<p>Well, over the last 18 months I've been going to gym and well, lets say, I've spent a lot of time there. I guess, over the whole course of time, about 3 hours a day, 5 days a week. So total about 1200 hours. It has taken up a large portion of my life of the last one and a half years but I haven't really achieved anything significant apart from going from the weakest guy in my class to the strongest. Apart from that I have come in the top 8 or so out of 300 students in my school in sports such as discus that rely a lot on leg strength, but I did it purely through my upper body strength. Also I occasionally help my friends train, almost like a personal trainer (probably spent about 150 hours on that), but its not paid. I know it's significant but I am not sure how ad-coms will react to it or how I could really put it on my application and show it to be meaningful (I can't put it in my personal statement because I have already put something else, with a lot more meaning, there)?</p>
<p>No I don’t think going to the weight room would be considered an EC. However, discus (assuming you compete on the Track team) would be considered an EC and if you were a legitimate personal trainer that would also count as an EC.</p>
<p>You probably wouldnt be able to put it on your app alone but you would be able to include it when you mention your track & field skills, meaning you would say that you do discuss and you train for the sport year round, spending x amount of time in the gym everyday/week prepping for the sport.</p>
<p>Hmm but this is where it all comes down. My school chooses the top two to represent the school. I came third in the school, so I am not on the varsity team. :S</p>
<p>You can write about how this builds your determination or s/th in an essay but probably still not recommended. That said, probably not an ec although you could talk about what drove you to do this instead and use it as an example which may make for a better essay.</p>
<p>I don’t think this could be an EC. Would jogging for fitness be considered an EC? Not at all. It’s the same idea with weight lifting. Unless you are a member of a Power Lifting team or compete in body building competitions (which would be sort of a strange EC anyway), I don’t think you can put weight lifting on your application.</p>
<p>This is a personal hobby, and possibly an essay topic. </p>
<p>Gym time could be an EC if, say, you started some sort of program to help kids in your neighborhood get more fit, or volunteered at a senior center to lead excercise classes for grandmas, or started a fitness club at your school, or competed in something fitness-related, or had a website encouraging/informing others about it. ECs are generally going to mean being involved with other people. Muscle size has nothing to do with it; demonstrating leadership, personal growth, passion, and wanting to impact someone besides yourself – that’s what counts on ECs.</p>
<p>If it helps, remember why colleges care about ECs in the first place. They’re looking for students who will contribute to the life of the college. Someone who has a history of leadership, outreach, involvement – in just about any area imaginable – those people are going to make the college a more vibrant, interesting place. One more gym rat, not so much.</p>
<p>I think what you’ve accomplished in terms of physical fitness demonstrates drive, self-discipline, and commitment-all important qualities. I’m sure you’ve learned a lot about how bodies functions under a variety of conditions. Coaching others to help them achieve their fitness goals is also admirable-and teaches you a lot about motivating and training others, which are good life skills. Does this fit into your future professional goals in any way? I’m sure you can make this into an interesting essay with a little thought.</p>
<p>Is it an EC? Not a typical one-but it is obviously a passion. Don’t discount it. ECs are not just so schools can assess what you’ll bring to the student body (although that is important too). ECs also help them figure out what kind of person you are and whether that passion is likely to turn up in other areas of your life.</p>