... I entirely agree with you, Jon.
I notice that 4-H activities aren't on Harvard's list, nor is any sort of animal training aside from equestrian activities...
It appears that participating in 4-H and similar activities hurts your chances of getting into competitive private colleges. One is of course free to set different goals or not mention such activities on a college application.
http://www.mindingthecampus.com/originals/2010/07/how_diversity_punishes_asians.htmlHow Diversity Punishes Asians, Poor Whites and Lots of Others
By Russell K. Nieli
July 12, 2010
...
But what Espenshade and Radford found in regard to what they call "career-oriented activities" was truly shocking even to this hardened veteran of the campus ideological and cultural wars. Participation in such Red State activities as high school ROTC, 4-H clubs, or the Future Farmers of America was found to reduce very substantially a student's chances of gaining admission to the competitive private colleges in the NSCE database on an all-other-things-considered basis. The admissions disadvantage was greatest for those in leadership positions in these activities or those winning honors and awards. "Being an officer or winning awards" for such career-oriented activities as junior ROTC, 4-H, or Future Farmers of America, say Espenshade and Radford, "has a significantly negative association with admission outcomes at highly selective institutions." Excelling in these activities "is associated with 60 or 65 percent lower odds of admission."
