<p>My DD had mostly music related ECs…sang in a prestigious children’s choir, played in school band and pep band. Played in pit orchestras. Played in two precollege ensembles at the Hartt School. Took piano and oboe lessons. Played in all state orchestra. Played in regional orchestra and band. Started and choreographed band color guard. Was band librarian and secretary, and a section leader. You get the picture.</p>
<p>She was also happened to be on the swim team…but that was really a secondary EC.</p>
<p>My comment is not directed to the OP, it is just a general statement.</p>
<p>This question strikes me as so sad. What have we come to when a family has a child who is deeply involved in a positive, time consuming activity that he loves, and yet has to question whether it is enough? </p>
<p>Or when we have to compute the ding to the weighted GPA caused by four years of a nonweighted fine arts credit, and wonder if it is worth it?</p>
<p>(And I’ve been there myself, wondering the same things, so I’m not judging anyone for thinking about it or wondering if they are doing it wrong. But what a twisted game … the college admissions game … it all has become when those questions even need to be asked.)</p>
<p>I find this sad, but for a different reason. I have heard (over and over) that colleges prefer student with deep involvement in one or two activities over students who “dabble” in several activities. I get that but OTOH shouldn’t the teen years allow for some exploring of interests? I say this as a parent of one child who had a very deep passion which she pursued heavily in HS and one child who has been involved in a variety of activities in HS but none to a huge extent. In the second child’s case he attends a school with a huge number of activities and a very open policy for being involved. He has taken advantage of this to explore many interests. He is currently a senior and there is no point in my losing sleep over this.</p>
<p>heh… what can offset a heavy IB workload? I know! An extremely time intensive EC that demands excellence and where there are no substitutes if you have to “miss” a performance or are sick or just having a bad day. No bench to put someone else in.</p>
<p>I was also an IB kid heavily involved in music =)</p>
<p>My kid continued music through college and is still playing her instrument now. She was an engineering/biology double major, and still found the time for orchestra rehearsals,twice weekly for 3 hours each, and private instrument lessons. She said…her music was art of her, and actually helped her relax. She never missed a rehearsal, and found it a great offset to her classroom studies. So I can see how this would be a good contrast to the IB course load.</p>
<p>I do understand what you mean. For me, it’s not so much high schoolers and college admissions that frustrates me. By high school, I don’t think it’s unusual for a child to have zero’d in on one or two favorite activities. It’s more the pressure on very young kids to hyper focus that bothers me. When my daughter was little and still wanting to try everything, the pressure put on her by other adults to dedicate full time to their own study was really intense. It’s not a surprise that in the end she settled on the one activity that didn’t ask her too be exclusive. </p>
<p>I would say that college resume’s don’t tell the whole picture. A lot of kids still dabble even when they’ve found something they really are passionate about. Those various lunch time clubs and activities, the side classes, the short term community service project tend to not make it to resume’s these days but there are plenty of kids that are still participating in them.</p>
<p>I can’t find the 'top scholars application" on line, but you can search as well as I can. From the various write-ups, merit scholarships seem to require “leadership” in the high school. There also seems to be at least one scholarship that is specifically designated for engineering students.</p>
<p>I’d suggest that you find the applications for merit scholarships, not only at USC, but at other colleges of possible interest to your S. If he’s really interested, he should do what he needs to do to have a chance at these scholarships. It may well be for some merit scholarships–I’ve no personal knowledge of USC’s–that being a home room rep or leader of the Thanksgiving food drive could be worth thousands of dollars because it would allow someone to click a box on the application saying that he demonstrated the required “leadership.” </p>
<p>If I were you, in the fall of next year, I’d have your S contact the school directly and express interest.</p>
<p>"heh… what can offset a heavy IB workload? " - An activity loved by the student, considered fun not work. Trust me, at times it did give him too much (in my opinion) to juggle. But he excelled at both. </p>
<p>When we looked at Engineering colleges, we kept an eye out for good-fit music opportunities. He’s a musician that seems to need that outlet.</p>
