<p>One of the most important aspects of admission other than grades and scores, are the essays and EC's. The grades are for seeing how well you are in handling the coursework, and your intellectual capability.. but people continue repeating that the officers want to see passion and WHO you are from those essays and activities....They want to see your application "come to life." Does anyone know why they would want to see that?</p>
<p>because theyre important?</p>
<p>because they want interesting people, not just academic grade grubbing robots</p>
<p>they want diversity not only in their students' ethnic background, but in their mindset as well. it helps to diversify the campus</p>
<p>"interesting people" - Okay..... but why? Why does uniqueness matter / Why do they NOT want a very smart person who gets good grades?..</p>
<p>Come on, it's not just about the grades. I'm sure a college might have trouble accepting an ubershy stereotypical nerd who has straight A's but can't muster the courage to talk to unfamiliar people. Things like that are a measure of success in college. The admissions people know that you think the school is a good fit for you... now they want to see if you are a good fit for the school.</p>
<p>"Why do they NOT want a very smart person who gets good grades?.." </p>
<p>Because they want a very smart person who gets good grades who IS ALSO INTERESTING AND UNIQUE. </p>
<p>Which is better than a very smart person who gets good grades who IS ALSO UNINTERESTING AND NOT UNIQUE.</p>
<p>I'd guess that people learn more from having unique, interesting people around them; different beliefs, perspectives on things, etc.</p>
<p>So, different colleges want different things in the applicants, and their acceptance letter to you is based on how your personality correlates to those different things?... Example: One college would care alot about how well a student would use the resources at the college, while another would care more about what you can contribute?</p>
<p>T26E, Yes, they would obviously prefer uniqueness and intellegence over than only intellegence.. but why would they want that though?</p>
<p>why get only smart and good grades students when you can get smart, good grades, AND unique students? Those are the students who will have, in their eyes, the iniative, the passion, the heart and drive, the extra 'zizz', the social skills, the networking abilities, the many other talents that come as a result of EC's to be successful in the working field and elsewhere.</p>
<p>Top schools want people who they think will be successful in life and the best indicator of success, in addition to empirical data like grades and test scores, are the real life experiences. A student who has already been successful prior to college shows that he/she has the ability to continue that success. A student who, for instance, starts her own company, manages profits and all the things a business does, networks, fills the role of a successful CEO shows capability to run and successfully execute a business after college- that leadership and drive is not wholly evident in numerical data. </p>
<p>I know a kid who got into Cornell with C's- but he started a VERY successful business and thus, got in. </p>
<p>There are an overbundancy of smart kids applying to top schools- those schools will sift through the applications for the students who most promise success in college and beyond.</p>
<p>I mean, Harvard didn't just get lucky with all the presidents, senators, CEO's, award winners, and more it produced. I'm sure Bush Junior wasn't selected because of his academic merit and outstanding test scores.</p>
<p>But he's president. And that says something.</p>
<p>"Those are the students who will have, in their eyes, the iniative, the passion, the heart and drive, the extra 'zizz', the social skills, the networking abilities, the many other talents that come as a result of EC's to be successful in the working field and elsewhere... "</p>
<p>So, colleges want to see a applicant who'll be successful in life, based on the applicant's character? .. is there anything a college would want to see, based on an applicant's personality?</p>
<p>Personality is a predecessor to character.</p>
<p>Or to quote a more used adage, "..windows to the soul."</p>
<p>Scared4college: what buisness did your friend start?</p>
<p>Is this a real question?</p>
<p>Because all those 'concrete' factors (grades and SAT scores) show jack about who you are and what you're going to contribute to their school. They want students that will make the college a great place and contribute to its every aspect.....not tent up at the library and hassle teachers over half-marks (though logic implies that they do get those as well as Academics is still the great equalizer when it comes to admissions).</p>
<p>Hell, Harvard could probably fill an entire entering class with ONLY valedictorians (if every valedictorian in North America applied). Wouldn't exactly be the best entering class would it? Sure the 2490 and 3.98 kid may deserve it but what is their school going to get in exchange? A permanently warm library seat? They will likely pass for the student with slightly lower scores and the personality.</p>
<p>When it comes to the most competitive schools (ivies and whatnot), they have enough applicants with flawless records that they can afford to choose "Impeccable grades + Personality" over "Impeccable grades with no personality".
They'll always go for the former.</p>
<p>P.S. Of course there was some generalizing done in this post, some valedictorians are the wittiest and most social people you could ever meet. But a LOT of them are super-competitive library bunnies.</p>
<p>One thing that strikes me about this thread (and overall College admissions) is the fact that there is some value judgment to the student based upon where he/she attends college. e.g. Student A has the 3.9GPA 2100 SAT w/very interesting ECs and accomplishments who gets into Y or H is somehow a BETTER PERSON than Student B, the 3.8GPA 2200 SAT academician but with less leadership and EC achievement who gets the scholarship at the flagship state school.</p>
<p>The problem is that our hyper-competitive society leans on us to value less student B. Why is that so? </p>
<p>Perhaps the likelihood of Student A becoming a "leader" later on is higher than Student B. So what? Why does this distress us so much?</p>
<p>Now I'm not saying there's anything WRONG w/HYP cherry picking from the 1000s of apps -- I'm citing the larger society that quickly overlooks the Student B types. Well guess what? There are many more Student Bs than there are Student As.</p>
<p>For some arcane reason, one of the HYP schools picked me many years ago -- I guess I'm one of the Student As. However, in my life, I've been surrounded by 1000s of fascinating and inspirational people who haven't an idea where HYP are located -- some who haven't even attended college. Many of these people i'd be honored to work alongside, or beneath.</p>
<p>I have two daughters and while one wants to go to my alma mater, my main concern is not to ready her for the rat race of life (because even if you win, you're still a rat). My wife and I are preparing them to be women of character, regardless of school attended or position or salary achieved.</p>
<p>Colleges admit people. Not statistics.</p>
<p>Also, if you are interesting and do a lot of things and have a good GPA, it means you are pretty smart. If you do nothing but study all day and have a good GPA, it does not necessarily mean you are smart, especially not with public high schools these days. And, you don't study 24/7 in college, you are expected to make contributions to the social life, your peers, etc.</p>
<p>ducktape, yes, but do you know why?</p>
<p>From the responses I'm getting, it seems like colleges really hate it when you don't show any personality, and hope for you to show your character/who you are so they can judge it and see if you're the kind of applicant that they want? Would you guys agree with what i said?</p>
<p>what business did your friend start, scared4college?</p>
<p>They don't want life-less drones walking around campus. In high school, the only thing that really mattered is one's grades. In life, one's grades don't matter at all; it's people skills and such that gets one by. Therefore, having both personality and intelligence on a college campus makes sense as a crossing zone.</p>