Activities list. How many hours too many?

[Anonymous]

thought this was helpful:

"During the school year, 25 hours is a solid amount of time to devote to extracurricular pursuits. If a student lists many more hours, admissions officers may find it difficult to believe (even if it’s true). If a student lists significantly fewer hours, admissions officers may question the student’s commitment.

But it’s not like all of a student’s extracurricular activities should be spread out evenly. For instance, if a student is involved in five activities during the school year, admissions officers don’t love to see that a student participates in each one of those activities for five hours. They’d rather see a spike in the activities that showcase a student’s singular hook."

https://www.ivycoach.com/the-ivy-coach-blog/extracurricular-activities/are-extracurriculars-important-college-admissions

https://www.saraharberson.com/blog/the-foolproof-way-to-order-extracurricular-activities

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:thought this was helpful:

"During the school year, 25 hours is a solid amount of time to devote to extracurricular pursuits. If a student lists many more hours, admissions officers may find it difficult to believe (even if it’s true). If a student lists significantly fewer hours, admissions officers may question the student’s commitment.

But it’s not like all of a student’s extracurricular activities should be spread out evenly. For instance, if a student is involved in five activities during the school year, admissions officers don’t love to see that a student participates in each one of those activities for five hours. They’d rather see a spike in the activities that showcase a student’s singular hook."

https://www.ivycoach.com/the-ivy-coach-blog/extracurricular-activities/are-extracurriculars-important-college-admissions

https://www.saraharberson.com/blog/the-foolproof-way-to-order-extracurricular-activities

25 hours a week for extracurriculars on top of 35 hours a week for school is insane. When are teens supposed to find the time to do normal teen stuff? Chasing girls, shenanigans in the Walmart parking lot, etc. I played a sport in high school that probably required an average of 10 hours a week between practice and games, but that was just in season, which lasted less than half the school year. Senior year I was on a student government committee that met twice a month after school for about an hour. That was it as far as extracurriculars, and I got in everywhere I applied. Not joker schools either. The expectations foisted on today's teens are masochistic. No wonder this generation is having a mental health crisis.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:thought this was helpful:

"During the school year, 25 hours is a solid amount of time to devote to extracurricular pursuits. If a student lists many more hours, admissions officers may find it difficult to believe (even if it’s true). If a student lists significantly fewer hours, admissions officers may question the student’s commitment.

But it’s not like all of a student’s extracurricular activities should be spread out evenly. For instance, if a student is involved in five activities during the school year, admissions officers don’t love to see that a student participates in each one of those activities for five hours. They’d rather see a spike in the activities that showcase a student’s singular hook."

https://www.ivycoach.com/the-ivy-coach-blog/extracurricular-activities/are-extracurriculars-important-college-admissions

https://www.saraharberson.com/blog/the-foolproof-way-to-order-extracurricular-activities

25 hours a week for extracurriculars on top of 35 hours a week for school is insane. When are teens supposed to find the time to do normal teen stuff? Chasing girls, shenanigans in the Walmart parking lot, etc. I played a sport in high school that probably required an average of 10 hours a week between practice and games, but that was just in season, which lasted less than half the school year. Senior year I was on a student government committee that met twice a month after school for about an hour. That was it as far as extracurriculars, and I got in everywhere I applied. Not joker schools either. The expectations foisted on today's teens are masochistic. No wonder this generation is having a mental health crisis.

You might find more support for a more mellow high school existence if you didn’t idolize “girl-chasing.” You come across as a dirty old man.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:thought this was helpful:

"During the school year, 25 hours is a solid amount of time to devote to extracurricular pursuits. If a student lists many more hours, admissions officers may find it difficult to believe (even if it’s true). If a student lists significantly fewer hours, admissions officers may question the student’s commitment.

