Overheard in Committee — The Ides of March Edition

We Admit It!  Committee deliberations are often as interesting to us as they are to those outside of our office.  People seem to have an odd fascination with admission work.  We can’t explain it but we’re thrilled to have the inside scoop.  So without further ado, more insights from committee brought to you by the Admission Committee.

Overheard in Committee today: “Geez, tell me those aren’t his only ECs.”
*Note: ECs is our shorthand for extracurricular activities.

We were reviewing the files of a young man who is incredibly qualified academically, more so than the average W&M applicant.  His curriculum was rigorous, his grades were nearly straight As and his standardized testing was at the high end of our middle 50% range.  But he had listed only two lowly extracurricular activities; one was a week long service trip each summer, and the other was a school club that met for three hours each week that he hadn’t even joined until 11th grade.  That was all he listed.  We scoured the recommendation letters to see if his counselor or teachers mentioned additional involvements but they didn’t.  We read his Most Meaningful Activity short-answer essay but there was nothing new there (he wrote about his summer service trip).  We were left with no other choice; we had to assume that he was virtually uninvolved.

Many students worry about what kinds of ECs colleges look for.  My colleagues and I are often asked if we prefer activity A over activity B.  The point of involving yourself in extracurricular activities is not to impress colleges.  It is to find something about which you’re passionate and immerse yourself in it.  It’s about team work and developing leadership skills.  It’s about trying new things and being adventurous.  What colleges look for is demonstrated commitment or passion (we like to see that you continue some of your involvements throughout your tenure in high school – this is how you develop your leadership and teamwork skills to the utmost) and whether or not you’ve distinguished yourself within this area (say through a leadership position, or a high-level award like All-State status in athletics or the arts, or creating a much-needed organization within your community).

Much of what you learn in college takes place outside of the classroom.  One thing you do outside of academics is join clubs/teams/organizations/fraternities/sororities/service trips/etc.  We look just as much for students who will contribute to our classrooms as we do for those who will contribute to campus life and the over 400 student clubs and organizations that exist on the W&M campus.  Again, everything is contextual and the same goes for ECs.  Some students have to work and therefore have less time to join more traditional activities.  Other students might commute a long distance to and from school or might lack the transportation necessary to participate in ECs.  Others might move during high school which can certainly disrupt which activities they’re involved in and their ability to command leadership positions.  We certainly take such circumstances into consideration when making decisions.  But the activities this young man put forth (or more accurately didn’t put forth) will likely decrease his chances of being admitted.

We’re not just looking for just brains or just brawn.  We’re looking for both.  Being an all-state quarterback can’t make up for the fact that your transcript is littered with Cs.  Scoring a 1600 on the SAT cannot compensate for the fact that you’re uninvolved in your school or local community.  We want students who will contribute to all aspects of campus life at W&M.  Extracurricular activities exist for a reason; take advantage of them because you want to.  The fact that they matter to admission officers is just a bonus.

Wendy Livingston ’03, M.Ed. ‘09
Senior Assistant Dean of Admission

Categories: Admission, Faculty & Staff Blogs
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