College Applications and Extracurricular Activities

[Anonymous]

How far back can one go? If my DD took martial arts for 10 years, and earned all sorts of accolades, can that be reflected in her application, even though she stopped regularly participating during her high school years?

What types of out of school activities actually count for something when assessing an applicant?

[Anonymous]

I've heard nothing younger than high school unless it's a lifelong passion. If she quit martial arts in high school I'd say it probably doesn't go on the activities list. But it may well work its way into her essay if it's important to her.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How far back can one go? If my DD took martial arts for 10 years, and earned all sorts of accolades, can that be reflected in her application, even though she stopped regularly participating during her high school years?

What types of out of school activities actually count for something when assessing an applicant?

no, you'd need to place at a national Tae Kwon Do tournament to have that make any difference.

[Anonymous]

Take a look at the common app. It asks for a max of 10 EC activities and you list which high school years and how much time you spend on the activity per week. You get a short space to list honors and leadership positions. If a school allows a resume attachment (about half the ones my DC is applying to allow that) you might have a little more flexibility in what you highlight. Not sure how much attention is paid to the resume though. By the time DC covered summer programs and internships, as well as 3 varsity sports and a couple of other big ECs that pretty much took all 10 spots. So not much room for pre high school activities anyway if your DC has the normal mix of activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take a look at the common app. It asks for a max of 10 EC activities and you list which high school years and how much time you spend on the activity per week. You get a short space to list honors and leadership positions. If a school allows a resume attachment (about half the ones my DC is applying to allow that) you might have a little more flexibility in what you highlight. Not sure how much attention is paid to the resume though. By the time DC covered summer programs and internships, as well as 3 varsity sports and a couple of other big ECs that pretty much took all 10 spots. So not much room for pre high school activities anyway if your DC has the normal mix of activities.

Where does Science Fair go, since it isn't really an extra-curricula. Band, Chorus, Orchestra- are they considered classes or extra curricula?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take a look at the common app. It asks for a max of 10 EC activities and you list which high school years and how much time you spend on the activity per week. You get a short space to list honors and leadership positions. If a school allows a resume attachment (about half the ones my DC is applying to allow that) you might have a little more flexibility in what you highlight. Not sure how much attention is paid to the resume though. By the time DC covered summer programs and internships, as well as 3 varsity sports and a couple of other big ECs that pretty much took all 10 spots. So not much room for pre high school activities anyway if your DC has the normal mix of activities.

Where does Science Fair go, since it isn't really an extra-curricula. Band, Chorus, Orchestra- are they considered classes or extra curricula?

Don't know for sure - my kid doesn't do that stuff. You or DC should talk to your college counselor. I assume your DC is not applying ED or you'd already be immersed in this. Science fair would probably take one of the 10 spots, especially if it was something done for 3-4 of the high school years and DC won awards. If science fair was a one time thing, no award, and DC if not interested in pursuing science then maybe it drops off the list. If DC is all about science, has taken every AP science, and wants to pursue it then it stays on the list. If the music activities require a lot of outside of school time, performances, etc. I'd include those in the 10 as well. Basically you have to pick the 10 best ECs, whatever they might be and however they best support the application.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take a look at the common app. It asks for a max of 10 EC activities and you list which high school years and how much time you spend on the activity per week. You get a short space to list honors and leadership positions. If a school allows a resume attachment (about half the ones my DC is applying to allow that) you might have a little more flexibility in what you highlight. Not sure how much attention is paid to the resume though. By the time DC covered summer programs and internships, as well as 3 varsity sports and a couple of other big ECs that pretty much took all 10 spots. So not much room for pre high school activities anyway if your DC has the normal mix of activities.

Where does Science Fair go, since it isn't really an extra-curricula. Band, Chorus, Orchestra- are they considered classes or extra curricula?

Don't know for sure - my kid doesn't do that stuff. You or DC should talk to your college counselor. I assume your DC is not applying ED or you'd already be immersed in this. Science fair would probably take one of the 10 spots, especially if it was something done for 3-4 of the high school years and DC won awards. If science fair was a one time thing, no award, and DC if not interested in pursuing science then maybe it drops off the list. If DC is all about science, has taken every AP science, and wants to pursue it then it stays on the list. If the music activities require a lot of outside of school time, performances, etc. I'd include those in the 10 as well. Basically you have to pick the 10 best ECs, whatever they might be and however they best support the application.

DC is a Junior. Just trying to figure out the lay of the land right now. Not OP, but the PP to whom you replied.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take a look at the common app. It asks for a max of 10 EC activities and you list which high school years and how much time you spend on the activity per week. You get a short space to list honors and leadership positions. If a school allows a resume attachment (about half the ones my DC is applying to allow that) you might have a little more flexibility in what you highlight. Not sure how much attention is paid to the resume though. By the time DC covered summer programs and internships, as well as 3 varsity sports and a couple of other big ECs that pretty much took all 10 spots. So not much room for pre high school activities anyway if your DC has the normal mix of activities.

Also you should be advised that it is not necessary to fill all ten slots. The ten slots there are to limit applicants, but in no way should you fill the ten slots with meaningless or stale activities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Take a look at the common app. It asks for a max of 10 EC activities and you list which high school years and how much time you spend on the activity per week. You get a short space to list honors and leadership positions. If a school allows a resume attachment (about half the ones my DC is applying to allow that) you might have a little more flexibility in what you highlight. Not sure how much attention is paid to the resume though. By the time DC covered summer programs and internships, as well as 3 varsity sports and a couple of other big ECs that pretty much took all 10 spots. So not much room for pre high school activities anyway if your DC has the normal mix of activities.

Also you should be advised that it is not necessary to fill all ten slots. The ten slots there are to limit applicants, but in no way should you fill the ten slots with meaningless or stale activities.

True, although I am the PP and my DC had 10 legit activities between summer jobs, school and club sports (club sports get counted separately and my DC did one for 3.5 years year round, and the other at the national level so they were pretty significant) and a couple of other key activities. So sports took 5 slots, 2 meaningful summer things and that only left 3 for other stuff. I would think most kids would end up with a decent number at the end of 4 years.

[Anonymous]

extracurriculars are useless unless you are atleast regionally good but more importantly nationally good.

I learned that when my first was going through the college process; he was a 3 sport varsity athlete, top 2% graduating class, 1500 sat's...didn't get into any ivies and went to his safety.

so for my other two, they only focused on one sport which they became good enough to be recruited for, and they are not as bright or intellectually curious as my first child...and lo and behold, they were much more successful in the application process.

jack of all trades, master of none is the worst thing you can be in the eyes of colleges it seems. which is completely different from what I remember when we all went to college.

[Anonymous]

If for example, you have been playing tennis or swimming etc. on teams for say for 10 years, definitely include it since it demonstrates that you in fact have a passion for that activity. Recommended approach is to keep it simple and straightforward....(10 year member of local tennis club etc.). You need to demosntrate the passion!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:extracurriculars are useless unless you are atleast regionally good but more importantly nationally good.

I learned that when my first was going through the college process; he was a 3 sport varsity athlete, top 2% graduating class, 1500 sat's...didn't get into any ivies and went to his safety.

so for my other two, they only focused on one sport which they became good enough to be recruited for, and they are not as bright or intellectually curious as my first child...and lo and behold, they were much more successful in the application process.

jack of all trades, master of none is the worst thing you can be in the eyes of colleges it seems. which is completely different from what I remember when we all went to college.

Strong recognition in an EC is a + factor
Jack of all trades is a non factor
Absence of any EC is a - factor

BUT - every school is different.