<p>Hi! I am an Indian male living in Singapore and I hold a 1st degree black belt in goju rye karate. I will be likely to graduate to second degree level before I apply.</p>
<p>Would this by any chance boost my chance at a university? Thanks!</p>
<p>By the admissions department it certainly does, but the fact that you will have a second degree black-belt leaving high school shows what a McDojo (aka belt mill) you are training in.</p>
<p>Thank you for your reply! I am unfamiliar with the term McDojo but I was wondering if my black belt would perhaps have a greater validity as I will have trained for 7-8 years in karate by the time I apply. Also I have been awarded my black belt in Singapore - I have heard that black belts earned in Asian countries hold greater validity? Are these beliefs true or simply incorrect? Does holding a black belt but not being Asian help too?</p>
<p>It is a strong EC, strong ECs are key for top schools. That being said it will not get you in to college if your grades or scores are lacking.</p>
<p>Alright! @Econ981 and @ArtsyGirl</p>
<p>thank you for your help so much!</p>
<p>Keep working hard for that second belt mate!</p>
<p>Yes, I believe, that counts. But you will have to show that you trained under a recognized school.(non-McDojo) How many years did you practice the art before achieving your 1st degree? I train Taekwondo and hold a 1st Dan black belt with over 8 and a half years of training. However, in Taekwondo, one would have to wait for two years after achieving one’s 1st Dan in order to move on to the 2nd. (You’ll have to wait 3 more years for the 3rd after your 2nd degree- a pattern you’ll have to follow in order to go through all the 9 Dans) I achieved my 1st Dan when I was 16. (which is supposedly the youngest age at which one may hold the 1st senior degree or Dan) One may hold a black belt at an age <16 but that belt would happen to be a Poom or a junior black belt. Nevertheless, the Poom may be replaced by a Dan after satisfactory training of the student until he/she has come of age.
Do you have any achievements in this field? If so, that would show that you take your practice quite seriously.
I don’t think training and graduating with a black belt in Asia matters. There are good and bad schools everywhere. Therefore, I believe that those are just myths.
Achieving an authorized black belt is a work of immense dedication, which is something the admission officers look at quite critically. There are many McDojos out there that literally ‘sell’ belts after just a couple of months training. Just prove yourself worthy and everything should be just fine. All the best, mate!</p>