Lol, I was scrolling through the comments early, and at first I thought she listed a bunch of stereotypical asian activites, but she actually just outright said so.
The Asian part sounds about right. Our valedictorian last year had a 1590 on the SAT, but only played tennis and piano. He got rejected from nearly everywhere.
I’m not going to get too into this b/c I could write a huge paper on this issue, but I just wanted to say how ANGRY I am at the asian american part of the college system (there are definitely a lot of things wrong in regards to race and social class but specifically for asian americans)! It’s so unfair how they treat asians like robots and don’t acknowledge the hard work that they put into their high school careers. It really hurts to know this.
@@sunwoonpark4722 It's not the race part that is the issue. Colleges want to admit Asians but not the "stereotypical" Asians. Unfortunately, we cannot deny the ills of American society that are reflected in college admissions. Asians have to learn "the game" and neutralize their threat to those who these colleges TYPICALLY admit (check the stats). It's a game, that if you master the rules then you will be successful but to buck against THE SYSTEM will decrease those opportunities. Most successful marginalized individuals practice this.
7:30 social competency is a good point - be social and make friends outside your clique As an Asian-American I was on the football team and track and field team and was a proud member of the Boy Scouts. In the Boy Scouts I earned a rifleshooting merit badge. Non-stereotypical activities. But I also had a bunch of stereotypical activities like orchestra, math club, chess club, JETS, etc. Back then I never thought whether these were stereotypical or non-stereotypical activities. They were just something fun to do and opportunities to make new friends! For my application essay for UChicago I actually wrote about how overcoming a video game addiction was my greatest achievement in high school. I had no idea how the university would respond to such a weird essay, but they apparently loved it! They sent an acceptance letter and offered to cover 50% of the tuition with a merit-based grant. So where am I today? I am a physician and a naval officer in the reserves after having served six years on active duty.
SYC Visuals That’s incredible! Can I ask how you went about getting accepted into MED school and the navy? I’m currently a pre med but due to a medical condition i was deemed unfit to serve. Thanks!
Moonlace Youthfire That's what I'm saying, I'd like to know what she thinks should be put on the application...I would think most of those who help or at least not hurt you.
ML Striker I think you should put in whatever that you like and would show the college what you are passionate about. Don’t do things that you don’t like or things that you just want to put it on your resume. If you can show your passion, then anything is truly fine.
Moonlace: Definitely PUT NHS and VOLUNTEER WORK. These will not HURT your application. However, they may not make your application stand out as so many students who are applying also do them. Still, take credit for what you've done. As for (expensive)summer programs at colleges, sometimes they reek of privilege. www.pbs.org/newshour/education/pricey-summer-programs-may-give-students-admissions-edge 4H is probably fine on any local university applications, but I would be careful about any schools on the coasts or in more urban environments because of this study unless you have an angle on it that really tells a good story (i.e. are you using machine learning to predict best practices for agriculture? Something really cutting edge might work.) OR if you're planning to major in agriculture, sustainability, or some related field offered at that university.
College admissions has some hard truths & it is so refreshing getting SuperTutors honest, informed, well-intentioned insight. I appreciate that the discussion here promotes respectful dissention
Wtf. The asian part im really angry. I joined fencing, science, and wants to play violin. But i also do photography, filming, singing, art, writing and more. Why do colleges in US works like this.
I'm Asian American as well and it really does hurt my feelings to know that US colleges do this. My parents just f***ing run with what they believe and my mom will NOT believe in ANYTHING else other than what SHE thinks is the "right stuff". Even if I give her valid proof and evidence that I am right. My mom always goes off topic. The second part of the sentences you mentioned seems really good though. I make music, and I upload them onto my youtube channel. If you ACTUALLY have a passion for math, MAYBE that would help your application, but I would not add my math stuff onto MY application.
Because they probably think that the kids who do stereotypically Asian activities are less dependent. I work with a lot of Chinese kids who actually live in China, and those guys do whatever their parents tell them regardless of what they are actually interested in. Unfortunately, a lot of them do "follow the flock" or do whatever their parents say... Top US colleges want kids who can succeed independently and take risks on their own, pursue their own passions... etc. Understand, I do not think like this... but college admissions people do.
Jason Bentro As an Asian mom, I’m sorry to hear your story. I have to agree many Asian parents go by their mother country’s system or their ethnic community’s advice without knowing those activities might reduce their children’s chance at collge admission. I advise you to get help from your school counselor or school teacher to persuade your parents. After all it’s your life and you have to take initiatives. Your parents might not take your words seriously but they will take your teachers or school official’s words. I hope this helps. Good luck.
Whit Peters isn’t that itself stereotyping? Colleges thinking “hey I think Asian students only do what their parents tell them to do and therefore aren’t independent” that’s legit racial stereotyping. It’d be just as bad as saying something horrible about black people and basketball or crime or something. It’s an inappropriate stereotype and isn’t justifiable.
I’ll be entering Columbia University this fall, wow I must thank you supertutorTV for helping me get into the university of my dreams! I hope you continue making great videos for students for years to come. Coming from a school that doesn’t notoriously produce Ivy League students, you served as my guidance counselor. Thank you!!
Anthony Liddie lol sorry for my nebulous question. I know you must have great stats, so I’m not gonna ask you to give them unless you’d like to. What I was wondering about was your spike or what you did extracurricularly that you think made your application stand out.
Boba Tea Japanese Come on dude, why would you reply to a highly liked unreplied comment that was posted a year ago. Thanks a lot for ruining the streak.
Why try to "spin" the way you present your activities in your application? If the colleges penalize you so much for you simply being who you are, then why in the world would you want to attend (and pay tuition to) that school? Go where you're appreciated; let the schools jump through hoops to attract you instead of the other way around. Enough is enough!
this exactly. COLLEGES used to compete with EACH OTHER for the students. now STUDENTS have to compete with EACH OTHER for the colleges. it’s absolutely disgusting.
im an asian in model un, played volleyball, surfs, does research with veterans, volunteers with veterans, chemical engineering internship, bioethics club, so i’d say im half and half stereotype-wise...if i dont get in somewhere imma riot
Although, if you’re applying to a school as an Ag science/agribusiness major/pre-vet student, 4-H can show animal experience, as well as improve your case for admission. Especially if you hold a leadership position
so you're telling me that taking highschool medical courses that prepare me in places like how to use the equipment, protocol, and terminology will make someone looking over my application to medical school go "nope we don't want her because she's already knowledgeable about the basics of healthcare and has already dedicated years of effort in the pursuit of a medical degree." i'm sorry i just don't buy that and i dont think i ever will ://
As my intro to pharmacy teacher said: “colleges will want you to pay only for THEIR programs, and they don’t want you getting their courses information somewhere else”
I feel that. I did everything with the arts when I was in high school. It always hurts me when I do the most that I can do, and people who are in charge of colleges say that I need to join useless clubs or join a sports team to be more "diverse."
There is a lot of truth to this. My daughter applied to Vanderbilt some years ago. I’m conservative and work for a few conservative government officials. The Vanderbilt Registrars Office viewed my LinkedIn profile on a Friday (I was notified of this via email) and my daughter received a rejection notification by them on that following Sunday. They are totally biased and discriminated against her due to her potential political belief. Pretty messed up but it is life. She didn’t want to really go there anyway or we may have pursued this discrimination connection in court. This is life though.
How could being apart of FFA and 4-H hurt a college application when they are organizations that support leadership, responsibility and education outside of the classroom
Wow. This channel has given me so much insight into the college admissions process--it feels like a breath of fresh air. Thank you thank you THANK YOU!
