Thoughts on high school activities - Revision history

Jsinick at 18:16, 16 October 2013

2013-10-16T18:16:08Z

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	Selective colleges often require that applicants take SAT Subject Tests. We give suggestions for how to prepare for these [http://learntothrive.subwiki.org/wiki/Thoughts_on_high_school_activities#Coursework_and_SAT_subject_tests above]. You can take a practice test for a given subject by obtaining a copy of [http://www.amazon.com/Official-Study-Guide-Subject-Edition/dp/0874479754/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381518916&sr=8-1&keywords=sat+subject+test The Official Study Guide for ALL SAT Subject Tests].		Selective colleges often require that applicants take SAT Subject Tests. We give suggestions for how to prepare for these [http://learntothrive.subwiki.org/wiki/Thoughts_on_high_school_activities#Coursework_and_SAT_subject_tests above]. You can take a practice test for a given subject by obtaining a copy of [http://www.amazon.com/Official-Study-Guide-Subject-Edition/dp/0874479754/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1381518916&sr=8-1&keywords=sat+subject+test The Official Study Guide for ALL SAT Subject Tests].

			== College applications ==

Jsinick: /* Suggestions for extracurricular activities */

2013-10-16T18:15:31Z

Suggestions for extracurricular activities

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	====Internships====		====Internships====

			You can learn more about careers that interest you by doing internships at companies and nonprofits.

			====Earning to give====

			A lot of community service work and volunteer work isn't an efficient way of helping people. An alternative that you should consider is [earning to give http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earning_to_give]. If you get a job, or work a few extra hours at your job, you can save up money that you can donate to charity. Some charities are very impactful. For example, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GiveDirectly GiveDirectly] gives 90% of donations to very poor Kenyans with household incomes that are about ~$1000/year. If you donate ~$1000 to GiveDirectly, you can double a poor Kenyan family's income for a year, enabling the family to buy things like [http://www.givewell.org/international/top-charities/give-directly#Howdorecipientsspendtheircashandhowdoesthisspendingimpacttheirlives a metal roof to replace a leaky thatch roof].

	== Standardized tests ==		== Standardized tests ==

Jsinick: /* Suggestions for extracurricular activities */

2013-10-16T18:04:16Z

Suggestions for extracurricular activities

@@ Line 105: / Line 105: @@
 Because colleges don't appear to favor applicants who are involved in a large number of extracurricular activities, or specific extracurricular activities, you should take advantage of the opportunity to choose extracurricular activities in areas that will interest you, and/or extracurricular activities that are conducive to personal growth. Some extracurricular activities that we recommend are:
-====Innovation====
+====Creating something new====
 == Standardized tests ==

Jsinick: /* Suggestions for extracurricular activities */

2013-10-16T17:51:35Z

Suggestions for extracurricular activities

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:51, 16 October 2013
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	=== Suggestions for extracurricular activities ===		=== Suggestions for extracurricular activities ===

	Because colleges don't appear to favor applicants who are involved in a large number of extracurricular activities, or specific extracurricular activities, you should take advantage of the opportunity to choose extracurricular activities that are ~~best for your~~ personal growth. If you're thinking about becoming a scientist, consider interning in a science lab. If you love music, consider focusing your extracurriculars around music. If you're an aspiring programmer, consider participating in online communities centered around programming, such as [http:~~//stackoverflow.com/ Stack Overflow].~~		Because colleges don't appear to favor applicants who are involved in a large number of extracurricular activities, or specific extracurricular activities, you should take advantage of the opportunity to choose extracurricular activities in areas that will interest you, and/or extracurricular activities that are conducive to personal growth. Some extracurricular activities that we recommend are:

