For my main extracurricular activity, I was wondering if it’d be worth to list music. I have been singing and playing instruments for 12 years, and have a Junior Diploma in Classical Vocal Music, which I got in 9th grade. Is it impressive enough to qualify as a spike? Also, is publication in the Concord Review a spike? Is the Concord Review legit?
P.S. I am targetting the Ivy League in general, and Harvard in particular.
You absolutely should list your music accomplishments. Are you still singing or studying music? Are you talented enough to submit a music supplement?
Just keep in mind…a very very high percentage of applicants to Ivy League schools also are talented musician (as can be evidenced by the very fine ensembles these schools have for students NOT majoring in music).
My opinion…it’s not a “spike”. An accomplishment in 9th grade that isn’t supported by continued participation isn’t going to help.
Also, you don’t mention the rest of your application like GPA, SAT or ACT scores, LOR, more recent accomplishments than 9th grade. Your music likely can’t make up for any lower stats, but might bump you in terms of admissions consideration.
Telling me that you’ve been doing something for 12 years just begs the question, “Like what?”
And another question….why Harvard…and why the Ivies?
A spike is something that you are really interested in, and you have uniquely pursued for some time.
And that the college finds uniquely interesting and accomplished.
Regardless of spike or no spike, yes, submit a music supplement- if your talent and accomplishments justify it. A music supplement includes a recording/video, music resume, and letters of recommendation related to music.
This can sometimes help with admissions, yes: it depends on a lot of things. Admissions is really about assembling an interesting class and how you contribute to that mix.
I looked up the Concord Review: The Concord Review, Inc. - The Concord Review (tcr.org) You can certainly list the publication of a paper. I would ask admissions if you should send them a link, or the paper, or just list it, because I honestly don’t know.
Forget about terms like “spikes”. That is based on mistaken ideas as to what “elite” colleges are looking for. Aside from a great academics, they want to see “excellence” in other realms as well. When a kid has a single focus, or is engaged in an EC which is time intensive, it can be described as a “spike”. It isn’t, really, unless the kid is soooooo good at that one thing, that “elite” colleges think that they will be a good addition just because of that, like, say, a kid who is an absolute genius at math, and has won multiple top national and international awards, but is a B student in everything else.
That is not the general case, though. In general, “elite” colleges like seeing students who are, overall, very accomplished academically, and have multiple interests outside of academia. These colleges also want to see some evidence of particular excellence, so having some awards or high level accomplishments is also part of the package that these colleges like to see. Since time is limited, it is rare that a student has such awards of accomplishments in more than one or two fields.
Playing music for 12 years is one of those ECs that interest selective colleges. Moreover, since you are evidently passionate about music, it should be up front and center in you application. A publication in the Concord Review is another good accomplishment, and will add to your overall profile.
Neither, on their own, will cause AOs at Harvard to say “we gotta have THAT applicant”.
As @thumper1 asks - why? Moreover, “the Ivies” are eight very different colleges with different strengths and different characters, which are only similar in that they are private (mostly), in the NE, expensive, have low acceptance rates, and belong to the same athletic conference. Oh, and they have “prestige”.
I mean, what do you want to study? What are you looking for in a college, aside from “prestige”, living in the NE, paying a lot of money, and being part of the Ivy League athletic conference? What do you think that you need from a college?
Moreover, since the vast majority of unhooked applicants, even the most qualified ones, are not accepted to any of the Ivies, what colleges are you looking at as the colleges which you will, realistically, most likely attend?
Harvard doesn’t have performance music majors, but prides itself on the quality of its music ensembles, so seems to like admitting top students who are also accomplished musicians (both vocal and instrumental). So yes, definitely do submit a music supplement, and tell them that you are interested in participating in particular music ensembles.
Small point: A music supplement can help regardless of whether you plan on participating in ensembles, I believe.
Why? Colleges are interested in knowing how applicants will become members of the college community. So if a student doesn’t plan to become part of the music community at the college…why would a supplement help?
Also, this poster says he or she won an award in 9th grade for classical voice, but hasn’t clarified whether this is something they continue to do NOW.
I don’t recall any direct questions about future participation but I could be wrong. Submitting a supplement suggests that you bring that talent to campus, but makes no promises. I just didn’t want to discourage the submission of a supplement if the student does not at the moment plan further involvement in music.
One caution: submitting a music supplement when talent/accomplishments do not justify, can d more harm than good.
OP: I agree with the suggestion above that you should forget about the concept of a “spike” for college applications.
Be yourself & engage in activities that are of interest to you.
Elite, highly selective schools look for a variety of qualities including,but not limited to, intelligence, intellectual curiosity, maturity, caring for others, individual talents which will enhance the college community,overcoming adversity, resilience, etc. In short, they are admitting a person, not an accomplishment.
I would not forget about the concept of “spike”. There are tons of academically qualified kids out there competing for limited slots. If you can’t show unique excellence outside of academics then you are just one of the many.
There are many students at elite schools who don’t have “spikes”. We don’t know what the adcoms look for from year to year as they develop an accepted incoming class. There could already be something on this poster’s application that will jump out at them.
As a general matter (setting aside the “spike” question), students who publish in the Concord Review do very well in college admissions (the journal describes some of this). The rate of acceptance is quite low, though, so it is not easy to get a piece published there. And the quality of the papers and time it takes a person to do the required research and writing suggests that you should only invest in it if you really enjoy historical writing and want to spend a lot of time doing it.
This question about “spikes” was raised in a webinar (probably several webinars) conducted by the Yale AO for its interviewers. The answer was, we like spikey kids and we like round kids, but overall we are trying to build a round class.
The “round” kids that I know at Yale were strong across almost all academic subjects (humanities and STEM), with exceptional achievement (regional vs national) in one or more academic areas and had strong EC’s in terms of commitment and accomplishments. IMO, EC’s that demonstrated empathy and selflessness/community carry a bit more weight, but they and the LoR’s need to support the qualities that @Publisher listed in #12.
Spikes are extreme dedication and accomplishments in an area. They are usually reflected in both academic and EC achievement in that area. Here we are talking national or at the very least major state or multi-state level recognition. The fewer the spikes (or less excellently rounded), the greater the amplitude of the spike(s) required. Certain schools will also value certain spikes differently. Also if you present yourself as a “spikey” kid, you will be compared against other spikey kids in that category. If you are promoting yourself as the “tuba player”, you better be the best tuba player that there is. Violins have more spots.