First Off ROTC; Is a COLLEGE PROGRAM for Free/Discounted College Tuition with the return of 4 years of Service as a Lieutenant or Ensign in the Armed Forces. JROTC is a High School Program that isn’t to make Child Soldiers, but to make Model citizens of Character. I’m a Cadet Major in my Air Force Unit And do a verity of tasks such as Recruiting, Planning and Organizing Events, And Production of Advertisements for the Unit. It’s not all about guns and marching unlike so many ignorant people say. In addition; JROTC is a rare gem of an extra-curricula activity because it’s the only High School Program that expects perfection. There is a Zero-Tolerance Policy for Misbehavior or Bad Grades. Also, This program stresses the importance of service before self and excellence in all we do. That means that the purpose of our unit is to help mentor and develop other students and build a culture of selflessness in the middle of a High School/Teenage culture of selfishness and narcissism. It also raises the need for meticulous and focused cadets who not only are well dressed and walk, talk, behave, and have etiquette which most High School students don’t we have a lot of clubs ranging from Athletics to Military Performance to Academics. It’s not a Boy’s Club either because woman make up on average 15-33% of the Cadet Corps per year. Colleges have nothing to lose from having a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, or Airman JROTC Cadet among their student bodies because they have the maturity, the responsibility, the demeanor, and the discipline that is a rarity among the typical matriculating students.
The issue with the stereotypical Asian activities apply to me. I'm on a math team, in the symphony orchestra, and want to pursue the STEM field. However, I was adopted and raised by first gen white parents who got their GEDs and an Associative degree, but faired off well. How do I avoid being marginalized? This is why I believe colleges are innately racist, stereotypical and preach diversity when they obviously are clouded by biased and greed. I decided to dedicate my essay about my adoption and how I can contribute to hopefully defeat the biases that colleges have ignorantly developed.
Opinions on clubs such as DECA, FBLA (future business leaders of america), and MIT LaunchX? I wouldnt consider those to be "career" prep, but more life prep (presentation skills, public speaking, collaboration, etc)
First consider if you are interested in those activities. If you are not interested in those activities, don't do them; never do things just for an application. In the case of you having interest, do them! In general, let universities know what activities you truly enjoy or have a passion for. I cannot really help you with knowing the application usefullness of these activities, though.
ROTC is a college program. Free tuition if you win a competitive and you commission as an officer in the military. One of the most Honorable programs you can join. Going to college with no debt and serving your country after
If you stand out in the Program as a Leader it is great. Plus the character that it builds in you is something that will help you be successful anywhere.
Not necessarily. The author of the paper believed that this was a correlation issue not causation, though I do think that's up for debate. Coming from a "red" or lower populated state straight away increases your chance of admission significantly above that of a student from California or over represented areas, particularly if you have the same activities/grades/scores as those in California applying do (and in general-- you will get some bonus "points" for diversity of location). So that may "outweigh" the activities issue some (this particular trend was not specific to "red" states in the data, though a Times reporter characterized it as such to the annoyance of the study's author). The other thing I think to remember is the idea of "spin" -- you need to reach out to people who likely are (albeit unfairly) biased or may not understand the world you come from or the activities you do. If you can spin things in an approachable way or tell a story that lets others in that could help.
Hey Supertutor, and anyone else reading this, I have a lot of those stereotypical Asian activities, such as playing piano, and being in the science olympiad club, but I don't value those activities very highly. I see them as more of a natural thing, so to speak (not saying Asians who don't do those activities are unnatural, but rather, most Asians seem to do these activities, so they're not really special). The one "stereotypically Asian" activity that I do that I value is competing and teaching mathematics. I've developed an interest in math in middle school, and take a much higher level math class than most people (most Asians too). At least at my school, most Asians skip 1-2 grades in math, with the more exceptional ones skipping 3. I'm the only one who has ever skipped 4 grades in math at my school (though I could've skipped 6 if my parents let me). I'm very competitive in math olympiad, and am the only qualifier of the AIME at my school, and might win the USAMO my junior year, and go on to the IMO in senior year. On top of that, I started the first math club at my school, where I teach students interesting math concepts that are rarely gone over in school, such as combinatorics and number theory, and encourage them to compete in these math competitions. Furthermore, I started our school's first MATHCOUNTS team for middle school, and am hoping to help them win up to states. I have a strong passion for math, and have had to deal with a ton of criticism and obstacles during my time learning and preparing for these competitions. My parents are highly against me learning math since they find it unnecessary and believe it'll make me brain dead later on in life. On top of that, there's the typical Asian stereotyping, where people say I was born good at math, or the weird looks given when people see me learning about and talking about math. I don't know if my hard work and passion will be tossed aside as a "stereotypical Asian activity" when applying for colleges, especially since I'm hoping to major in mathematics, and not every Asian kid is able to win the USAMO, and most don't even qualify for AIME despite being "good at math". If you've had a personal experience similar to this, or know someone who went through something similar, please let me know! Lastly, I'm quite involved in my school, participating as a WEB/LINK leader just about every year (I wasn't accepted for junior year because of my busy schedule next year), and providing new ideas to the school board, such as adding an AP Physics course, etc. While this was put as a "non-stereotypical activity", many of the people taking these leadership roles at my school are Asian. Would this in any way degrade me taking up leadership positions? Thanks for any responses! P.S. I'm also joining the volleyball team at my school (as a junior) and am a Boy Scout, likely to become an Eagle Scout prior to regular decision deadlines.
Kevin Tong: USAMO, IMO are whole new different levels of math expertise, not something to be tossed away, especially if you apply to STEM-oriented schools like MIT, CalTech, Stanford. She is probably talking about those resume filler kinda math clubs. It's great if you are truly passionate about math. The admissions process is unpredictable. All the best.
Kevin Tong Honestly, by the looks of it you have shown an extreme passion in math and if you explain your activities in math on your app and write an essay on the obstacles you’ve overcome pursuing your passion, you should be good. 👍🏼
Hi Shiropa, Thank you so much for your response, it really makes sense and clears things up a lot! I've just been super confused lately because I keep hearing people say "competing in math competitions" when referring to the stereotype of Asians (not necessarily in this video, but some other ones). The USAMO and IMO are indeed much higher level competitions, and are unlikely to be participated by most Asians. Best of luck!
Kevin: Hi, Kev. an EC by itself is not impressive but the context in which you do it creates the impression. the story matters. most domestic applicants including Asians don't have IMO kind of accolade. at a place like MIT, CalTech most international students are from these intl. olympiads. l am an international student btw. attending Stanford this fall. go for IMO!!! all the best.
Uhh my school is predominantly Asian and extremely competitive so pretty much everyone is in at least 4 clubs and on a debate team and in a bunch of positions of leadership and doing a bunch of volunteering and internships... are those stereotypical Asian activities
I've been in JROTC since freshman year and I am currently the Commanding Officer in the program. I'm in the program because I love how close nit and family like the program is not because I want to go into the military. Most of the people who are in this program don't plan on going into the military, so I don't know why it would hurt us.
It hurts even more for asian American students because most of us have parents that immigrated to the U.S. for us to have a better life and raised us to be the hardest working people in the college admissions pool
JROTC DOES look good on college applications. If you can relate the things you're involved in to your future goals, then colleges tend to like that. I'm 2nd in command with my battalion, and I was on a leadership position prior. Tulane loved this!!
I have a question: is being extremely artsy (drawing and writing wise) considered 'stereotypically Asian'? We have a fair amount of artsy Asians at my school, so I'm worried about blending in too much. Other questions: if I'm writing a novella, should I include that in my college application (it should be finished by senior year)? What about a webcomic? Or a TH-cam channel (it's this one, so it's really small as of now)? All of these activities are ones that I initialized without parental input (lmao) and am extremely passionate about. Will aspiring to be an artist (a job that usually can't pay back college tuition) hurt my application?? Will it make them worry about me potentially not being interested in college? Also, if I play the flute and am not particularly passionate about it (but was not allowed to drop it), should I put it on my college application? I tried to drop it in favor of more visual arts classes, but my guidance counselor and parents made me keep it because "consistency looks good." uwu Thank you in advance for your time!! Your videos are amazing and extremely helpful, and condensed to a length I can actually sit through! ✨♥️
Hi SuperTutor. Plz consider doing some videos for black students and/or thier parents. How can they market themselves if they are middle/upper middle class & haven't dealt with financial adversity?
