Good vs Bad Extracurriculars

Getting into an Ivy or other top college is about far more than merely curve-breaking high grades and standardized test scores.   Harvard and a handful of other super-competitive colleges brag every year about how many applicants with perfect scores didn't manage to get in.

So what does it take to get into an Ivy or near-Ivy college?

A superior academic record -- grades, scores and "rigah" as we say up in Boston --  is important.  But that's only 60% of the equation, give or take.

The other 40% is composed of stuff that's out of your control, such as race (still), ethnicity, your parents' educational and economic background...

...and stuff that's IN your control, like extracurricular activities.

There are two types of extracurriculars, Typical and Atypical.

The latter is the type that needs to be perfected to give yourself the best shot at getting accepted where you want to be accepted.

What's an example of an atypical extracurricular activity?

It's not being a member of the National Honor Society.  Because 70% of students get in at any given high school.  It's your basic academic participation trophy.

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I interrupt this message for a brief public service announcement:  please go our to your car and remove your "My kid's a National Honor Society Student" sticker.

And while you're at it, please peel off and burn that decal from the NHSSH or whatever that scammy pay-to-play rip-off company is.  You know, the one that sends around those letters "nominating" your child to join for the very reasonable fee of $85. 

My favorite part of their pitch is the reference to the Nobel family.  If you're as nerdy as I am and you research who exactly they're referring to, it's some guy who's a distant, thrice-removed relative of THE Nobel, Alfred. Alfred is probably rolling over in his grave.

Back to today's message.

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Founding a club is atypical. Starting your own business is atypical. 

Founding your own charity is...mixed.   Too many dads and moms do all the setup and ensuing work for their kids, which most admissions officers can sniff out a mile away.

Extracurricular activities that "sell", not bore, are one of the topics I'm going to cover in  a free online class tomorrow, Thursday night, called "Late Stage College Planning". 

If you have an 11th grader or younger, you owe it to yourself and them to attend.  Here is some more of what's on tap:

*The Inconvenient, Politically Incorrect Truth About What It Takes to Get Into an Ivy or Any Top College -- What do admissions officers REALLY want?  Are there really any more "Safety Schools?"  Why do academically superior candidates fail to get into colleges that roll out the red carpet for their less-academically accomplished peers?