<p>I find it wonderful when a bright young student has a passion, whether it be music, sports, dance, theater, chess, robotics etc. Sometimes the passion may not be what they do but rather whether something they do helps others. I am not as impressed with someone who does things to pad an application because they were told it was important. I realize that the OP is hoping that their child’s passion will help them in their college acceptances, however, I think that there being passionate is more important than how someone else views it. Good luck in her child’s college search and best wishes in continuing what they enjoy!</p>
<p>Colorado mom…your son sounds a lot like my daughter. She wanted a good engineering program BUT her second criteria was that she be able to play in the college orchestra and continue private lessons. To be honest, that was harder to find than good engineering schools!</p>
<p>And at age almost 26, she continues to play her instrument in a community orchestra.</p>
<p>It could hurt, yes, it could. It could also help. It so depends on so many other circumstances. My niece is at a college BECAUSE she was so gung ho band and they wanted her in their Marching Band. My cousins, son, they had no interest ih his band resume–when it was brought up, they told him he could audition for a spot, and it was pretty clear that it was not an admissions special consideration point.</p>
<p>One of those circumstances is which instrument you play. This student plays French horn. That’s a plus because it’s not as popular as some of the other instruments such as flute or sax.</p>
<p>My daughter went to Santa Clara University.</p>
<p>Marian, my daughter is an oboe and English horn player…two other underrepresented instruments. Her college was mighty happy to have her in the orchestra (she also owns both instruments…and the school did not own an English horn)…but despite folklore out there…being an oboe player was not a tip in college admissions. And yes…we were TOLD this…we asked.</p>
<p>Fallgirl and eastcoastcrazy, I agree with both of you. It’s a crazy process that doesn’t really help anyone feel confident. The ideal thing to do–if you can–is step out of it and let the chips fall where they may.</p>
<p>I don’t think it’s typical that kids of 15 or 16 have found their “passion” and I think it’s an unnecessary pressure to expect, even to insist, that they have. Not only do I think it’s a time for dabbling, I also think that there are undiscovered talents and interests these very young people have yet to uncover.</p>
<p>My eldest did cultivate a passion from very early on and now at the ripe old age of 24, marvels at her younger sister who, at age 15, has only now stumbled upon an interest she wants to develop. I think there’s a bit of wistfulness there that she didn’t try to broaden her own horizons back when her time was more than filled up with her activities. Meanwhile, youngest D, who is right in the middle of college madness, is eaten up by insecurity that she’s not good enough because she hasn’t become a nationally ranked athlete or a prodigious musician or shown impressive leadership. She brushes aside her genuine interests and considerable scholarship as nothing much, rather than a source of pride. Will she be hurt in college admissions? Maybe. But it shouldn’t diminish her sense of pride and accomplishment. I keep telling her this but I hope eventually it gets through.</p>
<p>Depends on the college or the tier, as jonri notes.<br>
Being deeply involved in something he loves is good for him, as a growing individual. That still leaves, is it the picture adcoms at that college want to see? Because some tiers want to know you’re the sort who can do more than just what rouses those personal passions. Especially if most are organized for you. Or your accomplishment is just within the school framework, what they offer, their ideas and schedules.</p>
<p>I think many parents who say their kid was unilateral don’t realize how some of the “little” extras can matter, depending on the college and the potential major. Sometimes, you have to stand back and realize what those are. If you truly come up short, get him out into the community. That’s not less music- even a few hours/month can show well, depending. </p>
<p>Gabby Douglass has done more than athletics.</p>
<p>It depends on his grades and course rigor.
It depends on his ACT/SAT scores.
It depends on his class rank.
It depends on which schools he applies."</p>
<p>He is ranked 3% out of his class with a 4.65 uwGPA. He just took the SAT but his scores for the PLAN (Pre-ACT) predicted an ACT score of a 31-33. He is currently taking all Honor’s classes including band and next year will start 3 AP classes. He will be applying to USC-Columbia, BAMA, NCSU, UNC-Charlotte and possibly UT. Not only are all EC’s band related but he has now been excepted into NC Governor’s School based on his musical abilities. As far as leadership skills go, he is only a section leader. He was nominated for 2 other positions in the band but did not get them. I guess it is a wait and see approach.</p>
<p>Don’t forget he can show leadership by what he does, not just the name of the position. So if he volunteers with younger kids, gives solo concerts to seniors, organizes an instrument drive for an inner city school or something like that, he can talk about that. </p>