Brooke, I have a few questions: 1) How does the admission staff identify the student as an Asian American if he/she has a non-Asian last name (due to adoption, for example)? Aside from the last name do students submit photos of themselves (like they do in Asia)? Or somewhere on the application they ask for an ethnicity question? 2) If there are no photos or ethnicity questions then Asian American parents should do a name change for their kids in elementary school. Wouldn't this solve the problem? Afterall, this is no different than a game, right? In a game we change our avatar as many times as we wish, right?
so what do they want us to do then? they all require huge acheivements like the award or the prize in national levels, continental levels or sometimes even international levels. 🤷♂️ being an asian is so hard sometimes :(
Pharmacy is a career you need to attend college in order to be successful at, so an internship would not hurt your chances. The activities she talks about are for careers that you do not need to attend college for (ex. Future Farmers of America). Hope this helps
@@pawl23 Which race does your surname come from? Because you aren't necessarily obligated to state both races. You could simply not mention your maternal race, and say that you are exclusively the race of your father, if it is convenient for your chance of getting accepted.
Not sure. Unfortunately the data is not that "granular" (specific). EVERYTHING that you put under "Career oriented" on the common app was tracked for this data point, so technically that activity is in the mix but the author didn't single it out or mention it specifically. He's also crunching data from over a decade ago in a book that came out in 2009... he offers his interpretation (the majority of career oriented activities prepare students for careers that do not require degrees and thus he correlates the gap with that explanation) but he doesn't get into the specifics.
SupertutorTV thanks! I have done FBLA for all 4 years of highschool. I have done activities that are not necessarily "career oriented," like fundraising and volunteering for the March of Dimes and genuinely enjoy the activities we do in the club. So I may end up putting FBLA on my college application. Thanks again!
What about HOSA (health occupations students of america)? If you imply that you’re interested in medicine, surely that means you want to go to college rather than not? The speculation they used on FFA doesn’t quite work here..?
if you’re interested in medicine, then how does that tell the college that you don’t want to go to college??? bc any medical jobs LITERALLY REQUIRES degrees!!!!
HOSA definitely helps. I know a bunch of HOSA Alumni that are currently attending the Ivy League schools. It makes sense, too. Sure, HOSA might be a career-preparation organization, but in order to become any sort of health professional, you do need some sort of higher education, and colleges definitely understand that. HOSA, FBLA, DECA, and BPA are all CTSO organizations that I know have produced many current attendees at top-tier schools.
I want to become a writer or a journalist, so I intend to get a college degree that correlates with that. I'm in 4-H, but the only project I've ever participated in is Creative Writing (I got 2 Grand Champion plaques and 1 Reserve Champion ribbon). I've held the same leadership position in my club for years- Reporter. Since I don't have animals and I live in the city, does my participation in 4-H still hurt my chances?
For ELITE & private universities: I would put it down, because winning awards in writing is good, but try to write it out in a way that emphasizes the accomplishment and the name of your chapter or the event before the 4H part of the club. I think it's just a stigma for something that many people in more urban environments aren't used to, perhaps? You type up your activities. Maybe there's a way to put it but to slow roll the 4H part? Also I would categorize this as JOURNALISM/PUBLICATION not CAREER ORIENTED in terms of "area" on common app (you'll see when you fill it out). For public universities with ties to 4-H or who sponsor chapters as well as schools in rural environments that are less competitive I don't think it will hurt as much.
I got my BSc. degree at a university that has a history as an agricultural college and still have a strong agriculture science and practical agricultural studies program. I would hope that having a leadership role in a "Young Farmers" club does not hurt those admissions, in the same way, that physics clubs/math Olympics teams ought to help students applying to science programs.
Hi supertutortv, I took the June SAT subject test and scored a 740 on world history, 740 on bio and 780 on math 2. I want to go to an Ivy League and major in biology. How would you rate these scores? I’m considering retaking biology. Thank you!!
Chen Kevin Those scores wouldn’t keep you out of any university in the U.S. In fact, retaking very high scores may work AGAINST you even if you improve because you’ll come across as being overly obsessed with your test scores. The best thing you can do is work on some extracurriculars (as unique as you can make them) that will help you develop as an individual. You have the scores, you likely have the grades, now you need to prove that you’re mature, sociable and interesting. If you want an example of an essay that got me into a few colleges I had no right even applying to, lmk.
Chen Kevin I wrote about how my English class was discussing religion and we got to the topic of heaven and hell. One of my peers explained that in Judaism, there’s no concept of heaven and hell, just a sort of purgatory/limbo. I talked about how shocked I was that such a fundamental aspect of Christianity differed so much from Judaism, and how that instance taught me to be wary of generalizations. I think what admissions officers liked about it was that I turned a moment of ignorance into a lesson that I used to learn from and better myself. Whatever you decide to write about, make sure you write in your own voice. Don’t use a thesaurus and try to come across as smart or impressive. Your grades and exam scores already prove that you’re intelligent and competent.
You as a member of the Nest represent the top 8% of scouts you have demonstrated Excellence Leadership Determination and Commitment. While it shouldn't be the only thing you have it is still amazing and a crown jewel achievement.
wow now i should remember not to watch this because it’s gonna make me afraid that doing rotc is bad like wtf i understand that it is carrer oriented but being careful in case u don’t get into these colleges by doing stuff like this or the farmers organization whatever shouldn’t be a bad thing and ppl should be allowed to show the accomplishments in their college apps
Thank you SuperTutorTV for your help. I have a question though. Does competing in activities like Quiz Bowl related competitions or BPA hurt your chances of college admissions?
Quiz Bowl I don't think so generally. The idea with the last point is that if you do "typical" seeming activities that may make you seem similar to other candidates of your demographic, you just might be careful to spin your essays in a way that make you seem unique. If you're involved, looking as if you're NOT involved is worse that having a few activities that might seem stereotypical, I think. To be sure, I'd have to do a study with real admissions data, though. (sigh).But you need to pull your narrative in some way so you don't seem like just another person in the pile.
to anybody reading this, im a freshman in highschool and want to get a view on what i could and maybe should do during my next few years. I'm in the JROTC program and love the program, especially the people you meet and the activities and development as a person; but she talks about how it may harm admission chances. What do you thinl i should do? Should i stay in the program and shoot for a leadership position? drop the program? or go for a semi leadership position? thanks for listening to my ted talk please share your thoughts!
what about mock trial ? i want to go into law, and i’m really passionate about it, i have a leadership position in mock trial as well. would that hurt me?
No, it wouldn't hurt you but however. You should stand out in mock trial by creating new ideas and standing out while holding your leadership position. I think that's what she stresses the idea of.
I'm in speech and debate and very involved. I'm looking to go to state and was very close to nationals this year. I want to be a four year letterman in this, but I'm worried that I'm not involved in more things. I don't do too much volunteering outside of honor society. My classmates are in lots of clubs and in leadership positions, do lots of volunteering and are academically high achieving. Should I be looking towards more to get involved in, or stick to committing myself to speech and debate and academics
I love you and your content Brooke, But I could not agree with the the first point you made in this video, about career oriented activities. Being an international student from India, what i observed was that students who did heavy career oriented activities like " taking part in the computer olympaid which requires you to master skills equivalent to that of a developer" got more and more students into MIT. I would love your response towards this trend brooke. Thank you
Ok in my country, high schools dont offer activities and its usually if ur like the top in class, very good chances are the ONLY activity you are interested actually in is a particular subject and olympiads......i mean seriously, i have never seen a "class topper" be playing an instrument or smth......maybe just being in the school's science club......WHAT DO I DO? PLZ HELP
gurmehar not that I'm aware of. They look at all of the opportunities your school specifically provides, so it's not as if a school with a lower budget wouldn't count as much
gurmehar one thing I constantly hear from people that got accepted into college or are in college often say if you come from a private school it helps you get into Ivy Leagues better because private school kids often have better programs that better prepare them for college and have the money for college. In all honesty from what I've heard it's just easier to get into college if you can pay your way into college
I have a little dilemma in another video named "12 Summer Activities that Impress Colleges: Overachiever’s Guide to Summer Break" you said that getting a job or an internship helps and my question is, aren't they "career oriented activities" as well? if not where is the difference?
Hi Supertutor! I was wondering what your take is on MOOCs? Do you think online classes are worth investing time in and if they will paint you more positively on college applications?