But it’s not like all of a student’s extracurricular activities should be spread out evenly. For instance, if a student is involved in five activities during the school year, admissions officers don’t love to see that a student participates in each one of those activities for five hours. They’d rather see a spike in the activities that showcase a student’s singular hook."

https://www.ivycoach.com/the-ivy-coach-blog/extracurricular-activities/are-extracurriculars-important-college-admissions

https://www.saraharberson.com/blog/the-foolproof-way-to-order-extracurricular-activities

25 hours a week for extracurriculars on top of 35 hours a week for school is insane. When are teens supposed to find the time to do normal teen stuff? Chasing girls, shenanigans in the Walmart parking lot, etc. I played a sport in high school that probably required an average of 10 hours a week between practice and games, but that was just in season, which lasted less than half the school year. Senior year I was on a student government committee that met twice a month after school for about an hour. That was it as far as extracurriculars, and I got in everywhere I applied. Not joker schools either. The expectations foisted on today's teens are masochistic. No wonder this generation is having a mental health crisis.

This is what happens when you try to quota Asians out from top schools by adding requirements that white people think Asian kids aren't good at. Asians still end up being at the top of those requirements as well. So you need to add another criterion, and so on.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DD is an expert in one EC (non athletic) and easily spends 25-30 hrs/wk on it, even during school year. FWIW, her CC said put 15 hrs/wk max.

15 for one activity, right? Not total?

Yes, 15 for one activity. She also has others…probably added up to 22-25 hours per week.

[Anonymous]

DD has 30: 20 sport, 5 music, 3 school club, 2 volunteering

[Anonymous]

There's no real way to add it all up since you are not doing them all at the same time usually.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's no real way to add it all up since you are not doing them all at the same time usually.

There’s a standard formula to create appropriate hr/week using total weeks in year.

[Anonymous]

DD hated that activities section. What was she to do if her hours fluctuate during the year or from year to year? She typically works from 5 to 15 hours weekly depending on the time of the year. I just told her to average them. So she just put 10hrs/week for the whole year. She has a fall sports, so it looks like she does a lot of hours during that time (25hrs for sport and 10 for job). We really didn't think about too many hours being a problem. I hope it's ok. Common app does not provide any space to explain.

[Anonymous]

Just be honest.

What other advice would anyone give their kid??

[Anonymous]

D1 sports are only allowed 22 max hours. That's why kids that play more than a certain amount of minutes do not practice much the next day.

I bet the 30 hrs is his frat. And he wants to do it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I bet there are 40 kids at my local high school that spend 25+ on a single activity (student body gov, the super volunteers, the kids who work, the kids who take care of siblings).

This is the college forum.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I bet there are 40 kids at my local high school that spend 25+ on a single activity (student body gov, the super volunteers, the kids who work, the kids who take care of siblings).

This is the college forum.

This is a thread discussing how to present high school activities on the college application.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kid's club swim team is 2 hours a day 6 days a week plus dryland for 4-5 hours a week. Plus weekend meets. That's 49 weeks a year. Then high school swim takes about 5-7 hours a week. That's 18 weeks a year.

He does a few other activities and I'd say he easily spends 20+ hours on activities in a week.

Club sports at a high level and a school team is a huge time commitment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:thought this was helpful:

"During the school year, 25 hours is a solid amount of time to devote to extracurricular pursuits. If a student lists many more hours, admissions officers may find it difficult to believe (even if it’s true). If a student lists significantly fewer hours, admissions officers may question the student’s commitment.

But it’s not like all of a student’s extracurricular activities should be spread out evenly. For instance, if a student is involved in five activities during the school year, admissions officers don’t love to see that a student participates in each one of those activities for five hours. They’d rather see a spike in the activities that showcase a student’s singular hook."

https://www.ivycoach.com/the-ivy-coach-blog/extracurricular-activities/are-extracurriculars-important-college-admissions

https://www.saraharberson.com/blog/the-foolproof-way-to-order-extracurricular-activities

25 hours a week for extracurriculars on top of 35 hours a week for school is insane. When are teens supposed to find the time to do normal teen stuff? Chasing girls, shenanigans in the Walmart parking lot, etc. I played a sport in high school that probably required an average of 10 hours a week between practice and games, but that was just in season, which lasted less than half the school year. Senior year I was on a student government committee that met twice a month after school for about an hour. That was it as far as extracurriculars, and I got in everywhere I applied. Not joker schools either. The expectations foisted on today's teens are masochistic. No wonder this generation is having a mental health crisis.

You might find more support for a more mellow high school existence if you didn’t idolize “girl-chasing.” You come across as a dirty old man.

He just comes across as old. You come across as a woman with a lot of cats.