<p>Three questions, actually, all sports related.
1. I have taken karate for almost 7 years, pretty consistently except for a bit of time this year when I was very busy with junior year and did not go for awhile. I do not have a black belt, I have a green belt. Especially in the adult class that I've been in for a year or so, we spend a lot of time working together on sparring techniques and not on individual things needed to increase rank. Testings are infrequent. My teacher took 7 years to get his black belt, probably with a lot more devotion than I have (not that I don't love it, but it's his job, so obviously he cares more). There are lots of people who got black belts when they were like 10 years old, or in just a few years. It seems to me that different schools and styles are not comparable. Should I put the green belt down on my app? Or just that I've been doing it a long time and leave it at that? Do you think colleges would care at all? Would they look at someone who has a black belt but the same hours spent as better than I?
2. I started fencing with the school team freshman year, and started private lessons sophomore year. The team is pretty big, and you only have 3 main varsity athletes per weapon, with a bunch of alternates. At another school, I could maybe fence varsity, but at mine we have a lot of people who have just been doing it for much longer than I have. So will colleges still think highly of my committment, even though I'm not on varsity and not a captain? I've been to a few outside of school tournaments, but I haven't done very well in them given the skill of the kids who usually go to such things.
3. My favorite sport is sailing. I love it, and I'm pretty good. I've sailed at camp for about 6 years, and there I learned a lot of skills, and took and passed the course offered at camp, which at one point gave official Red Cross certification but by the time I took it had cut the affiliation. I also passed light wind small boat sailing by US Sailing, and had almost finished heavy wind when they switched sailing directors and decided to stop using the books. We have no sailing team at school. I really really want to be on a college sailing team. The camp is not officially a sailing camp. It is just a girl scout camp with a great sailing program. How, aside from essays, can I communicate my love of sailing to colleges and the time spent doing it? Should I include my kind of measly US sailing thing? I'm thinking I should write about it in my essay(s) but it doesn't really seem like a unique topic.</p>
<p>bump 10 char</p>
<p>Include any awards/achievements/activities (such as the camp) related to those sports that you mentioned. Those things do indicate to the college that you were spending a lot of time with those activities, and are definitely interested in them.</p>
<p>During an interview or in answer to any application question about what you have to offer the college, let the college know about your hopes to be on the sailing team, etc. Even take the time to e-mail the coach to find out if there's anything that you can do now to boost your chances of being on the team. Copy admissions on your e-mail so they know about your interest.</p>
<p>You don't have to be perfect at an activity or have top achievements to mention it on an application.</p>
<p>writ, All of these activities are valid and valuable ECs. They show commitment and enthusiasm which would be appreciated by all colleges, especially those that are sports or physical activity oriented. </p>
<p>I don't think many people would understand the significance of the "green belt" in Karate. If you are planning to submit an activity list or resume this would be a good explanation to include as an annotation. As for fencing, I don't think you need to elaborate on what you're not. You're on the team, you practice and compete and that's an accomplishment in itself.</p>
<p>Many colleges have sailing teams either varsity or club. They need sailors! Actually a good friend of my son's recently explained to me the rigors of competitive sailing and I now have a great appreciation of the commitment and dedication that it entails. Boston Harbor in the snow! </p>
<p>If you're required to submit an essay along the lines of "what EC means the most to me," then sailing would make a good topic. Otherwise, I'd include it on your resume or activity list with a sentence about how you really want to continue to pursue this sport. As NSM notes, contacting the coach or club leader is a great idea.</p>
<p>Thanks guys!</p>