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High School Students are Participating in the Wrong Clubs to Get Into Their Dream School

From Syracuse University Broadcast Journalism | 04:22

High school students think they need to join a lot of clubs to give themselves the best shot at getting into a top school. Guidance counselors, parents, and peers put pressure on the students to do as much as possible. In reality, this isn't the best way to look good for colleges.

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            The number of students applying to American colleges is on the rise. With more people competing for the same number of spots, the college application process is becoming more and more competitive. Josh Radler says it’s forcing some high school students to go to great lengths to stand out in the cluttered pile of applicants.

 

 

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“So In high school, I was a part of two soccer teams, a community service club, a business club called…””“Model UN, Spanish club, DECA, Volleyball, Lacrosse…”“Student Counselor Executive Board, Project Recycle, the Student Alumni Association, campus ministry…”“President of a community service club and Spanish club, played for tennis and badminton teams and wrote for the newspaper.”

 

Track 1

 

It isn’t uncommon for high school students these days to be involved in that many clubs and activities. In fact, it’s becoming the norm at some high schools. Students are doing as many activities as possible to give themselves a better chance at getting into their “dream school.” Years ago, having a good G-P-A and a strong score on a standardized test was enough. But Lindsay Grossman, a sophomore at Cornell University, says scoring well on exams doesn’t cut it today.

 

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“There are so many smart kids. What makes me different? So you could have a perfect G-P-A and so many other kids have that so I felt like I needed to do extra things, extracurricular wise, to set me apart.”

 

Track 2

 

Grossman had an 104 g-p-a and scored in the 99th percentile for the S-A-T’s. With all of that, she still felt pressure to be the president of two clubs to have a shot at an Ivy League school. The pressure to be involved in multiple activities tends to come from guidance counselors, family and friends. Joey Sisti is a senior in college. He still remembers being pressured to fill his application with activities if he wanted a good shot at getting his top schools

 

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“I feel like every guidance counselor in high school tells you should be involved in two or three so I didn’t really have any choice.”

 

Track 3

 

Students feel intense pressure to be well-rounded.  Bucknell University sophomore Ryan Ott saw  high school students joining clubs they clearly did not want to be a part of – all to beef up their resume.

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“Half the time they didn’t even show up. It was just something they could put on their resume; maybe get close with the teacher so they could get a recommendation.”

 

Track 4

 

And that’s only the beginning. Some students will even lie about experiences in order to gain an edge.

 

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“One of my friends wrote that she played the banjo two hours a week. And she was like “yeah I thought that would set me apart” and I was like “Do you play the banjo”. She was like “I know one song.”

 

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High school senior Devin Sullivan says student over-involvement prevents colleges from seeing a student’s true interests.

 

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“Colleges might be looking for the best students they can find, but they’re not getting a true glimpse into who that person is because so many students are just filling their applications with the things they felt they were supposed to do to look like the model student to these schools.”

 

Track 6

 

Sullivan knows all about the pressure to get into a top school. He just got accepted to Harvard and will be attending in the fall. He has watched his friends panic the last year over the application process.

 

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“Students feel like their success in life is dependent upon getting into their dream school or getting into one of those elite colleges or universities”

 

 

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Syracuse University sophomore Erik Marberger felt that same stress when he was applying to schools.

 

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“During the application process, it felt like the school I went to was the sole determinant in how successful I would be.”

 

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But slowly things are starting to change in the world of college applications. Students are beginning to take a second look at how many activities they really need to have a strong application. Tracy Sacks, an admissions officer at a private high school in New York City, thinks the college admissions process actually gives students a chance to show some character in their applications. 

 

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“Schools do look for that unique thing whether it’s a specific talent or something that defines the child beyond scores and grades.”

 

Track 9

 

Students are increasingly hearing this from advisors, college representatives and college students: Don’t join clubs just to look good. Find what you like and pursue it.

 

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“Spend time on what they really love and ultimately not focus on things just to add fluff to my application”

 

“If you pick like two to three things you’re actually passionate about, it will look way more authentic.”

 

“That club that you joined might add one more line to your resume. The club that you’re passionate about will be an entire essay that you can really show who you are to the college you’re applying to.”

 

Track 10

 

While college students can pass this message along, they know it won’t change the way most students approach the application process – at least, not yet. The vast majority still do whatever it takes to stuff their college application with activities. It’s just going to take time to convince someone applying to their dream school that sometimes, less is more. That colleges are more interested in seeing quality, not quantity. I’m Josh Radler.