Extracurricular that has nothing to do with school?

[Anonymous]

My DC is heavily involved in a sport/activity that takes place outside of school - completely unaffiliated with school. Will this kind of activity count as an extracurricular / sport? It seems like colleges are only interested in activities which support the student's school - team sports, band, chorus, drama, etc. My child doesn't have time to do any of these things since he's so busy with this other activity.

[Anonymous]

Why do you think that? Tons of kids have ECs outside of school, including sports.

[Anonymous]

Is your child any good at it? Do any colleges offer the sport?

The only benefit that school sports have over some non-school sports is that almost every school sport has captains that colleges think of as leaders.

Of course, in each sport value of the leadership of a captain varies wildly.

[Anonymous]

Plenty of kids do activities that aren't school sponsored (music, martial arts, Eagle Scouts etc.) As other PPs have mentioned, if he can show he's good at it, that will help on his college application.

[Anonymous]

Oh course it will count as an extracurricular activity. My son rows for a program not affiliated with a school because his school doesn't offer rowing. It is a big time commitment and rowers from his program have been recruited by colleges and universities. They have gotten scholarships too. My son's friend fences competitively and is being recruited by some colleges and universities. They don't offer fencing at his school so ... There are plenty of schools that don't offer the ECs that students want so they go elsewhere.

[Anonymous]

OP, your best bet is to go with an "obscure" sport. Example: I know people personally who put their children into fencing, or water polo - specifically, because they want a college to someday choose their child because of that particular obscure sport.

[Anonymous]

My freshman son is a gymnast, practicing 22 hours a week since age 10. He will likely not choose a college that has collegiate men’s gymnastics, as there are only about 10 left in the US. I am not concerned that colleges will think he skimped out on EC.

My sophomore dd spends all her free time volunteering with two organizations she loves. She doesn’t do sports or play an instrument. I expect colleges will appreciate that she is dedicated to something that she loves.

Colleges can see right through the kids who try to check all the boxes without really working hard at something they love.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of kids do activities that aren't school sponsored (music, martial arts, Eagle Scouts etc.) As other PPs have mentioned, if he can show he's good at it, that will help on his college application.

Is being good critical or consistent/committed participation good enough? I understand the "being good" part if the college has that sport and would like the kid to play on the team.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of kids do activities that aren't school sponsored (music, martial arts, Eagle Scouts etc.) As other PPs have mentioned, if he can show he's good at it, that will help on his college application.

Is being good critical or consistent/committed participation good enough? I understand the "being good" part if the college has that sport and would like the kid to play on the team.

If it’s not going to benefit the college (like sports) they don’t care how good you are. It’s about showing dedicating and sticking with something.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My DC is heavily involved in a sport/activity that takes place outside of school - completely unaffiliated with school. Will this kind of activity count as an extracurricular / sport? It seems like colleges are only interested in activities which support the student's school - team sports, band, chorus, drama, etc. My child doesn't have time to do any of these things since he's so busy with this other activity.

Not at all. In this area many kids are involved heavily with ECs outside of school at a high or international level. It isn't detrimental at all. DD was so involved with hers she had no time for activities at school and her college acceptances showed that she wasn't penalized for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Plenty of kids do activities that aren't school sponsored (music, martial arts, Eagle Scouts etc.) As other PPs have mentioned, if he can show he's good at it, that will help on his college application.

Is being good critical or consistent/committed participation good enough? I understand the "being good" part if the college has that sport and would like the kid to play on the team.

If it’s not going to benefit the college (like sports) they don’t care how good you are. It’s about showing dedicating and sticking with something.

If it’s not a sport at the school, it’s not that they don’t care. But to really shine on an application, your kid would have to be national level good. State tournaments placer, National level would single him out. International level would be the kicker.

If he does it for fun, but no competitive history to show for it, not sure it’s distinctive. It’s just another EC.

[Anonymous]

Yes, my boys were both Eagle Scouts and that was an excellent EC for them.

[Anonymous]

So being an Eagle scout is an excellent EC but "only participating" in a sport for 7 years is not??

[Anonymous]

OP, this kind of activity might be better than a typical, commonplace school-based EC.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:So being an Eagle scout is an excellent EC but "only participating" in a sport for 7 years is not??

Did somebody say that?