I worked with nine seniors in 1999, Collegewise’s first application season. Three of those seniors’ parents asked me the same question early in our work together: Will earning the rank of Eagle Scout help him get in [to his dream college]?
It was an early example of just how much the pressure to get in was driving families’ behavior.
The only thing keeping these three particular boys involved in scouting was (1) their mothers’ resolute determination, and (2) the vague promise that listing “Eagle Scout” on a college application would help them stand out.
Those parents weren’t considering questions like, “Is my son enjoying this experience?” or “Is he learning anything valuable?” It was a cut-to-the-chase, bottom-line question—will this help him get in?
I, and the rest of the counselors at Collegewise, have worked with plenty of Eagle Scouts over the years, many of whom spoke glowingly about what the scouting experience had meant to them. One of the best college essays I ever read came from my Eagle Scout who carried a first aid kit with him everywhere he went. He knew how to use it, and had done just that on several occasions.
But like just about any activity, families lose sight of all the benefits—enjoyment and learning and growth—when they boil it down to “Will this help him get in?”
Becoming an Eagle Scout is not easy. There isn’t a college in the universe that wouldn’t look favorably on a kid who dedicates the time and energy required to attain that goal.
But in 2013 alone, 56,841 Boy Scouts earned the Eagle Scout rank. Wherever you apply, you almost certainly won’t be the only Eagle in the application pool.
In fact, most 17-year-olds haven’t been on the planet long enough to do something that few other people have done.
There are over 35,000 high schools in the United States. That’s a lot of senior class presidents, tennis team captains, leads in the school play, newspaper editors, and marching band flutists.
Every one of those activities can deliver plenty of value to a student who enjoys and commits to it, including appreciation from a college admissions committee.
But if your only measurement of any involvement’s worth is “Will this help me get in to my dream school?” you’re asking too much from your activity.
When I think of the happiest, most fulfilled students at Collegewise, it’s those who find and commit to activities they enjoy. It’s the kids who light up when you ask them to talk about how they spend their time outside of class, the students who never asked those activities to deliver an admissions guarantee.
And it’s not a coincidence that those students—from Eagle Scouts to birdwatchers—always end up with plenty of acceptances from colleges that make them happy.