			====Innovation====

	== Standardized tests ==		== Standardized tests ==

Jsinick at 17:48, 16 October 2013

2013-10-16T17:48:51Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:48, 16 October 2013
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	* Just because you find a teacher easy to understand doesn't mean that you're learning a lot, and just because you find a teacher hard to understand doesn't mean that you're not learning. Some teachers appear to be clear precisely because they don't spend time on the parts of the material that are hardest to understand — they teach students material that they don't need help with rather than material that they do need help with. Some of the teachers who are hard to understand are ones who you can learn the most from. Of course, there are teachers who are hard to understand who you can't learn from even if you try, and you should avoid them, but you should be aware that this isn't always the case.		* Just because you find a teacher easy to understand doesn't mean that you're learning a lot, and just because you find a teacher hard to understand doesn't mean that you're not learning. Some teachers appear to be clear precisely because they don't spend time on the parts of the material that are hardest to understand — they teach students material that they don't need help with rather than material that they do need help with. Some of the teachers who are hard to understand are ones who you can learn the most from. Of course, there are teachers who are hard to understand who you can't learn from even if you try, and you should avoid them, but you should be aware that this isn't always the case.
	* Students often incorrectly believe that teacher who are harder in terms of the material covered or in terms of the work they assign will be harder in terms of the final letter grades they assign. This is not necessarily true: it can happen that an teacher challenges students while grading leniently, and it can happen that a teacher who doesn't challenge students also grades harshly. You can learn more about how leniently a teacher grades by talking to students who have already completed a course than by talking to students who are currently in the course, and may b		* Students often incorrectly believe that teacher who are harder in terms of the material covered or in terms of the work they assign will be harder in terms of the final letter grades they assign. This is not necessarily true: it can happen that an teacher challenges students while grading leniently, and it can happen that a teacher who doesn't challenge students also grades harshly. You can learn more about how leniently a teacher grades by talking to students who have already completed a course than by talking to students who are currently in the course, and may b

			==Extracurricular activities==

	=== Colleges are flexible when evaluating student involvement in extracurricular activities ===		=== Colleges are flexible when evaluating student involvement in extracurricular activities ===

Jsinick: /* Extracurricular activities */

2013-10-16T17:47:36Z

Extracurricular activities

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:47, 16 October 2013
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	* Students often incorrectly believe that teacher who are harder in terms of the material covered or in terms of the work they assign will be harder in terms of the final letter grades they assign. This is not necessarily true: it can happen that an teacher challenges students while grading leniently, and it can happen that a teacher who doesn't challenge students also grades harshly. You can learn more about how leniently a teacher grades by talking to students who have already completed a course than by talking to students who are currently in the course, and may b		* Students often incorrectly believe that teacher who are harder in terms of the material covered or in terms of the work they assign will be harder in terms of the final letter grades they assign. This is not necessarily true: it can happen that an teacher challenges students while grading leniently, and it can happen that a teacher who doesn't challenge students also grades harshly. You can learn more about how leniently a teacher grades by talking to students who have already completed a course than by talking to students who are currently in the course, and may b

	== ~~Extracurricular~~ activities ==		=== Colleges are flexible when evaluating student involvement in extracurricular activities ===

	~~We give advice concerning~~ extracurricular activities [http://~~learntothrive~~.~~subwiki~~.org/~~wiki~~/~~Extracurricular_activities here~~].		Some students are under the impression that outside of their school work, they should participate in as many activities as possible. A common reason for this is that students believe that colleges are looking for students who participate in as many activities as possible. Similarly, some students think that colleges want applicants who have participated in specific extracurricular activities.

			Our research hasn't turned up any evidence that supports this, and we've come across many indications that colleges ''don't'' look specifically for students who participate in as many activities as possible. Here are some representative examples:

			* Stanford University admissions department [http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/basics/selection/evaluate.html says]: ''Students often assume our primary concern is the number of activities in which one participates. In fact, an exceptional depth of experience in one or two activities may demonstrate your passion more than minimal participation in five or six clubs.''
			* MIT's admissions department says [http://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/highschool says]: ''Choose your activities because they really delight, intrigue and challenge you, not because you think they'll look impressive on your application. Go out of your way to find projects, activities and experiences that stimulate your creativity and leadership, that connect you with peers and adults who bring out your best, that please you so much you don't mind the work involved. Some students find room for many activities; others prefer to concentrate on just a few. Either way, the test for any extracurricular should be whether it makes you happy - whether it feels right for you.''
			* The founder of adMISSION POSSIBLE [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marjorie-hansen-shaevitz/extra-curricular-activities-college-admission_b_3040217.html wrote]: ''When it comes to extracurricular involvements, it doesn't really matter what the content is. Anything from doing a major DNA research project to volunteering at a school that serves low income students to excelling at fly-fishing is legitimate fodder for college application grids. No matter the activity, colleges look for quality of involvement rather than quantity of activities. In other words, it is better to be consistently involved in one, two, or three activities and/or sports over a number of years, than superficially involved in eight, 10 or 12 for shorter periods of time. Simply said, activity laundry lists do not impress.''

