I have been figure skating for over 10 years, and most of my ECs revolve around this (local awards, teaching, volunteering for children with mental ilnesses through the program: learn to skate), and have gained some local recognition. However, I have not gained national recognition or won any big accomplishments in the skating world but I feel like my figure skating will still impress the college admissions officers. If I send a link of a video I create showing my dedication towards figure skating, will they even take this into consideration? Is it even worth making the video?
I know that a few years ago a girl who’s first choice was Vassar was a figure skater and created a video of her skating for them (demonstrating her tricks, skills, what it is like to get ready for practice every day), and although she is not as practiced or competitive as me, her video was very respectable and shows where her hard work and extreme dedication got her to which was so inspiring to me! Ultimately she got into Vassar (shes the only skater I have found on youtube who has submitted her video to college, Its not a common thing to do this)
I shared a link on my additional info to some of my colleges (Brown and Northeastern) that showed what I did within my sport. However, my sport is very niche and hard to understand in writing, so I made the video to clear up any uncertainty about what exactly my sport was (freerunning, if you are wondering). I think it would be a good addition to your app if it is presentable and well done. Good luck!
I would lean against doing it. Adcoms are busy and don’t have the time to watch videos. If kids start to think this helps it will spread virally and pretty soon half the HS kids in the country will be sending in 10 minute videos. That’s why most colleges explicitly ask not to submit extra items except in specific areas such as an art supplement.
Second, it may not be quite as beneficial as you expect. In a previous post you wrote
First off, you are using it as an excuse; you want knowledge of this to cause adcoms to not hold your gpa against you.
More to the point, and perhaps a surprise to you, any adcom will say that you should prioritize learning over ECs and if they affect your grades then you should cut back the ECs. For example
It sounds like you’re going to go to a lot of trouble in your essays and now with this video to make sure colleges understand where you placed your priorities.
I agree with the above post. Admissions officers are swamped and working tons of hours – they are not looking to watch videos to visually confirm what is elsewhere in the application. Put down what you do both in terms of your own skating and your volunteer work with the disabled, put in the hours you spend on each, note any awards you have received and that will provide all of the information that admission officers need.
It doesn’t hurt to try! If they don’t watch your video oh well, but if they do then it’ll help you. What’s the worst that can happen? I say go for it!!
They are not going to watch your video, esepcially if you are not nationally ranked. I think it’s a waste of time personally. And FWIW, it’s great that you have achieved a level of recognition, but there are a LOT of figure skaters out there and I am surprised at how many of them seem to be on CC. My Ds college has a nationally ranked figure skater. There are a lot of you around. Anyway you all seem to be going to great colleges, so good job.
It sounds like you’re doing a lot to explain away your “bad” 3.38 GPA, but I think what your doing is focusing a lot of attention on it. I don’t think that’s going to help you. There are a lot of athletes whose sport doesn’t impact their GPA. If your GPA is on the low end for the schools you’re applying to I would consider them reaches. Make sure you have some safeties on your list.
If you are an Olympic figure skater, a national champion or something at that level it will certainly help in terms of college admissions (ex. Sarah Hughes). However, the level of skating the OP is at, while laudable, sounds to me to be akin to being an all county (or all state) HS football player and team captain who is not the level of a recruited athlete. The sport will be considered as a very solid activity, but won’t get one into a college he/she is not otherwise academically qualified for. I don’t think a video will help, but in the end it is the OP’s application and the OP’s decision.
@CaliforniaSoul The downside is that admissions officers feel their time is being wasted and look less favorably on the application.
“I feel like my figure skating will still impress the college admissions officers.”
Where do you get the idea this is even relevant to what they look for? Sorry to be blunt, but they aren’t vetting you for a skating program. First and foremost, they want to see you can meet their academic standards, during the four years.
Even if they did watch the video, they aren’t figure skating judges. They aren’t going to say, “Hey, that’s pretty, let’s take her.” Not to mention, whether skating will distract you in college, as you hint it did in high school.
Ap012199, your case is a little different. A video may save them looking up your sport on google, to get some idea, if they already like the rest of your app.
I think you should include the link on the additional information section. It will not hurt. If the Adcom feels like watching it, they can, if they don’t - they won’t. It won’t offend them, that’s for sure.
If it takes too much time away from school and application writing- then don’t bother, though.
But in theory, a solid candidate’s dance or theater ‘performing arts supp’ might go to the dept for review, some rating of the talent and if they want to work with that student. In music, it can be that or whether the talent is at a level to contribute to music groups, orchestra, accompanying, etc.
Who would review a skating sample for a non-recruit?
It doesn’t need a performing arts supp. If OP goes ahead, it could be a link in Addl Info.
Under the prior username, she included some highly competitive colleges. I don’t know if she’s backed off from those, but she has to be a match, first.
@camwow, Sending a video of highlights to show what you do is different than using it to explain low grades. If you feel it’s central to who you are, send it. But I wouldn’t mention your GPA because I don’t think adcoms will make allowances for the GPA for a nonrecruited athlete and you don’t want to call extra attention to it. I think how you present info. in an app counts for a lot.
