<p>My dream is to go to Stanford, Caltech, or MIt as computer/math major. Next summer, I will have to choose between applying to top level summer math program/scientific research, or competing in my sport at national level (which I also plan to do at college). From an admissions standpoint, which would be better -- the math/science summer or my sport?</p>
<p>Are you good enough to be recruited by Stanford? I’m afraid CalTech and MIT won’t place much emphasis on you being a recruited athlete, so I’d go with the math thingy if you’re more focused on those two schools.</p>
<p>Bottom line = do something you’d have the most fun at.</p>
<p>This may not be a popular answer, in fact I’m pretty sure that people are going to disagree with me, but I’m with bluebubbles.</p>
<p>You have the rest of your life to do the math and research. Right now is your only time to do competitive sports. Do the sports unless your sick of sports and would rather do the math.</p>
<p>Do what you want and let the admissions play out the way that it will.</p>
<p>Thanks for your advice. I think that’s the answer that I want to hear, but I also want to make sure I do everything in my power towards my goal of these schools.</p>
<p>The hard part of the choice is that math teachers and programs that I’ve been in the past have told me that probably the math is the way into these schools for someone like me (Ross/RSI), (like many who apply to these schools, I’ll be taking multivariable calc as jr., and probably independent study as a sr.). </p>
<p>But yes, I would prefer to spend my summer with the sport (I train all day and compete throughout the summer), rather than work on math problems…the sport is a “small” one though, not sure there is recruitment (though both MIT and Stanford have teams in the top 20) – but if I spend another summer working as hard as I am this summer, I think I might be viewed as an asset to the team.</p>