<p>in top schools (ivies, ucs) admissions, does having a very unique set of extra curriculars help you with your chances at schools? does "rarity" matter much?</p>
<p>Depends.... everything depends on the exact nature of circumstances and level of participation. </p>
<p>You don't want to be unique as in how you were a successful art thief for the past few years now would you? </p>
<p>But uniqueness might be good for UCs... they always get the same batch of boring applicants. (scores + or - 1900 from 2000, few hundred hours of volunteering, a few clubs (maybe positions), and few activities as sports or an instrument...)</p>
<p>The short answer to your question is (obviously?) yes.</p>
<p>Why do you ask? Are you a world-class textbook cover-artist or something?</p>