<p>I would like to ask your opinion about my ECs. Are they enough for going to a top college like princeton or caltech?
So, first of all, my number one passion is chemistry. Besides going to college in the US (I am from Romania), my other aim for my senior year is to take part at the International Chemistry Olympiad. I've taken part to national chemistry olympiads since I was in 8th grade (4 times so far) and I won a mention every year. I also won a bronze medal at an international contest in Russia, but that contest does not compare to the International Chemistry Olympiad. I saw an application to Princeton and they ask about awards received in school, so I guess they will mean something. But since I have a passion in chemistry and I didn't win a 1, 2, or 3 prize (I always was in top ten, but places from 4 to 20-30 receive the same mention and no one will know my good position), will this be a disadvantage? And even if I go to the International, I will have sent my application and receive an answer before the selection for the International, so this won't count.
I usually spend about 30 hours or more a week studying chemistry. I do this by my own and sometimes with a little help from my teacher, but this is not a part of a club nor I help someone else with it. I do it for myself. Does this count as an extracurricular?
Secondly, since the beginning of my junior year, I am a scout and scoutcraft has proved to be like a second family, second school and second passion for me. As a scout, I do a lot of so-called projects, that imply community service, ecological activities, doing some kind of charity activities and much more. I also do a lot of things that mean something only for the scouts, like living a few days in camps in the middle of the forests or organizing our own camp. I plan to write my college essay about my experiences as a scout. But I dedicated it a great deal of time and I didn't get involved in other activities. As I said, as a scout I did a lot of things for my town, but it counts as only one EC.
Recently, I became member of a kind of scientific club in my school (it's more about maths) and I intend to become member of a so-called "Young future talents association" and an "Association for youth" before the end of this school year. I only want to join them to have some more ECs, but I don't intend to get too much involved. I also plan to do some volunteering for the local hospital in my home town during the summer.
I am a sales representantative for Avon for 4 years, but, even if I am the one who sells the products, since representatives have to be 18, the papers are on my mother's name. I'll soon be 18 and I hope to have the papers on my name. Will this count as a job? And one more thing. Even if I sell cosmetics, I don't usually make up myself. Will that give a false impression about me, like a girl who loves make up and spends many time doing it?
And last, I've planned, with my father who is a teacher, to organize a sort of school camp in Greece during the summer. Will this help me for getting into college?</p>
<p>I hope you had the patience to read my post and I look forward for your answers.</p>