Blogging as an Extracurricular

Applying to College
1

<p>This is a pretty big part of my life, so I was wondering if it's something that could possibly help me when I apply to college.</p>

<p>The summer before 9th grade, I started a book blog where I basically review books and have general discussions about them. In an average week, I devote about 10 hours to this, and my blog has grown a lot (though it's still small) since it's started (and I expect it to continue to grow; I'm in 10th grade at the moment). Right now I have about 350 followers and about 35,000 views. </p>

<p>Probably the most "impressive" aspect of it is that publishing companies (the Big Six as well as smaller ones) frequently send me free, early editions of books before they're released to the public for me to review online. (I receive an average of 10 books a month.)</p>

<p>Does this count as an extracurricular, and would it look good to admissions officers? The schools I'm most interested in include MIT, Princeton, CalTech, etc. (And yes, I plan to apply for engineering and I have engineering-focused extracurriculars, but reading/writing-related activities are a large part of my life as well.)</p>

2

<p>You better explain the importance of your blogging, because:
Most of us blog. I blog. But we do it as entertainment, without seriousness. In our cases, no it’s not an extracurricular.
But in your case, it has become a somewhat professional task, so I think you should include it.
Good luck!</p>

3

<p>It definitely counts as an extracurricular, but make sure to explain that it goes beyond blogging for recreational purposes.</p>

4

<p>YES. it’s a unique EC, and definitely valid. just explain it properly on your app.</p>