Mentioning potentially expensive extra-curriculars - do or don't?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Oh, please. Rich people are not discriminated against. All the top schools are filled with filthy rich kids.

yes they are discriminated against. Horseback riding, even competitive, screams if white privilege, which is why the counselors are saying don’t mention it. I don’t agree with this but it’s true.

DP. My white kid has done competitive equestrian events for over a decade. She got into some fabulous schools. If a counselor had given her that advice, we would have ignored it.

Because you think for yourself…which is somewhat rare on this site (vs those seeking “the formula”)

[Anonymous]

One of the funniest things I ever read on my kid’s college Facebook parent site was someone asking if anyone could recommend a place near campus where her kid could keep her horse. That’s right, her kid was bringing her HORSE to college!

[Anonymous]

I think if something that only requires a couple hours a week is making the top 5 list of ECs you’ve got a problem and it’s not about the horses. If it’s the least important thing on the list and he’s been going year-round for years, it’s fine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the funniest things I ever read on my kid’s college Facebook parent site was someone asking if anyone could recommend a place near campus where her kid could keep her horse. That’s right, her kid was bringing her HORSE to college!

Lots of serious equestrians do that. I competed at a high level throughout college and even won a national championship my sophomore year. I went to class and rode horses, often 6 or 8 a day for my trainer. My professors were accomodating of my competition schedule too…I always met with each one at the beginning of the semester and laid out which days I would be gone and made sure they were OK with it ahead of time. I also set my schedule with few classes on Fridays because that was the day I had to miss most often. It’s entirely doable to ride seriously during college.

[Anonymous]

My daughter did ballet 30-50 hours a week for years and schools didn’t seem to care. They just want a high GPA, rigorous classes and leadership.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think if something that only requires a couple hours a week is making the top 5 list of ECs you’ve got a problem and it’s not about the horses. If it’s the least important thing on the list and he’s been going year-round for years, it’s fine.

I’d disagree with this. It tends to be sports that take the high number of hours. For other ECs, there are plenty that will be fewer hours and still make top five.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter did ballet 30-50 hours a week for years and schools didn’t seem to care. They just want a high GPA, rigorous classes and leadership.

It should be up there with sports, albeit not one the school can exploit for money.

But, unless your kid was doing it to gain college entry, which would be sad....it is all good.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My daughter did ballet 30-50 hours a week for years and schools didn’t seem to care. They just want a high GPA, rigorous classes and leadership.

It should be up there with sports, albeit not one the school can exploit for money.

But, unless your kid was doing it to gain college entry, which would be sad....it is all good.

I think that all schools are looking for what the PP listed, but for the group of kids which have all of that, ballet might have been an appealing hook.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think if something that only requires a couple hours a week is making the top 5 list of ECs you’ve got a problem and it’s not about the horses. If it’s the least important thing on the list and he’s been going year-round for years, it’s fine.

I’d disagree with this. It tends to be sports that take the high number of hours. For other ECs, there are plenty that will be fewer hours and still make top five.

I agree. Anything done weekly is part of the kid's identity. It probably makes them more interesting and well rounded.

That is what schools want, not some grueling endurance contest.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the funniest things I ever read on my kid’s college Facebook parent site was someone asking if anyone could recommend a place near campus where her kid could keep her horse. That’s right, her kid was bringing her HORSE to college!

Um, this is not unusual for students who are on a college equestrian team or in the riding club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of the funniest things I ever read on my kid’s college Facebook parent site was someone asking if anyone could recommend a place near campus where her kid could keep her horse. That’s right, her kid was bringing her HORSE to college!

Lots of serious equestrians do that. I competed at a high level throughout college and even won a national championship my sophomore year. I went to class and rode horses, often 6 or 8 a day for my trainer. My professors were accomodating of my competition schedule too…I always met with each one at the beginning of the semester and laid out which days I would be gone and made sure they were OK with it ahead of time. I also set my schedule with few classes on Fridays because that was the day I had to miss most often. It’s entirely doable to ride seriously during college.

+1
I think there’s a lot of ignorance about just how much of a time commitment riding can be at high levels. Not to mention, the athleticism involved. Schools know and appreciate this.

[Anonymous]

Horse back riding can be elitist or not - many people that own horses are from rural backgrounds where keeping a horse is not so different than other farm animals. My parents were horse breeders, so it may sound privileged when I tell you I ride or own horses, but I also worked farm chores 7 days a week, 2-3 before school and 3-4 after. And it is hard, dirty work. Mucking, spreading manure, trimming fields, repairing fence boards. Foal watch - every spring I slept in the barn (horse blanket over hay bales)for weeks to help deliver foals. Then would get up and go to school. I drove a horse trailer across the northeast from the time I had my driver’s license. So, the nuance is important. Keeping another creature alive and comfortable is an important part of the horse-rider relationship, and if you are skipping that piece you are missing out on the most humbling piece of riding.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My daughter did ballet 30-50 hours a week for years and schools didn’t seem to care. They just want a high GPA, rigorous classes and leadership.

How did she do 50 hours/week while also going to school? Genuinely curious!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:One of the funniest things I ever read on my kid’s college Facebook parent site was someone asking if anyone could recommend a place near campus where her kid could keep her horse. That’s right, her kid was bringing her HORSE to college!

Google best best equestrian colleges in the US. My DD’s best friend took hers to Sweet Briar

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:One of the funniest things I ever read on my kid’s college Facebook parent site was someone asking if anyone could recommend a place near campus where her kid could keep her horse. That’s right, her kid was bringing her HORSE to college!

Um, this is not unusual for students who are on a college equestrian team or in the riding club.

Trust me, that was not the case. And if this kid was on the college equestrian team (which doesn’t exist BTW), don’t you think they’d know where to keep a horse?