If you have no other options they can be ok. But I find community college classes (in person) look a bit stronger as they require more involvement by nature and are often accredited.
The extreme unfairness/discrimination toward Asian students being “stereotypical” is that they don’t consider that lots of these kids are genuinely gifted in doing this. If you look at international music competitions, piano, violin, cello etc. you’ll see how those are dominated by Asians across all age groups. Can they say that these people do it, devote millions of hours (not exaggerating, over their life time), doing one of the hardest works (if not THE hardest) in the world and gain those achievements simply because they want to impress colleges? Unlike other academic fields, music is one thing that you can’t do UNLESS you are truly gifted. Being a professional musician myself, I went through that tough path because I am capable of doing it AND I have true passion for it. I teach all kinds of students and only a small percentage of them are truly gifted. Natural selects them before colleges try to judge them. When such kids excel in their instruments, they devote ALL their time and energy to it and it’s simply not possible to have extra time for anything else. Do math or science Olympiads students get up at 5 am to practice before school? Do they stay home all weekends and holidays just so they can practice HOURS AND HOURS while other kids go to mall or movies? People of other fields don’t understand how tough what we do is. Then of course, we’d be doing chamber music, orchestras, competitions, recitals, concerts, tours when other kids can do garage bands or go skateboarding in the park. Viewing studying classical music as a stereotype and nothing special is a huge mistake. Classical music is part of our culture and we don’t learn that because we want to gain admission to top college. Just like basketball or baseball is part of American culture.
Dear SuperTutorTV, I am doing this course called Honors Mentorship in my high school, and it basically where students choose to do an internship during school hours for an entire year. I am doing my internship in welding. You said career-oriented activities would lower my chances for admission. Should I include this in my list of activities or should I chuck it? I am not sure because it is a career-related, though I just like learning about it other than follow it as a career choice. Please Help!
If you’re looking to go to college for engineering, include it. It’s honestly not going to hurt your chances anyway. If you’re going to college for something else, include it as a hobby.
I am planning to join science Olympiad my sophomore year. Would that hurt my chances to get into a good university since I am gonna be there for only three years when other people been there longer than me. During my freshman year I only did one club which was CSF,a community service club, and I am planning to do more clubs.
It‘d be amazing if you made a videos dedicated to international students who strive to understand the US college system (e.g. how to apply for scholarships as an international student, insight on the application content and what we should do to be appealing to colleges considering we don’t have IB, honors and AP classes in France for example) I also don’t know what my GPA is since our grading systems are different so how can I know if i fit the academic requirements of each college? (I plan on taking the SATs though)
Lea de Galzain My exact concern exactly 👆🏻 I've been researching for months and it feels like I still have a lot of blank spaces regarding the us system.
CS same especially regarding financial aid like I read somewhere that “international students are actually required by US law to prove they or their family can afford to pay the entirety of their university studies in the United States. This is taken into account during the visa application process.” But lmao how am I supposed to find 60 grand times 6 plus what’s the point of the college covering 100% of the student’s financial needs if they can afford it themselves entirely to begin with?
Lea de Galzain please don't quote me on this but I believe you (international student) have to complete the CSS profile on college board (you have to fill out how much you make/spend/save, basically your taxes). On there you will be asked which schools you wish to submit the form to and I think they charge like 25 dollars for each school they send it to. With it they will know if you are elegible for financial aid. I just want to say I haven't completed it yet. You can start filling it until October 1st of this year if you're a senior like me. I'm very much confused myself but if I can help you with anything let me know! :)
Talha Nayyar it’s an internship work experience so that helps you stand out! I had an internship related to business but my major was civil engineering
me: *sees stereotypical asian activities*
*chuckles* I'm in danger
Lol, I was scrolling through the comments early, and at first I thought she listed a bunch of stereotypical asian activites, but she actually just outright said so.
What if you're asian and you do white's stuff?
And what if you're white and you do asian stuff?
All asian parents watching this might make us stop
The Asian part sounds about right. Our valedictorian last year had a 1590 on the SAT, but only played tennis and piano. He got rejected from nearly everywhere.
Sponge . Bruh how?
@@Joseph-th8siPlaces like Harvard University say they do it to increase diversity in school which is complete bullshit
@@yellowasian619 Yes it is. RACE DOESN'T MATTER ONLY COMPETENCE.
Sponge . It’s not what he did, it’s what he made out of it
Chandler Thornton I agree, I call bull on this story.
I’m not going to get too into this b/c I could write a huge paper on this issue, but I just wanted to say how ANGRY I am at the asian american part of the college system (there are definitely a lot of things wrong in regards to race and social class but specifically for asian americans)! It’s so unfair how they treat asians like robots and don’t acknowledge the hard work that they put into their high school careers. It really hurts to know this.
We're not happy with these findings either.
guess i have to join the lacrosse team
Yeah. College applications should just leave the race part out
Yes
@@sunwoonpark4722 It's not the race part that is the issue. Colleges want to admit Asians but not the "stereotypical" Asians. Unfortunately, we cannot deny the ills of American society that are reflected in college admissions. Asians have to learn "the game" and neutralize their threat to those who these colleges TYPICALLY admit (check the stats). It's a game, that if you master the rules then you will be successful but to buck against THE SYSTEM will decrease those opportunities. Most successful marginalized individuals practice this.
7:30 social competency is a good point - be social and make friends outside your clique
As an Asian-American I was on the football team and track and field team and was a proud member of the Boy Scouts. In the Boy Scouts I earned a rifleshooting merit badge. Non-stereotypical activities. But I also had a bunch of stereotypical activities like orchestra, math club, chess club, JETS, etc. Back then I never thought whether these were stereotypical or non-stereotypical activities. They were just something fun to do and opportunities to make new friends!
For my application essay for UChicago I actually wrote about how overcoming a video game addiction was my greatest achievement in high school. I had no idea how the university would respond to such a weird essay, but they apparently loved it! They sent an acceptance letter and offered to cover 50% of the tuition with a merit-based grant.
So where am I today? I am a physician and a naval officer in the reserves after having served six years on active duty.
SYC Visuals
That’s incredible! Can I ask how you went about getting accepted into MED school and the navy? I’m currently a pre med but due to a medical condition i was deemed unfit to serve. Thanks!
SYC Visuals Are you going to answer his question?
진짜로 미쳤다..... 나쁜 놈들..... 여자를 정말로 사용을했네
Nooooo, Abby and David is FUCKING going to UCHICAGO?????? I don't want to go to Princeton......
Poor Abby....
You seem to be eliminating everything what am I supposed to put on my app
From this video and the other one: No 4H, no volunteer work, no summer programs at colleges, no NHS,
Moonlace Youthfire That's what I'm saying, I'd like to know what she thinks should be put on the application...I would think most of those who help or at least not hurt you.
ML Striker I think you should put in whatever that you like and would show the college what you are passionate about. Don’t do things that you don’t like or things that you just want to put it on your resume. If you can show your passion, then anything is truly fine.
Moonlace: Definitely PUT NHS and VOLUNTEER WORK. These will not HURT your application. However, they may not make your application stand out as so many students who are applying also do them. Still, take credit for what you've done. As for (expensive)summer programs at colleges, sometimes they reek of privilege. www.pbs.org/newshour/education/pricey-summer-programs-may-give-students-admissions-edge 4H is probably fine on any local university applications, but I would be careful about any schools on the coasts or in more urban environments because of this study unless you have an angle on it that really tells a good story (i.e. are you using machine learning to predict best practices for agriculture? Something really cutting edge might work.) OR if you're planning to major in agriculture, sustainability, or some related field offered at that university.
Same omg I’m in rotc and I’m shook
College admissions has some hard truths & it is so refreshing getting SuperTutors honest, informed, well-intentioned insight. I appreciate that the discussion here promotes respectful dissention
“Don’t say things that are inflammatory”
Me: ...... * deletes twitter *
Probably should routinely curate your online profiles to ensure.
Just make a separate twitter for more professional things or make a fake one. I’m definitely not sharing my actual twitter with people.
if your on stan twt (i assumed from san pfp) and don’t use your full name you’re probably fine.
