From Naps to Zombies to Atheism, High School Kids Have a Club for It [Part 2 of 3]
By Sherry Saavedra
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
An eye to college
Ian Hampton, a senior at Carmel Valley's Torrey Pines High School, where the number of clubs has grown from roughly 110 in 2000 to about 140 now, said college-bound students often form community-service organizations.
“They're the easiest ones to start up,” Ian said. “You don't have to have a prior interest. You just find the organization of your choice to raise funds for. And these days colleges are looking for philanthropists.”
Last school year, he founded and became co-president of the Brick by Brick club, which raised $5,000 for an organization that builds orphanages in Third World countries.
“I've always been kind of a globally conscious kid,” said Ian, who is president of his school's National Honor Society and captain of the debate team. “But I won't lie to you. College admissions was also on my mind when I started that club. It's sad that it's come to that, but we have to distinguish ourselves from the rest of the kids out there.”
Jennifer O'Connor, associate student body adviser at Scripps Ranch High School, where club growth has approximately doubled in five years, said she has heard of students feigning interest in clubs to be elected to leadership posts, and after the votes are cast they don't show up for meetings.
The competition to demonstrate leadership that will look good on a college application has grown so fierce that students are jockeying to replace the outgoing senior club presidents earlier each year.
“They're fighting for that person's position as early as October,” O'Connor said.
Because colleges don't typically verify the existence of clubs on student applications, O'Connor said some teenagers pad their résumés with bogus organizations.
“Kids have tried to pass off random stuff like the facial hair club or the hat club,” she said.
Richard Shaw, dean of undergraduate admission and financial aid at Stanford University, said his department looks for sustained and significant involvement in a school activity such as a sport, band or club, rather than a surface affiliation with many organizations.
“The concept of joining clubs to make themselves more competitive for college is rather sad,” Shaw said. “Everybody is trying to guess what it takes to get into college, and that's completely the wrong focus. Kids are wound so tight now. They should back off a little and enjoy things more and allow themselves to be kids.”
Many college officials acknowledge that leadership roles in clubs can open doors, particularly if the group made major civic or charitable contributions to the community while under a student's leadership.
That said, plenty of new clubs have no academic or philanthropic purpose.
