The title. Does it matter if your extracurriculars are connected with the school. I love racing and working on cars and am wondering if that will be a strong EC. I also program a lot. Do top schools like MIT look at if the EC is connected to the school or not or do they just care about what you do? Also, what do I need to do to show that these ECs are real and not just something that I am not even really good at. Thanks…
No, not at all. Anything for which you have a genuine passion and into which you put time and effort is a good EC. Independent ECs can be some of the best - they show initiative and willingness to go off the beaten path, as opposed to signing up for school clubs and following the herd.
Anything in which you develop proficiency will have an impact above and beyond mere time spent. For your outside ECs, that can be demonstrated by participation in racing leagues or competitions, or anything that gives some objective indication of your level of achievement. But it’s not strictly necessary.
No they aren’t.
In some cases they are better if they make you stand out from the crowd.
Thank you all for being so helpful on my first CC post!