[JeffInCorvallis]

I interview high school students who are applying to Stanford.  Stanford doesn't offer alumni interviews in all geographies but it is an option here.  I get a lot of very smart, very dedicated, hard-working students with a lot of AP classes and a lot of extracurriculars on their resumes.  My main job, as I view it, is not to review the laundry list of accomplishments.  That's covered on the application.  My job is to probe.  What makes this kid tick?  What are they passionate about?  Are these activities and classes that they are doing to check a box or is there something more?  And every year I struggle with how to evaluate and weigh these different activities.  From helping to advise a team I know that to really do a robotics team right requires a tremendous time commitment.  So does starring in the school musical or playing on the varsity basketball team or being a really good debater.  Are they just sort of dabbling in a lot of things or are they really serious about something?  How do I value the kid who put in a lot of time volunteering for the hospital or the homeless shelter versus the kid who had a research internship at the local university?  What does it say about their family socio-economic status and how well-connected their parents are?  What about the student that worked a part-time job at McDonald's or Wal-Mart to help the family make ends meet?

I'd rather see one thing done really well with passion than a long list of activities done half-heartedly (but that's just me - others may have an equally valid but different point of view).

All of these questions are difficult to answer.  And this is just for a handful of applicants - I can't imagine what it's like to evaluate 30,000 applications. 

[JeffInCorvallis]

I interview high school students who are applying to Stanford.  Stanford doesn't offer alumni interviews in all geographies but it is an option here.  I get a lot of very smart, very dedicated, hard-working students with a lot of AP classes and a lot of extracurriculars on their resumes.  My main job, as I view it, is not to review the laundry list of accomplishments.  That's covered on the application.  My job is to probe.  What makes this kid tick?  What are they passionate about?  Are these activities and classes that they are doing to check a box or is there something more?  And every year I struggle with how to evaluate and weigh these different activities.  From helping to advise a team I know that to really do a robotics team right requires a tremendous time commitment.  So does starring in the school musical or playing on the varsity basketball team or being a really good debater.  Are they just sort of dabbling in a lot of things or are they really serious about something?  How do I value the kid who put in a lot of time volunteering for the hospital or the homeless shelter versus the kid who had a research internship at the local university?  What does it say about their family socio-economic status and how well-connected their parents are?  What about the student that worked a part-time job at McDonald's or Wal-Mart to help the family make ends meet?

I'd rather see one thing done really well with passion than a long list of activities done half-heartedly (but that's just me - others may have an equally valid but different point of view).

All of these questions are difficult to answer.  And this is just for a handful of applicants - I can't imagine what it's like to evaluate 30,000 applications.