How does Church stuff look as an EC?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Colleges in the South or the rest of flyover country will view young life as a plus. Rest of the U.S.: it’s a red flag.

Our college counselor said to avoid any mention of church on any application as it would be seen as a red flag.

DC wrote a supplemental essay about their involvement in their church youth group. It’s central to DC’s identity so DC didn’t want to hide it. Got into first choice Ivy, where there is a thriving Christian community.

Same here. I haven't read the thread so I don't know what direction it went in but I can add that my child got into 2 Ivies in 2025 with having church youth group involvement clearly listed in the activities section.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Nothing wrong with Church activities (I’m not Christian). It’s no different than a person of any other religion who’s active in their religious community. I’m not religious either, but unfair to stereotype or “brand” anyone who places importance on religion as being “MAGA” or racist.

No, it’s very different.

If the applicant is white, they will be viewed as cristo-fascist MAGAs by most universities if they list Christian ECs. Especially by state universities in the NE and mid Atlantic (and west coast).

Maybe not so much so at Catholic U. or Villanova or Notre Dame, but just about everywhere else (including the ivies), Christian ec s are a huge red flag.

Please provide evidence for this (rather absurd) claim.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter is a rising Junior and these are her ECS at a competitive private school

- JV tennis 9th and 10th but cannot play competitively due to knee injury
-church basketball all years for fun with friends
-Summer swim team each summer
- Babysitting
- Tutors at a low income school in the summer weekly and volunteering at the same school, has already hit the requirements to make her schools service society by next year
-very involved with Young Life and her Church’s youth group

My concern for her is that the Young Life and Church stuff, while great isn’t a strong EC. It’s taken up a lot of the time sports used to since she got injured and won’t qualify for varsity with the amount of time she’s taken off tennis. But she loves these two activities but wondering if their time sucks? Schools she’s targeting are Clemson, USC, Auburn, Ole Miss, Georgia, Sewanee, potentially W&L and Wake as reaches.

I would not risk it.