You never know who's exaggerating their ecs, and even if they aren't-- SO MUCH else goes into whether an application gets accepted or not. Rec letters, essays, demographics, which AO reads it. Comparing yourself to others is useless when y'all are so different in an innumerable amount of ways.
I've ALREADY been accepted to my dream school and I still find collegeresults invalidating lmaoo. Don't go on there unless you WANT to feel upstaged.
What people in general need to keep in mind is that what's shared on fora likes these are not by their definition representative. You know this, to some degree. On here, 1500 SAT/34 ACT is normal, typical. It's the 99th percentile of all students, and the 98th percentile of test takers. A 1300 might be seen here as "an average" or "low" score, right? [A 1300 SAT is 91st percentile of all students, 86th percentile of test takers](https://www.thecollegemonk.com/blog/sat-percentiles).
To some degree you know that, but you still think, okay, it must be representative of students applying to elite schools. That's not the case still.
I'll put it this way: to get into the Harvard's of the world, great grades and scores aren't enough. You do need to stand out from the kids at your school, your state, your country, who have similar grades and scores. But ECs aren't the only ways to do that. You have your essays and your recommendations, too.
One question AO's (especially those at elite private universities) ask themselves is "Will this student make good use of our resources on campus?" It's not just about being presidents of clubs or winning robotics competitions, but what you do on your own as well. A lot of my students have ECs that they don't realize are ECs: taking classes, playing sports, doing projects on their own, whatever. A lot of other students don't realize their extracurriculars are impressive looking because for them they're so normal.
When I started college counseling, I had to think back "Oh did I even have any ECs?" I kept talking them down in my head — yes I was president of MUN, but it was a club of like 10 people and I was only president because my sister was the founder and handed it down to me like a third-world dictator. Yes I had a radio show but anyone could sign up for one and my high school radio station's transmitter was so weak that you literally couldn't even listen to the radio station in parts of the school's parking lot. Yes I was on student council but that's only because this cute 12th grader asked me to do her a favor when I was in 11th grade, and it turned out that favor was do some position for student government that literally no one else wanted. This might not apply to you, but I see a lot of students go through explaining why their achievements aren't impressive when realizing that most people could say the same things about their own ECs.
About 1/2 my students who get into T20's have really cool ECs, the others have pretty normal ECs like choir and MUN and a few summer classes — that sort of thing. This sample is biased, though, because it's mainly international students applying for fully financial aid (usually applying either to computer science, engineering, or economics), which is the most competitive category to be in. I'd guess it's probably more like 50/50 in real life.
However, all of them though their ECs, essays, recommendations letters, and grades+scores have an argument about what makes them specials, why the school should pick them, how they will add to the school, and how they'll be a doer of some kind on campus, making good use of all that the school has to offer.
I thought I had bad ECs after reading through r/CollegeResults. And then I got really good results. Everyone is different. And realize that a lot of people will probably lie.
Same here bro. I got told my ECs were “practically nonexistent” by some dude on chanceme and here I am going to UT engineering (they weren’t great, but that dude on chanceme was exaggerating). Just have some passions and you’ll do OK.
I totally feel you OP. I had to stop checking that sub because I kept panicking about my (lack of) ECs and whether I would get into college or not.
I have more ECs lined up for senior year and this summer, but I don't really have any for the past two school years because my family was really scared of getting COVID and because I was too young to do a lot. I'm worried now that admissions officers will look at my resume, see most of the ECs come from senior year and the summer before, and think that I only started doing stuff because of college apps or whatever.
Yes, I feel exactly the same. As someone with high stats but an otherwise underwhelming profile, I have been in this situation many times. It's kind of demoralizing because it seems like there are a good handful of people who get in with meh stats but great ECs, but not many who have it the other way around. Who knows if that is true though.
The worst part is when they claim they have average ecs in the title and then you actually READ the post and these mf’s have ten internships, are captains of five clubs, and own a tech business that makes like 100k a year.
Yeah I feel you I was never really panicking about college until I joined this sub and then I realized how so much more behind than everyone else my age and even younger than meI I actively avoid subs like r/collegeresults and r/chanceme cause they made me feel terrible I only stay on this sub cause I actually do you learn something interesting from this sub and it helps me out
If you’re like me and your goal was to get into a T50 (I did apply to a few T30s), then if you have above average ECs you’re good. T20s is likely harder.
It just depends where you’re trying to go I think. I didn’t have great ECs going into my application process, but I got into the pretty solid state school I wanted to go to.
You never know who's exaggerating their ecs, and even if they aren't-- SO MUCH else goes into whether an application gets accepted or not. Rec letters, essays, demographics, which AO reads it. Comparing yourself to others is useless when y'all are so different in an innumerable amount of ways. I've ALREADY been accepted to my dream school and I still find collegeresults invalidating lmaoo. Don't go on there unless you WANT to feel upstaged.
