<p>I hate how some college apps have little check boxes: 9 10 11 12
under which you say what years you participated in each EC. that doesn't take into account that the majority of my ECs are things i've continually participating in for years and years (i started ballet at age 4). it is repetitive and a waste of essay space to mention this for all of these in my personal statement. grr</p>
<p>They don't care whether you started ballet at age 4. What they care about is what you did in high school. They are interested in what activities you chose to do once you were old enough to presumably make your own decisions about ECs. When you were 4, your parents picked your ECs for you.</p>