			=== Suggestions for extracurricular activities ===

			Because colleges don't appear to favor applicants who are involved in a large number of extracurricular activities, or specific extracurricular activities, you should take advantage of the opportunity to choose extracurricular activities that are best for your personal growth. If you're thinking about becoming a scientist, consider interning in a science lab. If you love music, consider focusing your extracurriculars around music. If you're an aspiring programmer, consider participating in online communities centered around programming, such as [http://stackoverflow.com/ Stack Overflow].

	== Standardized tests ==		== Standardized tests ==

Jsinick: /* Extracurricular activities */

2013-10-16T17:43:19Z

Extracurricular activities

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:43, 16 October 2013
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	== Extracurricular activities ==		== Extracurricular activities ==

	We give advice concerning extracurricular activities [http://learntothrive.subwiki.org/wiki/Extracurricular_activities here]		We give advice concerning extracurricular activities [http://learntothrive.subwiki.org/wiki/Extracurricular_activities here].

	== Standardized tests ==		== Standardized tests ==

Jsinick: /* Extracurricular activities */

2013-10-16T17:43:07Z

Extracurricular activities

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:43, 16 October 2013
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	== Extracurricular activities ==		== Extracurricular activities ==

	Some students are under the impression that outside of their school work, they should participate in as many activities as possible. A common reason for this is that students believe that colleges are looking for students who participate in as many activities ~~as possible.~~		We give advice concerning extracurricular activities [http://learntothrive.subwiki.org/wiki/Extracurricular_activities here]

	Our research hasn't turned up any evidence that supports this, and we've come across many indications that colleges ''don't'' look specifically for students who participate in as many activities as possible. Here are some representative examples:

	* Stanford University admissions department [http://www.stanford.edu/dept/uga/basics/selection/evaluate.html says]: ''Students often assume our primary concern is the number of activities in which one participates. In fact, an exceptional depth of experience in one or two activities may demonstrate your passion more than minimal participation in five or six clubs.''
	* MIT's admissions department says [http://mitadmissions.org/apply/prepare/highschool says]: ''Choose your activities because they really delight, intrigue and challenge you, not because you think they'll look impressive on your application. Go out of your way to find projects, activities and experiences that stimulate your creativity and leadership, that connect you with peers and adults who bring out your best, that please you so much you don't mind the work involved. Some students find room for many activities; others prefer to concentrate on just a few. Either way, the test for any extracurricular should be whether it makes you happy - whether it feels right for you.''
	* The founder of adMISSION POSSIBLE [http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marjorie-hansen-shaevitz/extra-curricular-activities-college-admission_b_3040217.html wrote]: ''When it comes to extracurricular involvements, it doesn't really matter what the content is. Anything from doing a major DNA research project to volunteering at a school that serves low income students to excelling at fly-fishing is legitimate fodder for college application grids. No matter the activity, colleges look for quality of involvement rather than quantity of activities. In other words, it is better to be consistently involved in one, two, or three activities and/or sports over a number of years, than superficially involved in eight, 10 or 12 for shorter periods of time. Simply said, activity laundry lists do not impress.''

	Because colleges don't appear to favor applicants who are involved in a large number of extracurricular activities, or specific extracurricular activities, you should take advantage of the opportunity to choose extracurricular activities that are best for your personal growth. If you're thinking about becoming a scientist, consider interning in a science lab. If you love music, consider focusing your extracurriculars around music. If you're an aspiring programmer, consider participating in online communities centered around programming, such as [http://~~stackoverflow.com/ Stack Overflow].~~

	~~We have a page with [[suggestions for extracurricular activities~~]].