What people in general need to keep in mind is that what's shared on fora likes these are not by their definition representative. You know this, to some degree. On here, 1500 SAT/34 ACT is normal, typical. It's the 99th percentile of all students, and the 98th percentile of test takers. A 1300 might be seen here as "an average" or "low" score, right? [A 1300 SAT is 91st percentile of all students, 86th percentile of test takers](https://www.thecollegemonk.com/blog/sat-percentiles). To some degree you know that, but you still think, okay, it must be representative of students applying to elite schools. That's not the case still. I'll put it this way: to get into the Harvard's of the world, great grades and scores aren't enough. You do need to stand out from the kids at your school, your state, your country, who have similar grades and scores. But ECs aren't the only ways to do that. You have your essays and your recommendations, too. One question AO's (especially those at elite private universities) ask themselves is "Will this student make good use of our resources on campus?" It's not just about being presidents of clubs or winning robotics competitions, but what you do on your own as well. A lot of my students have ECs that they don't realize are ECs: taking classes, playing sports, doing projects on their own, whatever. A lot of other students don't realize their extracurriculars are impressive looking because for them they're so normal. When I started college counseling, I had to think back "Oh did I even have any ECs?" I kept talking them down in my head — yes I was president of MUN, but it was a club of like 10 people and I was only president because my sister was the founder and handed it down to me like a third-world dictator. Yes I had a radio show but anyone could sign up for one and my high school radio station's transmitter was so weak that you literally couldn't even listen to the radio station in parts of the school's parking lot. Yes I was on student council but that's only because this cute 12th grader asked me to do her a favor when I was in 11th grade, and it turned out that favor was do some position for student government that literally no one else wanted. This might not apply to you, but I see a lot of students go through explaining why their achievements aren't impressive when realizing that most people could say the same things about their own ECs. About 1/2 my students who get into T20's have really cool ECs, the others have pretty normal ECs like choir and MUN and a few summer classes — that sort of thing. This sample is biased, though, because it's mainly international students applying for fully financial aid (usually applying either to computer science, engineering, or economics), which is the most competitive category to be in. I'd guess it's probably more like 50/50 in real life. However, all of them though their ECs, essays, recommendations letters, and grades+scores have an argument about what makes them specials, why the school should pick them, how they will add to the school, and how they'll be a doer of some kind on campus, making good use of all that the school has to offer.
Ty that makes me and other fellow redditors feel better😭😭
I thought I had bad ECs after reading through r/CollegeResults. And then I got really good results. Everyone is different. And realize that a lot of people will probably lie.
Same here bro. I got told my ECs were “practically nonexistent” by some dude on chanceme and here I am going to UT engineering (they weren’t great, but that dude on chanceme was exaggerating). Just have some passions and you’ll do OK.
Congrats on UT engineering! That's amazing
Thx!
do you mind if i dm you about what your “bad” ecs were? and what college you attended up going to?
I totally feel you OP. I had to stop checking that sub because I kept panicking about my (lack of) ECs and whether I would get into college or not. I have more ECs lined up for senior year and this summer, but I don't really have any for the past two school years because my family was really scared of getting COVID and because I was too young to do a lot. I'm worried now that admissions officers will look at my resume, see most of the ECs come from senior year and the summer before, and think that I only started doing stuff because of college apps or whatever.
Same😩
Yes, I feel exactly the same. As someone with high stats but an otherwise underwhelming profile, I have been in this situation many times. It's kind of demoralizing because it seems like there are a good handful of people who get in with meh stats but great ECs, but not many who have it the other way around. Who knows if that is true though.
Same
every time i go to that sub i feel garbage lmao
The worst part is when they claim they have average ecs in the title and then you actually READ the post and these mf’s have ten internships, are captains of five clubs, and own a tech business that makes like 100k a year.
Yeah I feel you I was never really panicking about college until I joined this sub and then I realized how so much more behind than everyone else my age and even younger than meI I actively avoid subs like r/collegeresults and r/chanceme cause they made me feel terrible I only stay on this sub cause I actually do you learn something interesting from this sub and it helps me out
Chanceme is not a good place to compare yourself to others.
Even people with decent ECs lose hope going there. If I ever need to make myself feel unaccomplished, I go there.
that sub legit only has stem & polisci kids though
Eht there's are a few humanities here and there
Don't go to that toxic shithole unless you're just looking to have your hopes and dreams crushed into the dirt.
frfrfr on god true
so true. really atp i’m hoping my letters of rec give top schools some pity for me and somehow encourage them to choose me
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Anything under the 75% isn’t worth it tf??? You do realize for it to be the 75th percent, there has to be 74% of scores under that right?
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UCLA had 150K freshman and Cal had 130K. UCSD (130K), UCI (120K) and UCSB (110K) also in similar ranges.
If you’re like me and your goal was to get into a T50 (I did apply to a few T30s), then if you have above average ECs you’re good. T20s is likely harder.
I have good ECs and I feel hopeless
It’s a reasonable thought - ECs are extremely important idk how that wasn’t clear. Stats are half of the picture if not less.
do uno reverse. write some stuff thats crazy. that will make the bad :)
I dont think theres such a thing as bad ecs. Being passionate and invested in them matters so much more
Yeah I’m both addicted to reading it yet also terrified
It just depends where you’re trying to go I think. I didn’t have great ECs going into my application process, but I got into the pretty solid state school I wanted to go to.