Curse

conker · Sep 17, 2005, 04:03 PM // 16:03

hey im wondering if its needed to be "involved" in order to goto college.. becuz only thing i do in school is football.. all the staff at my school says it is... but i dont want to cuz all the activity/club thingy are all stupid... spanish club, german club, lego league, chess club, computer club, student counsil, drama, and the only other thing that i might join is the ski/snowboarding club.... can u tell me if i have to join those other stpid clubs in order to goto a decent college?? im not worried about the grade right now, im doing good in school, only been 2 weeks, but i am..

Swampgirl Inez · Sep 17, 2005, 04:26 PM // 16:26

The main thing colleges want to know is that you are a full-rounded person. By that, I mean, do you have other interests besides studying all the time or just playing football? It's not necessary that you join all the clubs, but they would like to know how you spend your time. Do you sit around and play video games all day? Are you involved with your community? Mostly, they are looking for a well-balanced person.

Having an after-school job or doing volunteer work for local charities is a good thing on your college application as well, especially if you have good grades. Leadership qualities are a big gold star on your application too.

Colleges get thousands of applications every year. What makes you stand out?

Xue Yi Liang · Sep 17, 2005, 04:30 PM // 16:30

Depends on which college you wish to attend. Each one looks for something different.
What I can say is that there are tons of pple who have the requisite sports and grades but fail to stand out. I know this because I knew someone from the undergrad admissions committee at UC Berkeley. Put yourself in the shoes of someone who has to read hundreds of applications in a day. If you don't stand out for any particular reason then you won't stand out to the admissions committe.

Aniewiel · Sep 17, 2005, 04:46 PM // 16:46

Yep, the college "scouts" are looking for academic excellence (unless you're an A1 football prospect, in which case that's optional these days) and for outside activities that show balance in your life. Civic groups, charity work, etc. will look good on an application as will things like correct spelling and grammar. All of those things are indicative of showing that you are well-rounded and ready to take on the challenges of college life.

EchoSex · Sep 17, 2005, 06:07 PM // 18:07

Quote:

Originally Posted by conker

hey im wondering if its needed to be "involved" in order to goto college.. becuz only thing i do in school is football.. all the staff at my school says it is... but i dont want to cuz all the activity/club thingy are all stupid... spanish club, german club, lego league, chess club, computer club, student counsil, drama, and the only other thing that i might join is the ski/snowboarding club.... can u tell me if i have to join those other stpid clubs in order to goto a decent college?? im not worried about the grade right now, im doing good in school, only been 2 weeks, but i am..

Depends on where you want to go - look at the schools requirments, talk to some of the students. Take a tour and get a good feel for what the scouts are expecting, talk to your guidance staff and set up an interview. On another note, it was well.. Pretty freaking easy for me - Full Sail is an extremely excepting school with a very good reputation amoung the work force... But belive me when I say, you will PAY your way (26k per tuition, and that's not for 4 years, either. Also, no dorms. You will be renting a place if you go.)

GraceAlone · Sep 17, 2005, 06:11 PM // 18:11

Personally I find the whole "well-rounded" approach to be a lot of dung. If you think about all the great people of the world, they are not "well-rounded." Is Yo-yo Ma well-rounded when he spends how many hours a day practicing? Are any of the great sports athletes well rounded to excel in their field? Is Donald Trump well rounded or does he pour all he heart and life into his business?

I was never involved in anything more than band when I was in High School and he has not held me back at all (but I didn't go to an Ivy League school either), so take it with a grain of salt, and that's my two cents

Edit:
I have my BS now and am pursuing my Masters so you know it didn't hold me back

Xue Yi Liang · Sep 17, 2005, 07:26 PM // 19:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by GraceAlone

Personally I find the whole "well-rounded" approach to be a lot of dung. If you think about all the great people of the world, they are not "well-rounded." Is Yo-yo Ma well-rounded when he spends how many hours a day practicing? Are any of the great sports athletes well rounded to excel in their field? Is Donald Trump well rounded or does he pour all he heart and life into his business?

I was never involved in anything more than band when I was in High School and he has not held me back at all (but I didn't go to an Ivy League school either), so take it with a grain of salt, and that's my two cents

Edit:
I have my BS now and am pursuing my Masters so you know it didn't hold me back

I'll have to agree to that.
Everyone trying to get into the best colleges get the same advice - be well rounded. The problem is that there are a lot of "generically well rounded" applicants. If you want to stand out then you can't always just focus on the requisite extracurricular activities.

Unfortunately I can't tell you how to stand out. GraceAlone, made that point with her band. In my case I was a "B" student in high school - but I was a damn good writer. I applied to UC Berkeley and, on the strength of my personal statement alone, they accepted me 2 weeks after I sent it. (BTW - my high school counsellor had said I didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting in).

