en-us Copyright 2008 - All Rights Reserved. Mon, 23 Nov 2009 10:32:28 GMT 15 By Julio Garzon
It’s not surprising that the unusual demands put on college-bound students to get into a top college may lead the awry, forcing them to join up with countless clubs to make a stronger case to college admissions officers. Everyone wants to look brilliant and well-rounded, and students would love nothing more than to tell these admissions officers that they have taken an exceptional amount of interest in extracurricular activities and the community. But you don’t really need an insane amount of extracurriculars to make this case. To stand out among the hoards of students that apply to out-of-state and Ivy League colleges, students don’t need a laundry list of clubs they’ve joined in simply as filler; instead, students should show that they are not only involved, but passionate about a select few extracurriculars. The latter makes the student seem more passionate and animated compared to just the lackluster listing of clubs with no personality. Think of it as two different cases: Case #1: A kid named John Doe has a list of countless clubs and community service. However, he shows no individuality and is very one-dimensional. Case #2: A kid named Jane Doe has a smaller list of clubs, and picks a few to go into more depth than the kid in case #1 could ever go. She comes off as more passionate and mature. Simply by looking at this information and taking nothing else into account, Jane Doe would have the significant advantage because college admissions officers can tell the difference between superficial padding and a truly candid interest. Goodbye John Doe. No one needs a lengthy list of extracurriculars. What students do need is depth in one activity, being more than just a random, once-a-month club member and having some kind of profound effect on the members or the club itself. Students who join clubs with sincere intentions should be commended, and the many that are not sincere will bear the result of their actions when the time for applying to college comes around the corner. Clubs like Key Club, Eco Hawks, or Medical Hawks require some level of true commitment, and students should not go into these clubs simply to add another one to their list, but because they want to. Saying this, there is nothing preventing students joining clubs for illegitimate reasons. Thus, this is a call to integrity and those students’ sense of duty upon joining a certain club, whether they do it for the right or wrong reasons, to continue to carry out the tasks needed. ]]> Fri, 17 Mar 2006 12:35:00 GMT