<p>Hello :) I am a freshman-going to be a sophomore, and my dream school is MIT. I don't have many E.C's, but I am a 3 season varsity athlete and second (back and forth first) in my class. I was looking at MIT's top track runners times for my events, and as a freshman I have better times then every single one of their girls. If I have limited E.C's (say, only drama club, key club, a 200-hour service project, ROTC high ranking member and possibly world language club), could being really good at sports help "replace" my limited E.C's? Thanks :)</p>
<p>Btw, my school doesn’t have many E.C’s, because it is only 5 years old… But our track team is ranked second in our county and the one next to us, and our counties times are some if the best in the state… (NJ)</p>
<p>By limited EC do you mean being not well rounded? Your list ,“only drama club, key club, a 200-hour service project, ROTC high ranking member and possibly world language club” that," is a hefty one. This has been stated numerously on the forum but do what you like, what you want to do. It’s perfectly okay to stick with just 1 thing. I’ve dedicated my whole high school career to a local nonprofit because I loved what I was doing. Colleges, like MIT, look for a well rounded class not well rounded student in particular. If you’re able to show your passion I’m sure you’ll have a great chance at any school.</p>
<p>It also is more important to have depth in activities/ECs, rather than simpy a long list. It speaks better about your passion if you are involved in one organization for four years than four organizations for one year. This is especially true if you demonstrate growth and depth throughout your four years in the single organization.</p>
<p>For sports specifically, if your times are already lower than MIT’s current runners then your application could certainly be helped as a recruited athlete. Contact the coach directly to start a discussion. However, even if you do not want to continue running while at MIT, you can still demonstrate a passion for sports and a growth in your involvement while in high school.</p>
<p>Thanks 
With my E.C’s, one good thing is that they seem to focus on two areas (which I love) The arts (singing and literature) and community service. The problem with finding Math and Science E.C’s at my school is because it is brand new. The only math and science clubs we have are math league, which only takes a test every month and compares the answers to other schools, and aerospace science which takes place with my school’s ROTC program. I have a passion for math and science and designing, but my school does not offer many E.C’s for that. Will this hurt me?</p>
<p>It shouldn’t. It sounds like you’re plenty involved with many other things. I didn’t really have math/science E.C.s because there were barely any options, and it didn’t hurt me. It wouldn’t make sense for colleges to expect you to be involved with things that weren’t available to you. And, you should definitely contact the coach if you’re interested in continuing your sport(s) in college.</p>