Recently the thought of “Try concentrating on one EC that you are very passionate about” has led me into some serious thinking.
I’m currently a soccer player in my national team and the vice-captain in my club who has won many MVP awards in soccer trips to Portugal, Spain, England, Thailand, and Japan.
However, when I was 8 years old, I was grade 7 in piano and was very passionate about it, however, after I have joined my soccer team I found out that soccer could help me more in shaping me as a well-rounded person and gave up in piano. Should I write this in the boxes provided in the “Extra-curricular” in Gateway to prep school? Will this help my application or ruin it? Should I record a video of me playing piano + would that help?
In addition, a similar case as above happened to me as well when I was 7 years old. I was one of the most elite swimmers in my city. Should I write that as well?
Should I write both of them or…?
No school will want to know/care what EC’s you did when you were 7 or 8 years old. They want to know about you now.
On a related note, I don’t mean to be short, but your continued pattern of questions comes across, to me at least, as the “grasping at straws” approach to BS admissions. There is no magic formula to an acceptance, sorry to say. Pursue your passions, get good grades, score high on the SSAT, nail the interview and essays, and let the chips fall where they may.
@skieurope : Your advice has a corollary for dating, too. Don’t try to turn yourself into someone others will like. Be the best YOU you can be, and learn to appreciate those who love who you actually are.
“Elite Swimmer” and 7 years old are not compatible. NO swimmer is “elite” at 7yo - at least not the way it is defined in the US by USASwimming.
If you plan to swim at Prep School, then I would include it as you are interested in joining that sport.
Piano shows balance…include the video if you plan on continuing to pursue piano/music at BS.
The ECs are meant to show some leadership in your community. Sports accomplishments can be highlighted separately and are meant to drive recruited athleticism, if you think you have enough to be recruited as an athlete.
@preppedparent and @sunnyschool: I think you are mostly right and also not quite.
When AOs evaluate a candidate’s ECs, recommendations, and transcript, they may be trying to find:
- Athletes who will make a difference in athletic competitions against other schools
- Students likely to make the school’s matriculation lists look good when they get into Harvard, Yale, etc 4 years later
- Kids who will contribute greatly to the school community by performing in the play, running the community service organization, playing in the orchestra, competing in the robotics club, etc.
- Students who will give them “bragging rights” later. In other words, those who are already showing signs they may someday make it onto the “distinguished alumni” list when they win a MacArthur Genius Award, are named Secretary of State, found a game-changing start-up, are nominated for an Oscar, become CEO of a Fortune 500, invent something noteworthy, are elected to public office, etc.
- Families and future alumni who will contribute generously to fundraising efforts.
They have no crystal ball and therefore are limited to looking at all of the applications and supporting materials.
They may also be trying to weed out those who are likely to cause problems due to undiagnosed mental health issues, lack of academic preparation, propensity to addiction or personality traits that might be abusive or divisive (arrogance, prejudice, meanness, selfishness).
They are seeing kids at their most packaged and edited, so they probably spend years honing their bullshit detectors and learning to spot authenticity.
@CaliMex - my point is, that anyone that knows anything about swimming (including prep school swim coaches) knows that there simply is not “elite swimming” at 7yo, period. That group is called “8 and under” and it is not even an official age group in USASwimming. (ie, winning something at age 7 usually means a summer team which is recreational and very non-competitive at that age!).
USAS has various articles on their website cautioning parents that “10 and Under wonders” are not really wonders, because it is long term development that matters in swimming. Competitive swimming is a long journey, one that merely starts for most kids at 10/under. The OP child was SEVEN, not even 10. If the OP student really wants to show a swimming accomplishment, then something recent, like as a 12 or 13yo, would be more applicable. Perhaps swimming on a team this summer would be good preparation. 
yes! What she said. I too have read that same article. The majority of kids who are wonders 10 and under are not when they are in high school if they are still swimming. it does not belong on the app!
@sunnyschool I was not commenting on the adjectives used to describe different swimming levels. I didn’t mention swimming levels anywhere in my post. (Maybe you were busy and rushed and didn’t actually read what I wrote?)
I was commenting on your recommendation to focus on piano for “balance” vs. @preppedparent’s suggestion that the OP emphasize leadership.