Absolutely. It shows perseverance and growth. If he helps run the dojo, mentors and trains others, so much the better.

Of course it depends on how well you write about it.

If there are other activities that show more leadership, growth, passion or responsibility they might be given more weight in an essay, but if martial arts is what you have, there is a lot to work with.

Anonymous wrote:My dc has been doing karate since he was 12 and is currently a black belt who still regularly trains at a nearby school. He doesn't compete (not interested) and doesn't have any awards. He just does it for enjoyment. I'm wondering how this looks to admissions officers. Would they be glad to see that he has pursued something for years and been consistent and attained a high skill? Or is it basically worthless without awards and competitions attached?

What else does he do? Is this it for ECs? It's a hobby on its own. If he can combine it with other related stuff, it can be more powerful. I've seen this work with MMA/Muay Thai/boxing.

Combined with (1) teaching karate to younger kids/camp counseling for karate and (2) working at dojo and/or other fitness locations, he can tie it into a sociology style major as well to show how martial arts sports reveal class and community dynamics? Especially if his experience covers different groups/social worlds (training at elite gyms vs. coaching underserved youth vs. working front desk sales)? Would be great material to show how, through his experiences observing access to training/equipment/coaching, he's seen who benefits/different outcomes?

Great for sociology-type majors? Esp if combined with other ECs where he's observing social patterns (e.g., how martial arts become community centers in low-income areas but luxury fitness in affluent ones). If the kid is Asian, that adds another cultural layer, too (so could make this an important part of the application narrative).

Anonymous wrote:My kid is a 3rd degree black belt, started adult program at around 8 or so. It is not a place where you get belts easily. Placed 2nd in an international competition with many countries participating. Also captain of their performance team and an instructor. He wrote about it in a couple supplementals, the experience shapes him in a variety of ways. Had a lot of other things going on as well, but at an Ivy and did very well in admissions. It was sincere interest over a decade, that's always my recommendation.

Yes, but that's very different from what OP wrote, which is a kid who just does it recreationally for fun post-black belt, and has no interest to enter competitions. As others have said upthread--any activity where you're not excelling in a way that could bring positive attention to the college community, is fairly neutral to an elite college.

Anonymous wrote:My dc has been doing karate since he was 12 and is currently a black belt who still regularly trains at a nearby school. He doesn't compete (not interested) and doesn't have any awards. He just does it for enjoyment. I'm wondering how this looks to admissions officers. Would they be glad to see that he has pursued something for years and been consistent and attained a high skill? Or is it basically worthless without awards and competitions attached?

It's certainly not worthless, but without competition and results, it goes on the hobby list, which is about number 37 of what colleges are looking at. However, if he can craft an essay about being a black belt in karate and choosing not to compete, I think that can go far.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s like varsity sports but without the leadership position. He can probably do something like teaching underresourced kids karate.

Great for personal growth. Not much weight in college process.

This.

A friend’s son was in a martial art since preschool. He wrote about his volunteering as a teacher’s aide and representing his community in international exhibitions. It didn’t seem to come up in his interviews.

I do prospective undergrad interviews as an alum of an Ivy, and we don't get any information about the applicant other than name of high school. So it's not like all alumni interviewers are scrutizing the same info that admissions officers get. Maybe other colleges give out more info...

My kid is a 3rd degree black belt, started adult program at around 8 or so. It is not a place where you get belts easily. Placed 2nd in an international competition with many countries participating. Also captain of their performance team and an instructor. He wrote about it in a couple supplementals, the experience shapes him in a variety of ways. Had a lot of other things going on as well, but at an Ivy and did very well in admissions. It was sincere interest over a decade, that's always my recommendation.

I know many kids that stop TKD after age 10-12 once they get their black belts. It seems more rare for someone to continue and teach? I know a 14 year old girl who teaches and she performs at exhibitions, she is one of only few.

Anonymous wrote:It’s like varsity sports but without the leadership position. He can probably do something like teaching underresourced kids karate.

Great for personal growth. Not much weight in college process.

This.

A friend’s son was in a martial art since preschool. He wrote about his volunteering as a teacher’s aide and representing his community in international exhibitions. It didn’t seem to come up in his interviews.

Why can't your DC continue to do martial arts in college? My college had a taekwondo team that continued to teach and practice together and perform at culture nights. We certainly had people who had many years of experience and can help teach forms, etc. while others (like me) just started as freshmen. It was fun and great exercise.

Anonymous wrote:Nearly every EC is just that - extra.

The AO will likely end a sentence with ".... and he also does martial arts.";

If your kid says they play the Tuba and wont in college; it's just the same category.

If your kid plays tennis and wont in college; Still the same category.

Only thing that will move the needle - you are a martial artist that will compete in an International level event like: Olympics Judo.

Lean towards - how does it help us?

+1 Every kid needs to have some ECs to get into an elite college. Generic martial arts isn't a big positive, but it's better than nothing.

Anonymous wrote:Have him start teaching middle schoolers

+1 My kid's studio offers volunteer opportunities for the black belts to help teach karate to kids with disabilities. I'm sure others have similar...if you connect the threads across different domains, it would be a compelling story.

Anonymous wrote:It’s like varsity sports but without the leadership position. He can probably do something like teaching underresourced kids karate.

Great for personal growth. Not much weight in college process.

I am not an admissions officer but would rank martial arts without any competition wins below varsity sports, because at least there's an element of verifiability when a kid is on a sports team through a school. Otherwise, how do you know how much time and effort the kid is spending on martial arts, and how good they are? My 9-year-old has a black belt in TKD, and while I appreciate the exercise and training provided, it is very much pay to play in this area, and fairly meaningless.

no- but who cares- does your kid like it?

Have him start teaching middle schoolers