<p>Maybe colleges should stop requiring it. Let’s adopt the European system, and look at raw grades and test scores. All this EC bull means nothing (any bum can be President of a HS club) and community service is just a way to force us into free labor (we still “volunteer” but with the knowledge that we can’t get into a good college without it)</p>
<p>^Can’t tell if there’s a nuance of irony in your post, but I agree with the gist of what you’re saying at face value.</p>
<p>I don’t know, it’s interesting why EC’s and volunteering are valued in the way that they are here. Maybe some of the reason is due to colleges wanting to accept people who have a good chance of going on to do tangible things they will be able to talk about and improve their image with? But then why doesn’t this happen in Europe, assuming it doesn’t (I don’t know). Is is because colleges operate differently there?</p>
<p>It seems it’s now this norm where a school almost has to value these things to a certain extent if it wants to be successful, even if it would mean compromising - in their eyes - the quality of their students. </p>
<p>I do think EC’s are probably overvalued, if the goals of many colleges are what they are claimed to be. But the fact is that valuing EC’s the way they do most likely optimizes whatever their said or unsaid goals/agenda’s are. </p>
<p>anyway…</p>
<p>I liked your post conquerer7, a nice way to understand some things about leaders, i think.</p>