Wtf. The asian part im really angry. I joined fencing, science, and wants to play violin. But i also do photography, filming, singing, art, writing and more. Why do colleges in US works like this.
I'm Asian American as well and it really does hurt my feelings to know that US colleges do this. My parents just f***ing run with what they believe and my mom will NOT believe in ANYTHING else other than what SHE thinks is the "right stuff". Even if I give her valid proof and evidence that I am right. My mom always goes off topic. The second part of the sentences you mentioned seems really good though. I make music, and I upload them onto my youtube channel. If you ACTUALLY have a passion for math, MAYBE that would help your application, but I would not add my math stuff onto MY application.
Because they probably think that the kids who do stereotypically Asian activities are less dependent. I work with a lot of Chinese kids who actually live in China, and those guys do whatever their parents tell them regardless of what they are actually interested in. Unfortunately, a lot of them do "follow the flock" or do whatever their parents say... Top US colleges want kids who can succeed independently and take risks on their own, pursue their own passions... etc. Understand, I do not think like this... but college admissions people do.
It's because our schooling system is garbage that desperately needs major reform.
Jason Bentro As an Asian mom, I’m sorry to hear your story. I have to agree many Asian parents go by their mother country’s system or their ethnic community’s advice without knowing those activities might reduce their children’s chance at collge admission. I advise you to get help from your school counselor or school teacher to persuade your parents. After all it’s your life and you have to take initiatives. Your parents might not take your words seriously but they will take your teachers or school official’s words. I hope this helps. Good luck.
Whit Peters isn’t that itself stereotyping? Colleges thinking “hey I think Asian students only do what their parents tell them to do and therefore aren’t independent” that’s legit racial stereotyping. It’d be just as bad as saying something horrible about black people and basketball or crime or something. It’s an inappropriate stereotype and isn’t justifiable.
Who else googled themselves after the online shenanigans part lol
sullen girl i didn’t but I’m going to now 😳
I’ll be entering Columbia University this fall, wow I must thank you supertutorTV for helping me get into the university of my dreams! I hope you continue making great videos for students for years to come.
Coming from a school that doesn’t notoriously produce Ivy League students, you served as my guidance counselor.
Thank you!!
Anthony Liddie how’d you do it
Charlton Lepkofker what do you mean? Like how did I get into Columbia? I would be so happy if I could help you out
Anthony Liddie lol sorry for my nebulous question. I know you must have great stats, so I’m not gonna ask you to give them unless you’d like to. What I was wondering about was your spike or what you did extracurricularly that you think made your application stand out.
Charlton Lepkofker tagged
Anthony Liddie what?
Life is a scam...
@Narguin Lee - Couldn’t have said it better myself😞
Boba Tea Japanese Come on dude, why would you reply to a highly liked unreplied comment that was posted a year ago. Thanks a lot for ruining the streak.
@TheVideomaker2341 - Sorry
yea i think so
Why try to "spin" the way you present your activities in your application? If the colleges penalize you so much for you simply being who you are, then why in the world would you want to attend (and pay tuition to) that school? Go where you're appreciated; let the schools jump through hoops to attract you instead of the other way around. Enough is enough!
yes it's literally so silly!
this exactly. COLLEGES used to compete with EACH OTHER for the students. now STUDENTS have to compete with EACH OTHER for the colleges. it’s absolutely disgusting.
Me: is Asian, has done science Olympiad and math team for the entirety of high school
Collegeboard: *so you have chosen death*
This is gonna be the new collage board slogan: "All we want is your money"
and the tune is to All I Want For Christmas by Mariah Carey
@@srijanampally that college humor parody comes to mind
wtf, why should a stereotype determine what I can and cannot like.
Because that's just how it is.
That’s because it doesn’t make them unique
@@AbrahamEspino1 Being unique sucks unless it's a business.
THIS! We're human and can like what we like!
When she talks abt the Asian activities it pisses me off
We asians have to stand up against these racial comments( I’m an Asian too)
I am so sorry. This system doesn't make sense
Bro I can’t take you seriously when your name is literally chinchinlinlin like wtf lol
im an asian in model un, played volleyball, surfs, does research with veterans, volunteers with veterans, chemical engineering internship, bioethics club, so i’d say im half and half stereotype-wise...if i dont get in somewhere imma riot
Do it! That is terrible. You seem like a great candidate for any school. You are smart, you volunteer your time, and you have extra curriculars.
Ava Brackett thank you
Where’d you get in?
Man, how good is this channel?!! So much knowledge and filterless opinions. This is great for students and parents alike!
I’m a senior in college why am I watching this
Victory Mark just in case
same
Although, if you’re applying to a school as an Ag science/agribusiness major/pre-vet student, 4-H can show animal experience, as well as improve your case for admission. Especially if you hold a leadership position
I love these vids, because they’re straight on to the point not like many others talking for 2 hours and not even getting to the subject
so you're telling me that taking highschool medical courses that prepare me in places like how to use the equipment, protocol, and terminology will make someone looking over my application to medical school go "nope we don't want her because she's already knowledgeable about the basics of healthcare and has already dedicated years of effort in the pursuit of a medical degree." i'm sorry i just don't buy that and i dont think i ever will ://
lavender moon magick It really does sound ridiculous.
Now I'm so confused whether I should even mention some of my qualifications
As my intro to pharmacy teacher said: “colleges will want you to pay only for THEIR programs, and they don’t want you getting their courses information somewhere else”
i'm like a half-stereotypical asian, i'm in orchestra but i'm rly into arts so i'm also in composition, ballet, and all sorts of other artsy stuff
I feel that. I did everything with the arts when I was in high school. It always hurts me when I do the most that I can do, and people who are in charge of colleges say that I need to join useless clubs or join a sports team to be more "diverse."
Asians in general love art.
will having a bf help an asian's social competence lol
ill be ur bf
Yes
No 😂😂😂😂 I mean how will you mention that .. unless you decide to somehow write in down it your essay
Watching your videos makes me so much less anxious about my college application. Thank you!!
*online shenanigans*
Olivia Jade: Hold my Gucci bag
There is a lot of truth to this. My daughter applied to Vanderbilt some years ago. I’m conservative and work for a few conservative government officials. The Vanderbilt Registrars Office viewed my LinkedIn profile on a Friday (I was notified of this via email) and my daughter received a rejection notification by them on that following Sunday. They are totally biased and discriminated against her due to her potential political belief. Pretty messed up but it is life. She didn’t want to really go there anyway or we may have pursued this discrimination connection in court. This is life though.
How could being apart of FFA and 4-H hurt a college application when they are organizations that support leadership, responsibility and education outside of the classroom
Abigail R maybe they may not be highly valued in Ivy League schools but they are hugely positive for Ag schools like Texas A&M.
Not prestigious enough.
Just discrimination tbh
Wow. This channel has given me so much insight into the college admissions process--it feels like a breath of fresh air. Thank you thank you THANK YOU!
Life is too short for this stuff.
Y'all know that I'm deleting my social media when applying for college
You forgot Digital Footprints exist
First Off ROTC; Is a COLLEGE PROGRAM for Free/Discounted College Tuition with the return of 4 years of Service as a Lieutenant or Ensign in the Armed Forces. JROTC is a High School Program that isn’t to make Child Soldiers, but to make Model citizens of Character. I’m a Cadet Major in my Air Force Unit And do a verity of tasks such as Recruiting, Planning and Organizing Events, And Production of Advertisements for the Unit. It’s not all about guns and marching unlike so many ignorant people say. In addition; JROTC is a rare gem of an extra-curricula activity because it’s the only High School Program that expects perfection. There is a Zero-Tolerance Policy for Misbehavior or Bad Grades. Also, This program stresses the importance of service before self and excellence in all we do. That means that the purpose of our unit is to help mentor and develop other students and build a culture of selflessness in the middle of a High School/Teenage culture of selfishness and narcissism. It also raises the need for meticulous and focused cadets who not only are well dressed and walk, talk, behave, and have etiquette which most High School students don’t we have a lot of clubs ranging from Athletics to Military Performance to Academics. It’s not a Boy’s Club either because woman make up on average 15-33% of the Cadet Corps per year. Colleges have nothing to lose from having a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, or Airman JROTC Cadet among their student bodies because they have the maturity, the responsibility, the demeanor, and the discipline that is a rarity among the typical matriculating students.
