Which universities in the USA value academics more than extracurriculars?

Question

I am really frustrated by the fact that most colleges and universities in the USA value extracurriculars more than academics. I mean, they accept students that have participated in various extracurricular activities but have done fairly poor in academics. One problem is, I think, that you cannot "measure" these extracurriculars, while you can measure academic performance. Another thing is that academics really reveal the character of a person- whether he is determined to do the hard work or not, while extracurriculars (I view mainly various clubs) do not show this at all. For example, you may be visiting conferences connected with clubs because there you have fun with a lot of people and not because you are doing anything serious. And still most colleges and universities will value more the fact that you have been to 10 conferences, where you actually had parties all the time, than they would value a GPA of 4.0. Which universities value more academics than extracurriculars?

Answer 1

Many good US universities do not value academics more than extracurriculars. I think you are looking at it the wrong way. Many colleges and universities like students who show good academic standing but are also well rounded individuals. The best way to determine if a student is well rounded is by looking at the student's extra-curriculars. All good universities would prefer students with excellent academics who also show leadership abilities and interests outside of academics as well. This is not always possible. I know that I would have made better grades in high school had I not participated in as many extra-curriculars. I still managed to graduate 5th in my class and go to an excellent private liberal arts college called Hendrix. Hendrix focuses on experiential learning, or learning through experience. They have found that most of the things students learned are not learned in the classroom, but through other opportunities. This is why Hendrix designed what is called the Odyssey program. Through this program, and others on campus, students have been able to work in orphanages in Tanzania, Africa, study in the rain forests of Costa Rica, go to Japan to study monestaries and conduct interviews with the monks. None of these were academic programs, but I can tell you that these taught the students much more than a regular class could teach. These experiences build character. My point is, colleges do want academics, but that is not the only thing they look for in students. Don't worry if you do not have an extensive list of extracurriculars. I know many people at my school who focused more on academics in high school and still went to Hendrix. Most of the big, amazing extracurricular experiences the students have gotten is through the many opportunities Hendrix offers and not through small high school ones. Don't stress! If you have a good academic record, I'm sure you'll be fine. I definitely think you should check out Hendrix's website so that you can understand more about what I mean. I know, Hendrix is in Arkansas (I never thought I'd ever go to school in Arkansas), but I promise you...it is a hidden jewel! I really think the website will have information that will help you. Good luck!

Answer 2

You can find People interested in partying and socializing at every school in the USA, (Including "hard" schools like MIT or Harvard...)

There are also gifted and dedicated academics at just about every school.

If all you are finding is partiers, then you are not looking hard enough.