My kids are in MS - are all the enrichment activities worth it?

[Anonymous]

Middle school, people. Middle school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they are if your child gets something out of it. I try not to get too worked up about whether it will "lead" to anything but perhaps that's because my child isn't gifted an any of the ECs he pursues. He plays recreational soccer as a way to get fresh air and exercise in the Spring and Fall and has studied piano for years. I hope he will persist and continue both ECs through high school. He is a good (but hardly exceptional) player and I hope when he is an adult and does not have the time for lessons he will be happy he can play an instrument and has the ability to appreciate music more deeply because he learned piano as well as piano theory for (hopefully) 12-13 years. It sounds like colleges are more impressed by athletic ECs unless the child is an exceptional musician - winning state awards etc. If studying piano helps that's great but it is not the main reason to do it.

Unfortunately, colleges care more about athletic ECs. Even if your kid spends 5 or 6 hours a week on piano, they won't consider it unless he or she has won some prestigious award.

Colleges care more about grades. DC has no sports and managed to get into all the school to which he applied. He will be attending a top ten school in his chosen major next year.

What were his extracurricular activities?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Middle school, people. Middle school.

And how does one do marching band or play lacrosse in High School if they weren't playing an instrument or sport in middle school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they are if your child gets something out of it. I try not to get too worked up about whether it will "lead" to anything but perhaps that's because my child isn't gifted an any of the ECs he pursues. He plays recreational soccer as a way to get fresh air and exercise in the Spring and Fall and has studied piano for years. I hope he will persist and continue both ECs through high school. He is a good (but hardly exceptional) player and I hope when he is an adult and does not have the time for lessons he will be happy he can play an instrument and has the ability to appreciate music more deeply because he learned piano as well as piano theory for (hopefully) 12-13 years. It sounds like colleges are more impressed by athletic ECs unless the child is an exceptional musician - winning state awards etc. If studying piano helps that's great but it is not the main reason to do it.

Unfortunately, colleges care more about athletic ECs. Even if your kid spends 5 or 6 hours a week on piano, they won't consider it unless he or she has won some prestigious award.

Colleges care more about grades. DC has no sports and managed to get into all the school to which he applied. He will be attending a top ten school in his chosen major next year.

What were his extracurricular activities?

Scouts, church youth group and orchestra

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they are if your child gets something out of it. I try not to get too worked up about whether it will "lead" to anything but perhaps that's because my child isn't gifted an any of the ECs he pursues. He plays recreational soccer as a way to get fresh air and exercise in the Spring and Fall and has studied piano for years. I hope he will persist and continue both ECs through high school. He is a good (but hardly exceptional) player and I hope when he is an adult and does not have the time for lessons he will be happy he can play an instrument and has the ability to appreciate music more deeply because he learned piano as well as piano theory for (hopefully) 12-13 years. It sounds like colleges are more impressed by athletic ECs unless the child is an exceptional musician - winning state awards etc. If studying piano helps that's great but it is not the main reason to do it.

Unfortunately, colleges care more about athletic ECs. Even if your kid spends 5 or 6 hours a week on piano, they won't consider it unless he or she has won some prestigious award.

Colleges care more about grades. DC has no sports and managed to get into all the school to which he applied. He will be attending a top ten school in his chosen major next year.

What were his extracurricular activities?

Scouts, church youth group and orchestra

This gives me hope! I have a kid who is an excellent student- top grades in a MCPS magnet but not a good athlete. Enjoys music (piano funnily enough), drama club etc but not a standout in either area. I keep hearing you need to be a good athlete (crew, lacrosse) or win a major award in order to get the top colleges to notice you or to get a scholarship. I feel like there is enough pressure on him academically and do not want to make his ECs a source of stress- hobbies should be just that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle school, people. Middle school.

And how does one do marching band or play lacrosse in High School if they weren't playing an instrument or sport in middle school?

My point is that it is ridiculous to think about angling for college when your kid is in middle school.

But since you raise the issue, I didn't start playing lacrosse until high school and was recruited for colleges. I realize now parents are pushing their kids to specialize at younger and younger ages. Its really sad.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they are if your child gets something out of it. I try not to get too worked up about whether it will "lead" to anything but perhaps that's because my child isn't gifted an any of the ECs he pursues. He plays recreational soccer as a way to get fresh air and exercise in the Spring and Fall and has studied piano for years. I hope he will persist and continue both ECs through high school. He is a good (but hardly exceptional) player and I hope when he is an adult and does not have the time for lessons he will be happy he can play an instrument and has the ability to appreciate music more deeply because he learned piano as well as piano theory for (hopefully) 12-13 years. It sounds like colleges are more impressed by athletic ECs unless the child is an exceptional musician - winning state awards etc. If studying piano helps that's great but it is not the main reason to do it.

Unfortunately, colleges care more about athletic ECs. Even if your kid spends 5 or 6 hours a week on piano, they won't consider it unless he or she has won some prestigious award.

Colleges care more about grades. DC has no sports and managed to get into all the school to which he applied. He will be attending a top ten school in his chosen major next year.

What were his extracurricular activities?

Scouts, church youth group and orchestra

Did he excel in any of those activities or was he just a member? Also were you or your husband an alumni of the top 10 school?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Middle school, people. Middle school.

And how does one do marching band or play lacrosse in High School if they weren't playing an instrument or sport in middle school?

My point is that it is ridiculous to think about angling for college when your kid is in middle school.

But since you raise the issue, I didn't start playing lacrosse until high school and was recruited for colleges. I realize now parents are pushing their kids to specialize at younger and younger ages. Its really sad.