Sinopa Hyenith-Renard Texas A&M offers huge scholarships to JROTC kids if they join the Corps
PLEASE MAKE A VIDEO ON THE JUNE SAT CURVE, I GOT 7 TOTAL QUESTIONS WRONG AND DIDNT EVEN HIT 1500 LOL
On the May 4, 2019 SAT I got 3 math questions wrong and I got a 730 on the math section.
Mohammed Al Anati same thing happens in august test
I’m already at University.
Why am I watching this.
Amy Pattie yeah same.
The issue with the stereotypical Asian activities apply to me. I'm on a math team, in the symphony orchestra, and want to pursue the STEM field. However, I was adopted and raised by first gen white parents who got their GEDs and an Associative degree, but faired off well. How do I avoid being marginalized? This is why I believe colleges are innately racist, stereotypical and preach diversity when they obviously are clouded by biased and greed. I decided to dedicate my essay about my adoption and how I can contribute to hopefully defeat the biases that colleges have ignorantly developed.
This channel is so useful in compiling information in an easy-to-digest way.
Well what if someone has your exact name and sucks on social media?
If they have any selfies posted, it'll be pretty clear it's not you
OMG I hate this sooooo much!!!! I've got mistaken like bunches of time just bc some guy talks sh!t on the internet
Opinions on clubs such as DECA, FBLA (future business leaders of america), and MIT LaunchX? I wouldnt consider those to be "career" prep, but more life prep (presentation skills, public speaking, collaboration, etc)
First consider if you are interested in those activities. If you are not interested in those activities, don't do them; never do things just for an application. In the case of you having interest, do them! In general, let universities know what activities you truly enjoy or have a passion for. I cannot really help you with knowing the application usefullness of these activities, though.
S T E R E O T Y P I C A L A S I A N - A M E R I C A N A C T I V I T I E S
ROTC is a college program. Free tuition if you win a competitive and you commission as an officer in the military. One of the most Honorable programs you can join. Going to college with no debt and serving your country after
And JROTC can prepare you for ROTC or any college experience for that matter.
I’m in JROTC I joined because I thought it would impress colleges. Cut my hair and everything. Life is tough
There's always West Point?
If you stand out in the Program as a Leader it is great. Plus the character that it builds in you is something that will help you be successful anywhere.
Can you please make a video about what happened with the June SAT?
Well I live in Red America and Participate in 4H and FFA, there goes the ivy.
Not necessarily. The author of the paper believed that this was a correlation issue not causation, though I do think that's up for debate. Coming from a "red" or lower populated state straight away increases your chance of admission significantly above that of a student from California or over represented areas, particularly if you have the same activities/grades/scores as those in California applying do (and in general-- you will get some bonus "points" for diversity of location). So that may "outweigh" the activities issue some (this particular trend was not specific to "red" states in the data, though a Times reporter characterized it as such to the annoyance of the study's author). The other thing I think to remember is the idea of "spin" -- you need to reach out to people who likely are (albeit unfairly) biased or may not understand the world you come from or the activities you do. If you can spin things in an approachable way or tell a story that lets others in that could help.
Way to take on a sticky subject! You did it even-handedly and objectively.
Fudge, I’ve gotten into a lot of arguments online
Ira H SAME i’m scared now lmao
This is an amazing video for seniors, I am surprised.
Hey Supertutor, and anyone else reading this,
I have a lot of those stereotypical Asian activities, such as playing piano, and being in the science olympiad club, but I don't value those activities very highly. I see them as more of a natural thing, so to speak (not saying Asians who don't do those activities are unnatural, but rather, most Asians seem to do these activities, so they're not really special).
The one "stereotypically Asian" activity that I do that I value is competing and teaching mathematics. I've developed an interest in math in middle school, and take a much higher level math class than most people (most Asians too). At least at my school, most Asians skip 1-2 grades in math, with the more exceptional ones skipping 3. I'm the only one who has ever skipped 4 grades in math at my school (though I could've skipped 6 if my parents let me).
I'm very competitive in math olympiad, and am the only qualifier of the AIME at my school, and might win the USAMO my junior year, and go on to the IMO in senior year. On top of that, I started the first math club at my school, where I teach students interesting math concepts that are rarely gone over in school, such as combinatorics and number theory, and encourage them to compete in these math competitions. Furthermore, I started our school's first MATHCOUNTS team for middle school, and am hoping to help them win up to states.
I have a strong passion for math, and have had to deal with a ton of criticism and obstacles during my time learning and preparing for these competitions. My parents are highly against me learning math since they find it unnecessary and believe it'll make me brain dead later on in life. On top of that, there's the typical Asian stereotyping, where people say I was born good at math, or the weird looks given when people see me learning about and talking about math.
I don't know if my hard work and passion will be tossed aside as a "stereotypical Asian activity" when applying for colleges, especially since I'm hoping to major in mathematics, and not every Asian kid is able to win the USAMO, and most don't even qualify for AIME despite being "good at math". If you've had a personal experience similar to this, or know someone who went through something similar, please let me know!
Lastly, I'm quite involved in my school, participating as a WEB/LINK leader just about every year (I wasn't accepted for junior year because of my busy schedule next year), and providing new ideas to the school board, such as adding an AP Physics course, etc. While this was put as a "non-stereotypical activity", many of the people taking these leadership roles at my school are Asian. Would this in any way degrade me taking up leadership positions?
Thanks for any responses!
P.S. I'm also joining the volleyball team at my school (as a junior) and am a Boy Scout, likely to become an Eagle Scout prior to regular decision deadlines.
Kevin Tong: USAMO, IMO are whole new different levels of math expertise, not something to be tossed away, especially if you apply to STEM-oriented schools like MIT, CalTech, Stanford. She is probably talking about those resume filler kinda math clubs. It's great if you are truly passionate about math. The admissions process is unpredictable. All the best.
Kevin Tong Honestly, by the looks of it you have shown an extreme passion in math and if you explain your activities in math on your app and write an essay on the obstacles you’ve overcome pursuing your passion, you should be good. 👍🏼
Hi Shiropa,
Thank you so much for your response, it really makes sense and clears things up a lot! I've just been super confused lately because I keep hearing people say "competing in math competitions" when referring to the stereotype of Asians (not necessarily in this video, but some other ones). The USAMO and IMO are indeed much higher level competitions, and are unlikely to be participated by most Asians. Best of luck!
Thanks for the response! I hope that's true 😬
Kevin: Hi, Kev. an EC by itself is not impressive but the context in which you do it creates the impression. the story matters. most domestic applicants including Asians don't have IMO kind of accolade. at a place like MIT, CalTech most international students are from these intl. olympiads. l am an international student btw. attending Stanford this fall. go for IMO!!! all the best.
This is sad. People are being encouraged to stop doing something that they love or not try something that could really enjoy because of this.
I now see why this video was recommended to me I’m on the fence on stereotypical and non stereotypical Asian.
Uhh my school is predominantly Asian and extremely competitive so pretty much everyone is in at least 4 clubs and on a debate team and in a bunch of positions of leadership and doing a bunch of volunteering and internships... are those stereotypical Asian activities
I've been in JROTC since freshman year and I am currently the Commanding Officer in the program. I'm in the program because I love how close nit and family like the program is not because I want to go into the military. Most of the people who are in this program don't plan on going into the military, so I don't know why it would hurt us.
It hurts even more for asian American students because most of us have parents that immigrated to the U.S. for us to have a better life and raised us to be the hardest working people in the college admissions pool
JROTC DOES look good on college applications. If you can relate the things you're involved in to your future goals, then colleges tend to like that. I'm 2nd in command with my battalion, and I was on a leadership position prior. Tulane loved this!!
When you have to be perfect to get into the college that you want.
