aahmedov Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 I am doing, like every other IB student, CAS which consists of 6 activities for me. Do universitites expect you to do extracurriculars in addition to CAS. So that your appication says CAS + other activities. Because I dont know if I have the time to take in something else considering im doing HL math, HL physics, HL chemistry and HL language B. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Award Winning Boss Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 No. Extra curricular activities aren't that important anyway. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CkyBlue Posted July 24, 2012 Report Share Posted July 24, 2012 Not really. Most extracurriculars could fall into CAS. I don't think there's a specific university application for IB students (is there?) and you cannot simply write CAS as an extracurricular; it's too vague, and I doubt some people know what CAS is. When I was doing university applications, you write exactly what programs, volunteering, and whatnot you have been involved in.As a side note, if you want that small advantage, you should try to be a part of the community and do what you can to make your application look nice. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocolateDrop Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 Depends where you're applying and what for. US universities and Oxbridge generally like ECs such as competitions which don't count as CAS, however they don't expect you to participate in them. Having said that, some institutions in the US like MIT look at the opportunities and competitions offered at your school/ that your school takes part in and asses you on whether you tookadvantage the offers around you (if available). This is according to collegeconfidential which is an awesome site if you're anticipating applying in the US. Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emmi Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 (edited) Depends where you're applying and what for. US universities and Oxbridge generally like ECs such as competitions which don't count as CAS, however they don't expect you to participate in them. Having said that, some institutions in the US like MIT look at the opportunities and competitions offered at your school/ that your school takes part in and asses you on whether you tookadvantage the offers around you (if available). This is according to collegeconfidential which is an awesome site if you're anticipating applying in the US.Actually no. Let me clarify about what US unis want (in case you were interested in applying there).US unis really care about extracurriculars. Not to the extent as they care about your academic work, but extracurriculars are very important especially at top unis where everyone has stellar grades. ECs help to distinguish between two applicants and give the admissions team a bit about who you are and what you're passionate for.Many things can qualify for ECs and they can certainly come from CAS (all the things I did for CAS I included in my application), although they can come from outside CAS also. Things like sports go well, especially if you've been in the same sport for a long time. Volunteering/service is appreciated, especially if you've done a lot of hours (and with the IB it's easy to have a lot). Other things they like include competitions for teams, things such as Model UN, and jobs and work experience. But having a ton of clubs and extracurriculars does not guarantee a spot in an Ivy League. Unis look for quality over quantity, meaning the individual who was only in three clubs but volunteered hundreds of hours in those clubs and had leadership positions in two of them would look a LOT better than the individual who only showed up occasionally to the nine clubs they were a part of.You are not required to enter any competitions for your ECs. If that's your thing, that's great. But if not, you can show commitment and involvement in other ways.My advice is to pick a couple of things you're interested in and become very involved in them, and if they're related to your future career goals that's even better. Because it gives you something to talk about in your personal statement. Edited July 31, 2012 by Emy Glau-ski Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChocolateDrop Posted July 31, 2012 Report Share Posted July 31, 2012 I'm not saying that if there competitions/ scientific research are required but MIT likes students to take advantage f this type of things.http://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/match_gameThey like students to show this initiative qualities even before admittance according to Educational counselors on college confidentialhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/massachusetts-institute-technology/1232312-do-normal-people-get-into-mit-2.html'Does the high school offer research programs, do students participate in math/science competitions, how well do they perform? What is the parental educational and professional background? We are also fully aware that it may be lot easier for the son or daughter of a professor at Yale or a physician to get an internship during the summer.'Do competitions such as science and maths olympiads/ scientific research count as CAS? Reply Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.