Yes but in this area, your kid probably won't be able to participate much less be a standout in sports or music in high school if they don't start in middle school. For someone who has a kid who makes straight A's, it's reasonable to be concerned that your kid won't stand a shot at the better schools simply because their activities weren't up to snuff. I agree it's sad that this is the reality of college admissions these days, but it's certainly not ridiculous that a middle school parent would be concerned about these things

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they are if your child gets something out of it. I try not to get too worked up about whether it will "lead" to anything but perhaps that's because my child isn't gifted an any of the ECs he pursues. He plays recreational soccer as a way to get fresh air and exercise in the Spring and Fall and has studied piano for years. I hope he will persist and continue both ECs through high school. He is a good (but hardly exceptional) player and I hope when he is an adult and does not have the time for lessons he will be happy he can play an instrument and has the ability to appreciate music more deeply because he learned piano as well as piano theory for (hopefully) 12-13 years. It sounds like colleges are more impressed by athletic ECs unless the child is an exceptional musician - winning state awards etc. If studying piano helps that's great but it is not the main reason to do it.

Unfortunately, colleges care more about athletic ECs. Even if your kid spends 5 or 6 hours a week on piano, they won't consider it unless he or she has won some prestigious award.

Colleges care more about grades. DC has no sports and managed to get into all the school to which he applied. He will be attending a top ten school in his chosen major next year.

What were his extracurricular activities?

Scouts, church youth group and orchestra

Did he excel in any of those activities or was he just a member? Also were you or your husband an alumni of the top 10 school?

Eagle, Treasurer, and made lower level district orchestra two out of four years. Scouts and church activities gave him tons of volunteer hours. Good solid ECs but nothing spectacular and no sports. Excellent grades. NHS, but 40% of his class is in NHS. Top ten in his major. Flagship state school. Not alumni, don't know anyone in the family who went there.

[Anonymous]

DD has low muscle tone. Both DH and I were three varsity letter athletes in high school. We encouraged her to play soccer, like we both played. DD sprained her ankle one fall and dislocated her knee cap the next.

She no longer does "sports." Her body just isn't built for the competition. She swims/plays in the pool, rides her bike and we hike as a family instead.

When it comes to her college application, she won't have a single sports team listed. If colleges won't accept her because they care about athletics, they'll pass on a very caring, thoughtful young woman. Their loss.

[Anonymous]

This thread is so frightening. You don;t have to be an athlete to go to college, even a good college. You don;t have to have your parents push you from the age of 11 to go into certain sports and activities because it will one day maybe look good to a college. In fact doing so has costs. Raising children is not a competitive sport. There are many excellent colleges out there and your child will go to one. They are more likely to do so without mental illness if you call off the dogs. I have one in college now and I've seen the damage on these kids.

Honestly, I think its pretty sick to even be asking how to get your middle schooler into college. And to worry about their lack of athleticism or whatever. You folks need to step back and examine what you are doing and consider letting your kids choose their own activities for the sheer joy of doing them. They don;t get these years back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DD has low muscle tone. Both DH and I were three varsity letter athletes in high school. We encouraged her to play soccer, like we both played. DD sprained her ankle one fall and dislocated her knee cap the next.

She no longer does "sports." Her body just isn't built for the competition. She swims/plays in the pool, rides her bike and we hike as a family instead.

When it comes to her college application, she won't have a single sports team listed. If colleges won't accept her because they care about athletics, they'll pass on a very caring, thoughtful young woman. Their loss.

Plenty of spots for non- athletic kids. Have her do what she likes- that will stick.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so frightening. You don;t have to be an athlete to go to college, even a good college. You don;t have to have your parents push you from the age of 11 to go into certain sports and activities because it will one day maybe look good to a college. In fact doing so has costs. Raising children is not a competitive sport. There are many excellent colleges out there and your child will go to one. They are more likely to do so without mental illness if you call off the dogs. I have one in college now and I've seen the damage on these kids.

Honestly, I think its pretty sick to even be asking how to get your middle schooler into college. And to worry about their lack of athleticism or whatever. You folks need to step back and examine what you are doing and consider letting your kids choose their own activities for the sheer joy of doing them. They don;t get these years back.

My niece took tons of AP's had great grades and SAT scores, but mediocre activities. She is now at University of Portland. Some of us are hoping for more options.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's worth it if they like doing it. If you're solely measuring worth by high school continuance or college resume though, not so much. Some will fall off in the transition to high school...replaced by new interests, those solely because of friends are participating, or those you thought they might/should like but never really gained traction with them.

+1 -- Our youngest of 3 is about to graduate from high school, and I totally agree with this. Really, as your kids get older (our oldest graduated from college 2 years ago), the more you realize that it's futile and just crazy-making to try to orchestrate their entire childhood as a run-up to college admissions. Sure, encourage their talents and interests, be a cheerleader for them, but beyond that, just chill and be grateful for the privilege of seeing them forge their own paths.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread is so frightening. You don;t have to be an athlete to go to college, even a good college. You don;t have to have your parents push you from the age of 11 to go into certain sports and activities because it will one day maybe look good to a college. In fact doing so has costs. Raising children is not a competitive sport. There are many excellent colleges out there and your child will go to one. They are more likely to do so without mental illness if you call off the dogs. I have one in college now and I've seen the damage on these kids.

Honestly, I think its pretty sick to even be asking how to get your middle schooler into college. And to worry about their lack of athleticism or whatever. You folks need to step back and examine what you are doing and consider letting your kids choose their own activities for the sheer joy of doing them. They don;t get these years back.

My niece took tons of AP's had great grades and SAT scores, but mediocre activities. She is now at University of Portland. Some of us are hoping for more options.

Where else did she apply?