<p>If, after submitting applications, a high school senior decides to drop an EC that she has done all through high school due to her schedule being overloaded, would competitive schools frown on that? Would they even know?
Thanks</p>
<p>I don't think they would know (unless it was something so obvious and dramatic that the guidance counselor would know about it and would mention it on the midyear report).</p>
<p>In fact, most of the seniors I knew last year either dropped or greatly decreased their participation in some ECs as the year went on.</p>
<p>DS1 dropped one or two things this fall as two of his other ECs burst into huge prolific bloom. Has not affected his admissions decisions -- and one of the dropped things was related to his intended major. He dropped the ECs early enough that he was able to reflect that in his apps.</p>
<p>I am finding it interesting that DS and many of his friends, now that applications are in, are suddenly trying out new interests and activities. We saw this among his senior friends last year, too. Preparation for the new roles they're going to be talking on in a few months -- an outlet from all the stuff they've "had" to do over this fall -- perhaps a touch of senioritis.</p>
<p>Hmmm. This would be something she's considering dropping after having put on her applications that she participated in this sport for all four years. It's not like she did it all these years just to have something to write on her application and now she's trying to sneak out of it. It's just that she has a crushing academic load this semester and wants to opt out of the sport because it's not her favorite EC. She will stick with it if there is any risk of quitting looking negative to colleges, but it would make her life more manageable to drop it.</p>
<p>It would be worse to have one's grades drop. Unless one is a recruited athlete, dropping a sport won't get an acceptance rescinded; a significant drop in grades may. Your daughter would be smart to focus on her academics, even at the expense of a sport.</p>
<p>Is she a recruited athlete? If not, she's not being judged on her athletic pursuits. And no, no one is going to find out anyway. Unless someone tells, in which case, I'd look the "how" and then I'd look at FERPA law.</p>
<p>Thanks for all the insight. She's actually not my daughter, but the daughter of a friend. She's also not a recruited athlete, nor is she critical to the team. It's just a sport that she enjoys and has played competitively for years. It seems like it's not that big of a deal if she opts out. She just didn't want it to appear like she was trying to get away with something now that applications are done.
Thanks again!</p>
<p>the way I look at it, many seniors step back from many ECs, and that gives the Jrs a chance!!!</p>
<p>Colleges KNOW that lots of things change in the spring</p>
<p>CGM, Good point -- a senior last year turned over responsiblities for a club over to DS in the second semester and it turned into a huge opportunity for my son. He's planning to do the same thing this year. His school sometimes focuses too much on seniors getting awards, when it's the juniors who could most benefit from some of these opportunities.</p>
<p>OP -- If she's not planning to play in college, I wouldn't worry about it. If she's quitting because of academics, a college isn't going to fault her for that, esp. when the prevailing winds this time of year blow towards senioritis vs. folks buckling down to study.</p>