If you don't have something that can make you stand out then you're probably best going with the "well rounded approach." Maintain a good GPA and you should be fine. But, as GraceAlone pointed out, it'll be your unique gifts that most often grab their attention.

It also depends on the college. At Brown University, for example, it's your "unique" talents that are valued the most. Even if you're a solid 4.0 with all AP courses they won't even interview you unless it seems like you have something special to offer. On the other hand some colleges weigh GPA much more and apply strict GPA cutoffs to even looking at applicants.

But the most important thing isn't going Ivy League. In the long run nobody really gives a shit - but it'll make your parents very proud (as well as significantly poorer). College is all about opportunity. Ultimately it's up to you to make it happen and find passion in something. Even Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard, not because of his performance, but because the devil offered him a better deal ... OK bad example. But you get the idea.

Manderlock · Sep 17, 2005, 09:41 PM // 21:41

I just play intermurral football, go to class, go to partys,, and pretty much stay stoned.

And Im still making good grades Boo yaa.

sino-soviet · Sep 17, 2005, 09:54 PM // 21:54

I was just accepted to UC Berkley and I'm about to start my freshmen year. It seems like most of the people around here were quite caught up with extra cirriculars when they were in high school. I hear all these people talking about student president, clubs, teams, and stuff (things I haven't even heard about).

I would say concentrate on extra cirriculars more or less depending on your ap test scores and gpa. I was quite uninvolved where I used to live, but I managed to scrape through.

Rhine · Sep 17, 2005, 09:56 PM // 21:56

Hmm if i was a minority do i really need to do much other then good grades i have an A- average

Does Affirmative action still ehlp alot these days becuase im gonna be choosing a college soon >.<

sino-soviet · Sep 17, 2005, 09:58 PM // 21:58

I think it depends on what minority you are.

Rhine · Sep 17, 2005, 09:59 PM // 21:59

Hispanic o.o

omg i cant type today

Full Hispanic if you really need to know

Manderlock · Sep 17, 2005, 10:00 PM // 22:00

Well Im 1/4 apache, and I didnt get jack.

sino-soviet · Sep 17, 2005, 10:02 PM // 22:02

Well on my application I put Israeli citizen and mom as Chinese. They were quite harsh. Even as a tiny minority they didn't give me any special benefits or anything. Instead, they made me take four tests I believe you guys know as "AP tests". I got 5's on them and only then did they let me in. So no, I don't think being a minority counts THAT much.

Link Ironhammer · Sep 18, 2005, 12:26 AM // 00:26

I am comin close to college grad I think 6-7 years

ManadartheHealer · Sep 18, 2005, 12:44 AM // 00:44

I'm part Jewish.

*Automatically becomes an accountant*

Guillaume De Sonoma · Sep 18, 2005, 12:56 AM // 00:56

Quote:

Originally Posted by ManadartheHealer

I'm part Jewish.

*Automatically becomes an accountant*

Or a banker funny stuff

Akilles · Sep 18, 2005, 01:03 AM // 01:03

i went to college and oddly even though they say college grad. required I have NEVER nor has anyone i have ever spoken too been asked to see proof of this. I had a few friends who knew the stuff they needed yet never went to college and they said the graduated and got hired. Wow, I could have save lots of money.

On another sad note, by the time u graduate college u still start out at ground floor where the high school grad started but by now the high school grad. has senority and experience in the real world. They have also made friends, My High school grad. sister had MANY college grads working under her cause she had 4 years of experience with the company AND made great friends with supervisors by then. REMEMBER, its who u know, not what you now. (Doctors, Dentists, and Scientists EXCLUDED from this) We all know Lawyers need degrees by law but still they know nothing

On another note....You can have a GED and become president! only requirement is a certain age and born in USA.

sino-soviet · Sep 18, 2005, 01:22 AM // 01:22

Quote:

Originally Posted by ManadartheHealer

I'm part Jewish.

*Automatically becomes an accountant*

Or you could go become a lawyer. Which I am pursuing a degree in

. Its odd how these things work out. Between me and my brothers, we are all either a doctor, lawyer, or banker.

Edge Martinez · Sep 18, 2005, 01:22 AM // 01:22

To the OP, I'd say at least do one or two things that would make you stand out from other applicants. It doesn't have to be a club. You can start (or even help with) something like a clothing or food drive. Just give them something to where they'd pick you over another kid with the same grades.

From my experience, it's really what you do extra in college that matters when you apply for a job. When I realized I just had to get a 2.0 to graduate, and I was finally on my own, that's what I shot for (and achieved! Yay!). When it came time to hunt for jobs, grades didn't matter, but all the extra stuff I did got brought up in all three interviews I had. Consequently, I was offered all three jobs, whereas I know for a fact my competition had much better grades.

So you may not like the Chess club, but maybe you could just help them organize a fundraiser, and that'd be something to put on an application.