Dilemma

College Search & Selection
1

<p>Hi! I'm a sophomore student in high school this year and I just had some questions that needed answering.</p>

<p>I play football and I am striving for a 4.17 or higher GPA for the rest of my high school career. This will most likely be achieved, but I'm in a bit of a dilemma. Football is a sport that I enjoy very much, but it takes out a lot of time, physical strength, and mental dedication. To be honest, I don't think I'm going to be receiving athletic scholarship offers for my athleticism... </p>

<p>So the question I have for you is...
Do you think I should drop football after my two years of required physical education are finished? The extra time I would have would be dedicated to going above and beyond for school assignments, and I would be able to participate in other extracurricular activities.</p>

<p>Or do you think having a varsity sport on my college application will have enough benefits to outweigh the hardships? </p>

<p>Thank you for any replies in advance!
-Ryan</p>

2

<p>A question for you is: </p>

<p>Regardless of college admissions, would you want to keep playing football?</p>

3

<p>It would be great to be able to! Although, it doesn’t come before ‘getting into a good college’ in my priority list.</p>

4

<p>

Okay but why do you want to get into a good college?</p>

5

<p>If you want to drop football to free up time so you can do other ECs that are “important” for college admissions, I’d advise <strong>against</strong> dropping. If you’re bored of it or concerned for your health <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1013366-no-more-fb-mean-mom.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/parents-forum/1013366-no-more-fb-mean-mom.html&lt;/a&gt; or honestly believe it will take up too much time, then maybe so. </p>

<p>I think football is as good an EC as any, even if you aren’t D1 material. This is especially true if you can talk about how it’s affected your life / what you’ve learned from it / just be enthusiastic and love it in your essays. My son’s selective college said at the admitted students weekend that that the kids who had been involved in sports tended to do better since they’d figured out time management.</p>

6

<p>I want to obtain a psychology or business major, because they fit my personality and trait set. A good college is definitely necessary to set me in the right path for that career.</p>

7

<p>

Okay but why do you want that career?</p>

8

<p>While you and Senior0991 continue to do some soul-searching (which I do think is good, just not something I want to spend my time contributing to), let me just answer your dilemma:</p>

<p>Continue with football. Here’s why:</p>

<p>1) You need ECs anyway. By the time your two required years of fitness are through, you’ll be a bit late your school career to start something new and get anywhere significant with it. That’s not to say you shouldn’t branch out.</p>

<p>2) You may not be great at football, but colleges like athletes, plain and simple. They may not recruit you, but they’ll be more likely to accept you.</p>

<p>3) Fitness is important, it relieves stress, blahblahblahblahblah.</p>

<p>4) Perfect grades don’t matter as much as sticking with ECs. Colleges would rather see you’re dedicated to something (football) than see a 2400 SAT. Still do well, but don’t fuss over doing your absolute best. Just do well and have some fun.</p>

<p>5) YOU ENJOY IT. Isn’t that reason enough?</p>

<p>You’re welcome, I just solved your first ever mid-life crisis. For free.</p>

9

<p>Football doesn’t mean anything. In five years, you could be a graduate of a top university and going into a successfull career as a New York big wig. Or, you could keep playing football and end up some sorry overweight southerner/midwesterner who has given up on their dreams and reminisces over the glory days. Life is what you make of it.</p>

10

<p>^Yes, because clearly it is one or the other. I bet the members of the Yale football team, for instance, will end up doing nothing with their lives. </p>

<p>I second nitwitoddment’s advice. I believe, though, that they refer to it as a “quarter-life crisis.” With top students, it generally works the other way around (college-age students bored with their lives who want to do more things they enjoy).</p>

11

<p>Thank you everyone for your great answers! I’ll continue to play football, I’m just going to have to work a little bit on my time management. ;)</p>

<p>I’m going to take your advice, you guys are awesome!</p>