By simply calling someone a “Scout,” you’re saying that person has strong moral character, is confident in the outdoors and has experience leading a team.
In fact, the Scouting name is so synonymous with positive attributes that master storyteller Stephen King included BSA references in more than half of his novels to date.
But there are some places where less isn’t more — where simply calling yourself a Scout won’t quite cut it.
When completing an application for college or a job, it’s not enough to just list Scouting as one of a half-dozen bullet points on your résumé. You need to explain the significance of that experience and how it shaped you.
That’s not just me talking. That’s the advice of the college admissions professionals we contacted last month for this comprehensive look at how colleges weigh an applicant’s Eagle Scout status when reviewing applications.
“While identifying oneself as an Eagle Scout is important, it is also critical to provide detailed information,” says Brandie Eneks, director of freshman admissions at Texas A&M University. “The essay provides a platform for Eagle Scouts to share any unique experiences they’ve had through Scouting.”
When you elaborate about your awards, leadership opportunities, volunteer hours and hands-on experiences, you’ll bring your Scouting experience into sharp focus and make your application soar to the top of the pile.
We spend a lot of time on this blog spotlighting the accomplishments of Eagle Scouts — and with good reason. These young people worked hard to complete the requirements for the highest honor in Scouts BSA.
But the Eagle Scout Award isn’t the sole mark of a Scouting experience worth including on an application. Even if your involvement in Scouting spanned a year or two, you had life-changing experiences worth sharing.
Below, we’ll show you how.
So why isn’t it enough to just list that you’re an Eagle Scout or spent however many years in a pack, troop, ship or crew?
Because colleges and employers want more than the “what.” They also want the “so what?”
Check out these excerpts from two fake-but-realistic résumés — both from the exact same Scout. Which reference to Scouting looks more impressive?
As Scouters, we know what it means to have four years of Scouting experience. It goes without saying that the young person completed service projects, earned merit badges and held leadership roles during that span.
But how would an application reader or hiring manager know that? They wouldn’t, so you have to show them.
Job applications
College applications
Eagle Scout service projects check so many boxes. They show that the young person can manage a multifaceted project, create a budget, lead others and commit themselves to something that takes months to complete. All that, and we haven’t even mentioned the impact on the community.
If you’re an Eagle Scout, your service project should be included in your résumé or application. It also might form the backbone for a cover letter or admissions essay. Tell how you planned, developed and gave leadership to a project that required you to juggle a number of different priorities.
If you aren’t an Eagle Scout, choose any memorable community service project. Describe how the project ignited a passion for selfless service.
These words can be more impactful when paired with numbers, so include how many hours of volunteer time you’ve devoted to Scouting.
If you think it would help, you could also include the “value of volunteer time” calculation, available here. The nonprofit group Independent Sector has determined that each hour you volunteered in 2020 is worth $27.20 to the nation. If you have accumulated 100 hours of service in your Scouting career, that service is worth $2,720.
Scouting is unique among extracurriculars because it’s truly led by the youth. Make this as clear as possible by sharing how, as senior patrol leader or patrol leader, you planned an entire year of activities, including meetings, campouts and a weeklong canoeing trip.
This advice isn’t just for Scouts with two or three green bars on their sleeves. On a job application, describe how, as quartermaster, you prepared a detailed inventory for $3,000 in troop camping equipment. Or tell in a college essay how, as troop historian, you conducted interviews and historical research to prepare a video celebrating your troop’s 100th anniversary.
The depth of a young person’s Scouting involvement will impress recruiters and application readers. These days, it’s exceedingly rare for young people to be involved in something for more than a year or two.
But the breadth of experiences available in Scouting deserve attention, as well. Every time a Scout earns a merit badge, they gain skills in a subject area with real-world value.
Employers want to hire people who have many talents and can adapt to the ever-changing needs of the workplace.
Colleges want to admit people who demonstrate a range of skills and show a willingness to learn new things.
Share both the number of merit badges you earned and a few specific examples. I’m a big fan of sets of three, so I recommend including a curated trio. But don’t just pick the first three you completed or even those you believe to be the most impressive.
Choose merit badges that demonstrate your skills have more applications than a Swiss Army knife. If you earned a merit badge that has a direct link to the job or university, include that one for sure.
For example, if you’re applying for an after-school job at a pet store and have earned the Pets merit badge, list it. If you’re hoping to major in anthropology and earned the American Cultures merit badge, be sure to say so.
No college or employer wants to read about your vacation. So it’s a good thing your high-adventure experiences are anything but a lazy week at the beach.
Scouting trips lasting a week or longer are memorable for more than the trips themselves. They require months (or years) of planning, training and fundraising.
The story isn’t that you got to go kayaking in Alaska or hiking along the Appalachian Trail. It’s about everything leading up to the trip. It’s about the hurdles you overcame along the way. It’s about how you came back changed forever.
By following these steps, you’ll demonstrate to the hiring manager or college admissions counselor that Scouting isn’t just another extracurricular activity. It’s a movement that prepares young people for life.
When you give to Scouting, you are making it possible for young people to have extraordinary opportunities that will allow them to embrace their true potential and become the remarkable individuals they are destined to be.