I have a question: is being extremely artsy (drawing and writing wise) considered 'stereotypically Asian'? We have a fair amount of artsy Asians at my school, so I'm worried about blending in too much.
Other questions: if I'm writing a novella, should I include that in my college application (it should be finished by senior year)? What about a webcomic? Or a TH-cam channel (it's this one, so it's really small as of now)? All of these activities are ones that I initialized without parental input (lmao) and am extremely passionate about.
Will aspiring to be an artist (a job that usually can't pay back college tuition) hurt my application?? Will it make them worry about me potentially not being interested in college?
Also, if I play the flute and am not particularly passionate about it (but was not allowed to drop it), should I put it on my college application? I tried to drop it in favor of more visual arts classes, but my guidance counselor and parents made me keep it because "consistency looks good." uwu
Thank you in advance for your time!! Your videos are amazing and extremely helpful, and condensed to a length I can actually sit through! ✨♥️
Hi SuperTutor. Plz consider doing some videos for black students and/or thier parents. How can they market themselves if they are middle/upper middle class & haven't dealt with financial adversity?
I’m asian and I play baseball but also in a science Olympiad team/club
well ur screwed
It’s ok if you want to go into STEM field. Activies aligned with your passion are good.
Brooke, I have a few questions: 1) How does the admission staff identify the student as an Asian American if he/she has a non-Asian last name (due to adoption, for example)? Aside from the last name do students submit photos of themselves (like they do in Asia)? Or somewhere on the application they ask for an ethnicity question? 2) If there are no photos or ethnicity questions then Asian American parents should do a name change for their kids in elementary school. Wouldn't this solve the problem? Afterall, this is no different than a game, right? In a game we change our avatar as many times as we wish, right?
so what do they want us to do then? they all require huge acheivements like the award or the prize in national levels, continental levels or sometimes even international levels. 🤷♂️
being an asian is so hard sometimes :(
Ok so if I were looking to be a pharmacist and I took a pharmacy internship, it would hurt my chances?
Kaleb Bradburn i was wondering the same thing
Pharmacy is a career you need to attend college in order to be successful at, so an internship would not hurt your chances. The activities she talks about are for careers that you do not need to attend college for (ex. Future Farmers of America). Hope this helps
Rachel S. Thank you so much for clearing this up!
My internet activity: “why can’t I eat sawdust!? Like SHUT UP! And let me be!”
Collage admissions: once again kinda weird but.... wow.
Help! How does being half Asian and half white, but not doing stereotypical activities affect me in college admissions?
That is a mystery of the universe we still haven't found research on...
SupertutorTV haha
@@pawl23 Which race does your surname come from? Because you aren't necessarily obligated to state both races. You could simply not mention your maternal race, and say that you are exclusively the race of your father, if it is convenient for your chance of getting accepted.
What if you conveyed in the essay that you did ROTC and activities like that to actually want to go to collage?
What about the club FBLA? (Future Business Leaders of America)
Not sure. Unfortunately the data is not that "granular" (specific). EVERYTHING that you put under "Career oriented" on the common app was tracked for this data point, so technically that activity is in the mix but the author didn't single it out or mention it specifically. He's also crunching data from over a decade ago in a book that came out in 2009... he offers his interpretation (the majority of career oriented activities prepare students for careers that do not require degrees and thus he correlates the gap with that explanation) but he doesn't get into the specifics.
SupertutorTV thanks! I have done FBLA for all 4 years of highschool. I have done activities that are not necessarily "career oriented," like fundraising and volunteering for the March of Dimes and genuinely enjoy the activities we do in the club. So I may end up putting FBLA on my college application. Thanks again!
What about HOSA (health occupations students of america)? If you imply that you’re interested in medicine, surely that means you want to go to college rather than not? The speculation they used on FFA doesn’t quite work here..?
if you’re interested in medicine, then how does that tell the college that you don’t want to go to college??? bc any medical jobs LITERALLY REQUIRES degrees!!!!
HOSA definitely helps. I know a bunch of HOSA Alumni that are currently attending the Ivy League schools. It makes sense, too. Sure, HOSA might be a career-preparation organization, but in order to become any sort of health professional, you do need some sort of higher education, and colleges definitely understand that. HOSA, FBLA, DECA, and BPA are all CTSO organizations that I know have produced many current attendees at top-tier schools.
This great to hear bc I am also in HOSA and was concerned as to whether I could include it
I want to become a writer or a journalist, so I intend to get a college degree that correlates with that. I'm in 4-H, but the only project I've ever participated in is Creative Writing (I got 2 Grand Champion plaques and 1 Reserve Champion ribbon). I've held the same leadership position in my club for years- Reporter. Since I don't have animals and I live in the city, does my participation in 4-H still hurt my chances?
For ELITE & private universities: I would put it down, because winning awards in writing is good, but try to write it out in a way that emphasizes the accomplishment and the name of your chapter or the event before the 4H part of the club. I think it's just a stigma for something that many people in more urban environments aren't used to, perhaps? You type up your activities. Maybe there's a way to put it but to slow roll the 4H part? Also I would categorize this as JOURNALISM/PUBLICATION not CAREER ORIENTED in terms of "area" on common app (you'll see when you fill it out). For public universities with ties to 4-H or who sponsor chapters as well as schools in rural environments that are less competitive I don't think it will hurt as much.
SupertutorTV Thank you!
I got my BSc. degree at a university that has a history as an agricultural college and still have a strong agriculture science and practical agricultural studies program. I would hope that having a leadership role in a "Young Farmers" club does not hurt those admissions, in the same way, that physics clubs/math Olympics teams ought to help students applying to science programs.
Why am I watching this? I’m in college.
Wait does learning languages outside of school count as an Extra curriculum activity
I’ve taught myself 3 languages. I want to know this!!
yes!! only if you’re self-teaching tho!
Hi supertutortv, I took the June SAT subject test and scored a 740 on world history, 740 on bio and 780 on math 2. I want to go to an Ivy League and major in biology. How would you rate these scores? I’m considering retaking biology. Thank you!!
Chen Kevin Those scores wouldn’t keep you out of any university in the U.S.
In fact, retaking very high scores may work AGAINST you even if you improve because you’ll come across as being overly obsessed with your test scores. The best thing you can do is work on some extracurriculars (as unique as you can make them) that will help you develop as an individual. You have the scores, you likely have the grades, now you need to prove that you’re mature, sociable and interesting. If you want an example of an essay that got me into a few colleges I had no right even applying to, lmk.
Daniel thank you so much for you advice!! And yes please I would really appreciate an example!!
Chen Kevin I wrote about how my English class was discussing religion and we got to the topic of heaven and hell. One of my peers explained that in Judaism, there’s no concept of heaven and hell, just a sort of purgatory/limbo. I talked about how shocked I was that such a fundamental aspect of Christianity differed so much from Judaism, and how that instance taught me to be wary of generalizations.
I think what admissions officers liked about it was that I turned a moment of ignorance into a lesson that I used to learn from and better myself.
Whatever you decide to write about, make sure you write in your own voice. Don’t use a thesaurus and try to come across as smart or impressive. Your grades and exam scores already prove that you’re intelligent and competent.
Daniel thank you so much I’ll definitely take your advice when writing my essay!!!
Can you make a video on volunteering?
What if I’m really into tennis (been on varsity since sophomore year) and a club like Knowledge Bowl?
Is me being an Eagle Scout part of that first activity?
Mega Ascension I could imagine no but then again there are not too many Eagle Scouts (or at lest around where I live) so you should be fine
You as a member of the Nest represent the top 8% of scouts you have demonstrated Excellence Leadership Determination and Commitment. While it shouldn't be the only thing you have it is still amazing and a crown jewel achievement.
wow now i should remember not to watch this because it’s gonna make me afraid that doing rotc is bad like wtf i understand that it is carrer oriented but being careful in case u don’t get into these colleges by doing stuff like this or the farmers organization whatever shouldn’t be a bad thing and ppl should be allowed to show the accomplishments in their college apps
Thank you SuperTutorTV for your help. I have a question though. Does competing in activities like Quiz Bowl related competitions or BPA hurt your chances of college admissions?
