing or journalism, the fact that you are an editor of a couple of things can be tied into that and will look good. If you are pre-med or interested in nursing, volunteering at a nursing home can be tied into that (it will help if the summer research is also related). </p>
<p>Basically, while the ECs you have aren’t mind blowing, they are MUCH better than “no ECs,” and, combined with great scores, could definitely give you a shot even at some top schools that DO care about such things. Obviously, those schools would still be reaches, but they are possible, if you aren’t interested in or want an alternative to state schools that don’t really care about ECs at all.</p>
<p>My ECs were at a similar level, if slightly more quirky (though I also spent many hours a week dancing, but I wasn’t good enough for that to matter other than being an explanation for what I did with my time), and I got into Wesleyan ED.</p>
<p>There is a girl at my school way worse off than that. She has straight A+s, 2200 SAT, and she dances, not exceptionally, but she dances. That is all. I have a hard time believing she will get into Princeton unless she is hiding things.</p>
<p>i think the title of this thread was misleading. There’s a big difference between no ECs and what the student actually has!</p>
<p>schrizto, WesKid - Are the schools you named counting the ECs with or without summer research?</p>
<p>ncm - check out my stats profile if you want more information.</p>
<p>What is your likely major or career?</p>
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<p>Obviously, summer research would help, but you still have a shot without it – especially if you do something else with your summer, even if that’s just get a job. I think doing nothing at all over the coming summer wouldn’t be so good. </p>
<p>It also depends on what your interests are, as I said. If your potential research is directly related to what you want to study, I’d say definitely try to do it, because I think that would help a lot. If it is random and has nothing to do with your actual interests, I think it would be better to try to find something to do that DOES relate.</p>
<p>Honestly? All but the very most selective–and it really depends on a) how you can spin it and b) choosing schools that will look more kindly on your extracurricular weaknesses. And I agree that you should fill your summer with something that is both relevant to your future major (if you have one) and interesting to you. And don’t knock jobs, because colleges like to see that you’re reliable enough to hold one down.</p>
<p>My ECs were probably worse than yours–piano but not competitively, a smattering of clubs, and one research internship that ate my entire summer–and, well. [points to location bar] I didn’t actually allude to my lack of ECs at all in the application; I just chattered about my research and spent my essays being Thoughtful and Forward-Thinking. After a certain point it’s all up to chance. Good luck.</p>
<p>bump 10char</p>