<p>After months of lurking on CC, I finally decided to make my first post which is -shock- about ECs (a lot of people seem to ask about them). I often see posts on here telling people that their ECs are not concentrated enough, and don't demonstrate a very strong interest or a significant achievement in an area but they are instead only "dabbling" superficially and that colleges see right through this. But what if you are a dabbler by nature? I haven't really found anything I'm "passionate" about yet (I'm a rising junior), but I have found a lot of things that I like. I can't imagine quitting any of my activities because I really do enjoy all of them, despite the superficial look and feel to them. My ECs so far are:</p>
<ul>
<li>Fencing (Not competitive although I am thinking about going to competitions) - 8,9,10</li>
<li>Gymnastics - 10</li>
<li>Fencing Club (Founding Member) - 10</li>
<li>Stage Crew (Lights) - 7,8,9,10</li>
<li>Marching Band (Most significant of my ECs - I'm in Color Guard and we came in the top 20 in the country) - 10</li>
<li>ASL Club - 9</li>
<li>Ski Club - 7-10</li>
<li>Volunteering at a stable where disabled kids ride 9,10 (About 50 hours)</li>
<li>Helping kids learn to read - 10 (only like 3 or 4 hours - it was all I could get)</li>
<li>Writer for school newspaper - 10</li>
<li>Spanish National Honors Society - 10</li>
</ul>
<p>I feel like these ECs are so all over the place (my ECs are definitely my weakest area so far), but I'm not doing any of them just because I think they will look good on my resume, it's just that my interests are all over the place. Is it prudent to give up on some of my ECs to try to establish more depth (even though I'm not really a huge fan of that option), or should I just keep doing what I'm doing and hope that colleges don't mistake it for a big ruse to fill all the lines on the Common App? - Thanks and sorry that was so long!</p>
<p>I don’t think your list looks too bad. My D’s list was actually somewhat like yours, except she did Quiz Bowl in depth (vs. marching band). That is okay, especially because your Color Guard team did well! I would recommend you try some fencing competitions. My D club fenced for years without going to competitions. She finally tried competition her senior year and finished fifth in the state in her weapon in only her second tournament! Which made a nice mid-year email to the admissions offices as an addition to her applications. She got into U of Chicago, Swarthmore, and Harvey Mudd, along with several other schools (others with quite a bit of merit aid, too). I think you are fine, just keep doing what you are doing.</p>
<p>One thing to consider is how you will spend your summer after junior year – if you can find something productive to do related to any of your ECs, that is something to consider.</p>
<p>I honestly think this depends on where you are aiming. Only the very very competitive schools want students who demonstrate “strong interest” or “significant achievement” in a particular area; if you are applying to/aiming for any other schools, your ECs are totally fine. Most high school students are “all over the place”.(And honestly, with strong enough grades I think your ECs are fine for even top schools).</p>
<p>It is also good when you show multi year commitment to some/many of your EC’s in HS, as you seem to be intending. In your case there is no ‘ruse’ to see through, as they are not just a list of clubs, but most are activities you have to be an active participant in.</p>
<p>If you have a special interest in one area and show extraordinary commitment or accomplishment in it, that is what people are talking about when they are looking at the strongest EC’s for the most selective colleges.</p>
<p>But my kid did have an in-depth EC (involved 2 yrs extra coursework, fieldwork, research, professional conferences, authored an article about it), 3 varsity sports and Honor Cabinet (leadership) so I do think her EC’s were strong and the one was very likely a tipping factor to admissions.</p>
<p>Honestly you look like a well rounded student who took chances last year. You participated in 3 or 4 EC’s for at least 3 years -fencing, band, stage crew, ski club. And you added volunteering at the stable when you became old enough. </p>
<p>Colleges use EC’s to figure who you are as a person. use yours to tell your story ( sounds like it is an interesting one).</p>
<p>The difference between you and some other applicants is that you have multi-year commitments to some of these activities, while others have 10 clubs listed that they signed up for and don’t really ever attend. I wouldn’t be too concerned if I were you. </p>
<p>If you’re still worried at all, you could always write an essay about being a “dabbler,” which I’m sure could show adcoms your true intentions. </p>
<p>Keep in mind that out of the 3,000 or so 4-year colleges in the US EC’s are important for admission at only a small fraction. Perhaps the most selective 100 or so. Many students worry needlessly about EC’s. If you are not aiming for one of the most selective colleges then keep on doing what you’re doing. Sounds like you enjoy it, and it is not going to hurt your chances of admission at the schools you apply to. </p>
<p>Competitive fencing may make you attractive to several elite colleges, Stanford, the Ivies, etc. if you excelled at it. It doesn’t seen like a very common sport to me.</p>
<p>Thank you so much for your comments, my grades are good so far with fairly rigorous classes, (1 AP and 6 honors and I’m signed up for more) and while I do have my eye on a few Ivies, I haven’t visited or done in-depth research yet, so I don’t think it’s wise to change my ECs, because I would think that if I have to change myself in order to get in, it may not really be a good fit. But, I have to ask, on a scale of 1 to 10 how much will having more breadth vs. depth affect me in super competitive college admissions (1 being that the adcoms will hardly give it a second glance, 10 being that they laugh maniacally and toss it into the closest fireplace)?</p>
She got into U of Chicago, Swarthmore, and Harvey Mudd, along with several other schools (others with quite a bit of merit aid, too). I think you are fine, just keep doing what you are doing.</p>