<p>Is band/marching band useful and helpful for getting into college if you aren't going to major in music?</p>
<p>It's another ho hum EC.</p>
<p>Why wouldn't it be? It's still an extracurricular.</p>
<p>it is helpful, and the more you do with it the better. So 1st chair is better than member, winning local contests for your instrument is even better. And band offers a chance for positions of responsibility and leadership. You could do fundraising, help with uniforms, set up trips to contests and events, etc. In short, band is not just "band"; there is a broad range of involvement that you can have, and the more involved the better. The strongest applicants don't just fill an existing slot (eg. 1st chair), they think of ways to pursue an interest. So for example you could start a program to recruit middle-school students to the band, organize kids to play concerts at a local senior center, etc. Your only limit is your imagination!</p>
<p>Keep in mind colleges are looking for outside involvement, and the more selective the college the more involvement a competitive applicant will have. They are not looking for a scattershot approach, but rather for a kid who has identified one to three interests and pursued them in depth.</p>
<p>Unless you do well in auditions for the Region, Area, and State bands, solo & ensemble, hold leadership positions, teach lessons to younger kids, or actually enjoy music don't expect colleges to be impressed that you were in Band.</p>
<p>One does not have to 'win' all the prizes to show their committment and passion in something. Being a band member shows those things - participation in something and the time spent productively - it is considered an EC.</p>
<p>The ^^ poster may be correct - if one was wanting to major in music or attempt to join the college band.</p>
<p>Showing up for required performances is hardly impressive. I'm not saying that people have to do everything I listed...that's what the 'or' was for. All I'm saying is that if you want your involvement in Band to set you apart from other applicants, you need to do more than the minimum requirements.</p>
<p>some people aren't good at everything
putting in hours and hours year after year says to me commitment and passion and a great deal about your character, hsgrad, and is to me personally impressive and to colleges, worthwhile and respectable at the very least, if not knock-your-socks off impressive</p>
<p>not everyone is special, really only a very select few are, certainly, none of us are (because those who are would not need help or advice for getting into college)</p>
<p>I didn't say that hsgrad hasn't done any of that...they didn't list anything at all about their involvement. </p>
<p>I'm just saying that it's really not going to set anyone apart by just being in Band. They have to be involved.</p>
<p>Forgot to comment on this...</p>
<p>"not everyone is special, really only a very select few are"</p>
<p>That's why being involved sets people apart. Not everyone can excel at everything.</p>
<p>Like others have been saying, it really depends on how involved you are. The school I go to has a very large band program, but the level of involvement students show in it is very different. The kids in the lower bands just go to all the required practices and performances, but don't touch their instruments otherwise (they don't even practice at home on their own). The kids in the upper bands though, are much more involved. They participate in solo and ensemble contest, audition for all-district, put in extra hours for state contests, and are general leaders in the band program by volunteering/organizing fundraisers and the like. So yeah, band can be "useful", but only if you really get involved and aren't one of those kids who never touch their instruments outside of class.</p>
<p>..................... the OP's comment.........Is band/marching band useful and helpful for getting into college if you aren't going to major in music?..............</p>
<p>Per the OP's comment - not intending to major in music - most likely not participating in college band - is basically asking if the experience in of itself is useful - and I would still say yes - if one has been in hs band for 4 years - that does show committment to something that can be time consuming. If this poster was considering music as a major or college band - then I would think - yes - that all the awards and extra participation would be very helpful in that respect.</p>
<p>The poster is asking if hs band would be useful - so yes - hs band is an EC that takes a pretty big time committment to participate - and most band kids also have that passion to be willing to do that. So for a non music major - non college band participant applicant - this EC does show the committment and the passion that a school will be looking for. This kiddo was not sitting idly and twiddling their thumbs for 4 years.</p>
<p>"That's why being involved sets people apart. Not everyone can excel at everything."</p>
<p>most people don't excel, truly excel, at anything (but pretty damn good is more than enough for 99.9% of colleges, including harvard)</p>
<p>Even the banner carrier in the hs band - if they have done this thru their hs career - and maybe not talented at all in anything else - but put in the same amount of time and have that same passion to do so - would still be showing a college a committment and that passion for doing so.</p>
<p>As you say - most people don't excel - at anything - but the committment and passion will show thru - no matter what one is participating in - if they have stuck it out for a long period of time.</p>
<p>But isn't it true that agreeing to participate in a marching band at a school gives you an extra edge?</p>
<p>Don't some school bands give lists to the admissions officers of the students that they would like for band? I mean, it wouldn't get you in if you weren't qualified, but if it were between you and another person, couldn't that be the tipping factor?</p>
<p>I've spoken to a band director about this and he mentioned it to me... but perhaps it isn't a common thing.</p>
<p>I guess it's only really useful if you plan on pursuing it at least a little in college? And you wouldn't want to do marching band JUST because it gave you an edge, but because you enjoy it.</p>
<p>It well could give one a ''tip'' if they intended to pursue it in college. I took the original question tho as to putting it on one's resume - listing it as an EC - not necessarily as a tip/hook type of thing. But you are correct - if the applicant was intending to joing the college band - it could be a hook in that sense.</p>
<p>ok well im also involved in band/music ensembles, and have awards from th e mayor of the town for excellence for our undefeated percussion line 2 years running (with me as captain), would something like that help for admission to schools with somewhat large music programs?</p>
<p>I take a different view than some of the other posters, although I have to admit I'm not exactly clear reading thru the thread what some of them are really trying to say since they seem to say one thing in one message and something else later :( </p>
<p>Here's my 2-cents worth. Some colleges admit purely by the numbers. As you move up the selectivity ladder they look for other ways to choose between applicants, EC's being one of them. And the more selective the school the more EC involvement they like to see. Stanford, for example, says
[quote]
In addition to academic excellence and intellectual vitality, we are interested in students who have made significant contributions to the life of their school or community. We want to see the impact your participation has had on that club, in your school, or in the larger community. With extracurricular activities, a sustained depth of commitment is more important than a long list of clubs you have joined.
[/quote]
Of course most schools aren't as selective as Stanford and so a lower degree of involvement still makes you a competitive candidate. Contrary to what JeepMOM said in post #6 or what others have said, involvement in band is not only valuable if you're trying to get into the college band or major in music. As an EC it shows your involvement in your school and community regardless of your future music-related plans. </p>
<p>And there is quite a degree of flexibility in what you do in band to express your individual interests provided you're willing to do more than just the minimum of "participating". People with a passion for music might enter contests and so on. Those with leadership ambition could go for those roles in the band. There is fundraising, there is music outreach, there is just so much you can do with music (or virtually any other interest) to go beyond the stage of simply "member". And I don't mean to belittle those who simply join and play in HS. That alone takes committment and colleges recognize that. However at the more competitive schools "member" alone is not going to be enough to stand out in the sea of achievers vying for admission.</p>
<p>I think marching band is a nice EC because it shows discipline, dedication, and leadership. Admissions officers have told me the same thing.</p>
<p>I spend ~15 hours a week doing colorguard (which is part of the marching band), and this year will spend even more as our captain. I love guard/band for tons of reasons. If it's meaningful to you and you can make it come across that way on your application, it's not going to be "just another ho-hum EC."</p>
<p>LEAH ooooo I love color-guard - my gal and her best friend (her mom was the coach and I was the rifle coach LOL) was very involved in that for quite a while - have fun and enjoy - and yup I sure can be hard work.</p>