	== Standardized tests ==		== Standardized tests ==

Jsinick: /* Extracurricular activities */

2013-10-16T17:34:23Z

Extracurricular activities

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:34, 16 October 2013
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	Because colleges don't appear to favor applicants who are involved in a large number of extracurricular activities, or specific extracurricular activities, you should take advantage of the opportunity to choose extracurricular activities that are best for your personal growth. If you're thinking about becoming a scientist, consider interning in a science lab. If you love music, consider focusing your extracurriculars around music. If you're an aspiring programmer, consider participating in online communities centered around programming, such as [http://stackoverflow.com/ Stack Overflow].		Because colleges don't appear to favor applicants who are involved in a large number of extracurricular activities, or specific extracurricular activities, you should take advantage of the opportunity to choose extracurricular activities that are best for your personal growth. If you're thinking about becoming a scientist, consider interning in a science lab. If you love music, consider focusing your extracurriculars around music. If you're an aspiring programmer, consider participating in online communities centered around programming, such as [http://stackoverflow.com/ Stack Overflow].

	We have a page with [suggestions for extracurricular activities].		We have a page with [[suggestions for extracurricular activities]].

	== Standardized tests ==		== Standardized tests ==

Jsinick: /* Selecting good teachers */

2013-10-13T05:01:05Z

Selecting good teachers

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:01, 13 October 2013
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	* Try not to judge a teacher primarily based on how entertaining he or she is. Entertaining teachers aren't necessarily the ones who you can learn the most from: some entertaining teachers offer a very superficial coverage of the course material, and some dull teachers challenge students to absorb the material deeply and think about it. You may enjoy an entertaining teacher's class more, but depending on the teacher, you may not grow as much as you could have if you had taken a class with another teacher.		* Try not to judge a teacher primarily based on how entertaining he or she is. Entertaining teachers aren't necessarily the ones who you can learn the most from: some entertaining teachers offer a very superficial coverage of the course material, and some dull teachers challenge students to absorb the material deeply and think about it. You may enjoy an entertaining teacher's class more, but depending on the teacher, you may not grow as much as you could have if you had taken a class with another teacher.
	* Just because you find a teacher easy to understand doesn't mean that you're learning a lot, and just because you find a teacher hard to understand doesn't mean that you're not learning. Some teachers appear to be clear precisely because they don't spend time on the parts of the material that are hardest to understand — they teach students material that they don't need help with rather than material that they do need help with. Some of the teachers who are hard to understand are ones who you can learn the most from. Of course, there are ~~also~~ teachers who are hard to understand who you		* Just because you find a teacher easy to understand doesn't mean that you're learning a lot, and just because you find a teacher hard to understand doesn't mean that you're not learning. Some teachers appear to be clear precisely because they don't spend time on the parts of the material that are hardest to understand — they teach students material that they don't need help with rather than material that they do need help with. Some of the teachers who are hard to understand are ones who you can learn the most from. Of course, there are teachers who are hard to understand who you can't learn from even if you try, and you should avoid them, but you should be aware that this isn't always the case.
			* Students often incorrectly believe that teacher who are harder in terms of the material covered or in terms of the work they assign will be harder in terms of the final letter grades they assign. This is not necessarily true: it can happen that an teacher challenges students while grading leniently, and it can happen that a teacher who doesn't challenge students also grades harshly. You can learn more about how leniently a teacher grades by talking to students who have already completed a course than by talking to students who are currently in the course, and may b
	. ~~Of course, some people who are hard to~~
	Students often incorrectly believe that teacher who are harder in terms of the material covered or in terms of the work they assign will be harder in terms of the final letter grades they assign. This is not necessarily true: it can happen that an teacher challenges students while grading leniently, or doesn't challenge students ~~while grading~~ harshly.
	*

	== Extracurricular activities ==		== Extracurricular activities ==