Quiz Bowl I don't think so generally. The idea with the last point is that if you do "typical" seeming activities that may make you seem similar to other candidates of your demographic, you just might be careful to spin your essays in a way that make you seem unique. If you're involved, looking as if you're NOT involved is worse that having a few activities that might seem stereotypical, I think. To be sure, I'd have to do a study with real admissions data, though. (sigh).But you need to pull your narrative in some way so you don't seem like just another person in the pile.
to anybody reading this, im a freshman in highschool and want to get a view on what i could and maybe should do during my next few years. I'm in the JROTC program and love the program, especially the people you meet and the activities and development as a person; but she talks about how it may harm admission chances. What do you thinl i should do? Should i stay in the program and shoot for a leadership position? drop the program? or go for a semi leadership position? thanks for listening to my ted talk please share your thoughts!
Im probably a little late but i Hope you stayed in.
what about mock trial ? i want to go into law, and i’m really passionate about it, i have a leadership position in mock trial as well. would that hurt me?
No, it wouldn't hurt you but however. You should stand out in mock trial by creating new ideas and standing out while holding your leadership position. I think that's what she stresses the idea of.
Do the job-oriented activities have the same effect as classes in school like BIM or Academy of Finance? Are these classes worth taking?
I'm in speech and debate and very involved. I'm looking to go to state and was very close to nationals this year. I want to be a four year letterman in this, but I'm worried that I'm not involved in more things. I don't do too much volunteering outside of honor society. My classmates are in lots of clubs and in leadership positions, do lots of volunteering and are academically high achieving. Should I be looking towards more to get involved in, or stick to committing myself to speech and debate and academics
I am President of the Math Team (amongst other competitive academic clubs), and I play violin in the chamber orchestra. BUT, I'm black so I got in.
Thought you where green
Are online business, Digital marketing, freelancing good extracurriculars
I love you and your content Brooke, But I could not agree with the the first point you made in this video, about career oriented activities. Being an international student from India, what i observed was that students who did heavy career oriented activities like " taking part in the computer olympaid which requires you to master skills equivalent to that of a developer" got more and more students into MIT. I would love your response towards this trend brooke. Thank you
very informative
Ok in my country, high schools dont offer activities and its usually if ur like the top in class, very good chances are the ONLY activity you are interested actually in is a particular subject and olympiads......i mean seriously, i have never seen a "class topper" be playing an instrument or smth......maybe just being in the school's science club......WHAT DO I DO? PLZ HELP
Do colleges prefer students who attended private school over students who attended public school?
gurmehar not that I'm aware of. They look at all of the opportunities your school specifically provides, so it's not as if a school with a lower budget wouldn't count as much
gurmehar one thing I constantly hear from people that got accepted into college or are in college often say if you come from a private school it helps you get into Ivy Leagues better because private school kids often have better programs that better prepare them for college and have the money for college. In all honesty from what I've heard it's just easier to get into college if you can pay your way into college
I have a little dilemma in another video named "12 Summer Activities that Impress Colleges: Overachiever’s Guide to Summer Break" you said that getting a job or an internship helps and my question is, aren't they "career oriented activities" as well? if not where is the difference?
Off topic, but how do students chose whether to take the ACT or SAT? Does SuperTutor have videos covering that? Thx!
Preston Clark you can take both tests not just one
th-cam.com/video/4qpW2-rirYA/w-d-xo.html Yes-- we have an earlier one too that is a bit more in depth th-cam.com/video/1wiGNaoxDXE/w-d-xo.html
SupertutorTV Thank you! I've searched but looks like you haven't published a video yet on AP vs. IB. Plz consider doing one
Hi Supertutor! I was wondering what your take is on MOOCs? Do you think online classes are worth investing time in and if they will paint you more positively on college applications?
If you have no other options they can be ok. But I find community college classes (in person) look a bit stronger as they require more involvement by nature and are often accredited.
Do people actually put their social media on their activities list? Like what types of blogs or accounts would be good for that?
Make a video about your opinion on the curve for the June SAT please
You need to think seriously about high school JROTC honor students that actually want to become a military officer. I am like seriously??
The extreme unfairness/discrimination toward Asian students being “stereotypical” is that they don’t consider that lots of these kids are genuinely gifted in doing this. If you look at international music competitions, piano, violin, cello etc. you’ll see how those are dominated by Asians across all age groups. Can they say that these people do it, devote millions of hours (not exaggerating, over their life time), doing one of the hardest works (if not THE hardest) in the world and gain those achievements simply because they want to impress colleges? Unlike other academic fields, music is one thing that you can’t do UNLESS you are truly gifted. Being a professional musician myself, I went through that tough path because I am capable of doing it AND I have true passion for it. I teach all kinds of students and only a small percentage of them are truly gifted. Natural selects them before colleges try to judge them. When such kids excel in their instruments, they devote ALL their time and energy to it and it’s simply not possible to have extra time for anything else. Do math or science Olympiads students get up at 5 am to practice before school? Do they stay home all weekends and holidays just so they can practice HOURS AND HOURS while other kids go to mall or movies? People of other fields don’t understand how tough what we do is. Then of course, we’d be doing chamber music, orchestras, competitions, recitals, concerts, tours when other kids can do garage bands or go skateboarding in the park. Viewing studying classical music as a stereotype and nothing special is a huge mistake. Classical music is part of our culture and we don’t learn that because we want to gain admission to top college. Just like basketball or baseball is part of American culture.
Dear SuperTutorTV,
I am doing this course called Honors Mentorship in my high school, and it basically where students choose to do an internship during school hours for an entire year. I am doing my internship in welding. You said career-oriented activities would lower my chances for admission. Should I include this in my list of activities or should I chuck it? I am not sure because it is a career-related, though I just like learning about it other than follow it as a career choice. Please Help!
If you’re looking to go to college for engineering, include it. It’s honestly not going to hurt your chances anyway. If you’re going to college for something else, include it as a hobby.
I am planning to join science Olympiad my sophomore year. Would that hurt my chances to get into a good university since I am gonna be there for only three years when other people been there longer than me. During my freshman year I only did one club which was CSF,a community service club, and I am planning to do more clubs.
It‘d be amazing if you made a videos dedicated to international students who strive to understand the US college system (e.g. how to apply for scholarships as an international student, insight on the application content and what we should do to be appealing to colleges considering we don’t have IB, honors and AP classes in France for example)
I also don’t know what my GPA is since our grading systems are different so how can I know if i fit the academic requirements of each college? (I plan on taking the SATs though)
Lea de Galzain My exact concern exactly 👆🏻 I've been researching for months and it feels like I still have a lot of blank spaces regarding the us system.
CS same especially regarding financial aid like I read somewhere that “international students are actually required by US law to prove they or their family can afford to pay the entirety of their university studies in the United States. This is taken into account during the visa application process.” But lmao how am I supposed to find 60 grand times 6 plus what’s the point of the college covering 100% of the student’s financial needs if they can afford it themselves entirely to begin with?
Agreed, I never understood the us system but I want to go
Lea de Galzain please don't quote me on this but I believe you (international student) have to complete the CSS profile on college board (you have to fill out how much you make/spend/save, basically your taxes). On there you will be asked which schools you wish to submit the form to and I think they charge like 25 dollars for each school they send it to. With it they will know if you are elegible for financial aid.
I just want to say I haven't completed it yet. You can start filling it until October 1st of this year if you're a senior like me.
I'm very much confused myself but if I can help you with anything let me know! :)
CS yeah ive read about the CSS profile, didn’t know the deadline was oct 1st wtf that’s so soon
Thanksss same goes for u
What about the RAF Air Cadets in the UK?
So if I’m In JROTC I have less of a chance? Okay then
I just recently finished an occupational internship I'd keep it away from my college app then Thanks
Talha Nayyar You should definitely keep it imo
It was a solar power one and I plan on going into college for computer science so I'd rather not
Talha Nayyar keep it...
Talha Nayyar it’s an internship work experience so that helps you stand out! I had an internship related to business but my major was civil engineering
Keep it
I'm a firefighter at my local fire department, will that hurt my admissions?