<p>This is a first time posting from a long time lurker so please bear with me. My son has talked about being an architect since the seventh grade (junior next year) and has played football/basketball since little league. Next year he will be taking the second tier of an "advanced architecture" class that he loves but will take up two class periods. This only leaves him with one credit hour for an EC. The problem is, one of the colleges he plans on applying to (top choice and reach) requires a portfolio in which he would need to take an art class to help him with his sketching. When asked he said he would drop sports for the art class without hesitation. My question is, should he give up sports and an EC bump on his college app for an art class that he only needs for one school that's a reach? I should say that we don't have the means for him to take an art class outside of school. Please help!!</p>
<p>To be perfectly honest, unless he’s a potential recruit for one of his sports, dropping the sports for a class that he wants to take (and that will prove useful down the line where ever he might study architecture) is a no-brainer. Lots of kids cut back on something or other as they progress through high school. This is OK.</p>
<p>And do remember that an EC is anything that he pursues outside of the regular class hours. There may be something interesting he can do in the community that isn’t during the school day.</p>
<p>Momofone, thanks for your input. Playing sports isnt really about getting recruited as much as its about giving up something he loves as well as having a dedicated EC for four years vs something he picked up in his junior year. And as far as taking a class he wants, the art class is just a means to an end for the portfolio. None of the other programs require a portfolio mainly because the bulk of sketching is taught in their first year studio. The advanced architecture class is the only no-brainer in this scenario. Sigh…</p>
<p>Agree with happymom.
2 issues to consider: your son’s passions and acceptance to college.
Acceptance to college:
Will you son be a recruited athelete in football or basketball (or have that potential)? If so, then he should stay in sports. If he wants to be an architect and needs a portfolio, then an art class to develop a portfolio will help him much more in his acceptance because it will differentiate him from many of the other students that are applying (to a college, not necessarily to the arch program).
He says he wants to be an architect. He has been taking arch classes. Art falls into that theme, which is also what is needed for college admissions. Taking an Art class is not just an “EC bump,” it is central to the theme that he is developing in his apps. I would venture to say that it probably will have more of an app impact than his many years of football/basketball (again, unless he is a recruited athlete, then the answer will be different).
Consider his passion:
As kids get older, unfortunately, there is not enough time in the day to pursue all interests and they must pick and choose. I would believe him when he says that he prefers to take an art class over football/basketball. I would think that the hardest part about leaving sports would be leaving his teammates behind and feeling like he was letting down the team.</p>
<p>To me, this would be a no-brainer. Pick art.</p>
<p>Take a weekend art class at a community college. Your school gives credit for kids to play sports?</p>
<p>I think HappyMom and YoHoYoHo have made good points, but I also see that you said he loves the sports. They also probably provide some social life and healthy exercise, which are great for HS students’ mental and physical health, their self-image, and development of lifetime habits. Also, even if he might not be a recruited athlete, he might end up as a captain of a team and such leadership is important on college apps. I also think colleges recognize sports a little differently than other ECs-- they get the time, commitment, and discipline that go along with playing varsity athletics, especially for 4 years. If he truly loves them, I’d have him keep the sports and do art in the summer or privately.</p>
<p>I think that sports and exercise is important and healthy, both for social life and physical health. But if op is looking for acceptance to college, the number of “captains of sport teams” who are applying will be very large (# of HS x # of sports available) compared with the pool of architect applicants who have taken beg arch, adv arch, art, and has a portfolio in hand. Maybe he can do a pickup game of basketball? And he can do IM football or basketball in college. I believe that op said that she didn’t have the funds for separate art classes.</p>
<p>DS does track and fencing. We both know that it’s for the social and physical benefits. It will have ZERO impact on his apps, though. Does this mean that he should not do it? NO. But if he had to decide between 2 different ECs, track vs another passion which will help both in his college and professional career, then it would seem that career would be the way to go. (analogy: kids who love to play music, but won’t be professional musicians).</p>
<p>It’s not all about apps, though. If your son is more passionate about football and basketball than about applying to that reach school in architecture, then do the sports. </p>
<p>I personally feel that the art helps to develop a theme that will get him accepted even to the schools that do not require a portfolio for the app. Additionally, he should consider submitting a portfolio as an art supplement to the arch schools that don’t require a portfolio.</p>
<p>YoHo, you have made an excellent point. The art class will round out the app for his proposed field at any school and tbh I hadn’t thought about it that way. I guess my only hang up is that soon summer training kicks in and how he will feel when all of his teammates/friends are preparing for the upcoming season and he is left behind. Not to mention when games begin. I just didnt want him to make such a drastic decision for one application that leaves him unhappy and lonely for the next two years. He has known and played with the same group of guys as I said from little league to varsity.</p>
<p>YoHoYoHo–I disagree that having his EC’s will have zero impact on apps, unless he is only applying to state schools that use a metric based on GPA and test scores. Applying to reach schools pretty much requires the EC’s.</p>
<p>I would hesitate to drop sports when there are other options out there–taking private art lessons or auditing a class at a nearby college or community college.</p>
<p>As an architect I can’t begin to emphasize how important it is to be able to draw well and be comfortable with being able to express yourself visually. I do think he should be sure to find a way to continue to get enough exercise, now and when he’s in college. As others have said, while the portfolio may not be required at all schools, many will take art supplements.</p>
<p>I’m speaking as the parent of kids who did fine in admissions without doing any sports. My older son still doesn’t get enough exericise except for walking everywhere. My younger son took up martial arts pretty seriously in college.</p>
<p>mathmom–replace “sports” with “extra curriculars” though. This student just happens to play sports. What EC’s did your kids have and without those, would they have had as much success?</p>
<p>I guess what I see, momincypress, is a kid whose teammates/friends will be off playing the sports he loves–football and basketball–while he is taking <em>art class</em>? Don’t get me wrong, I am closer to an artist than an athlete and we really value the arts in our family–I have a sister who graduated from RISD in visual arts. STILL, this scenario just doesn’t work for me. He needs to do what he loves. Find a way to get that art elsewhere. Also, I would worry that while he wants to be an architect now, his interests might change. He’s what…16? </p>
<p>YoHo, I believe that DS13’s two-year stint as captain of his varsity team was huge in his successful application to his SCEA this year even though he is nowhere near competitive enough to be on the college team. He is an easygoing and generally amiable kid, but we have noticed that his mood is much improved when he exercises regularly–and gets good sleep.</p>
<p>SteveMa,
As an example, Dd did swimming, fencing, cheer, and also did film, theater, dance, creative writing (along with a ton of other ECs). 10 ECs go onto the app. So they were film, theater, dance, Cw, cheer, and others that she wanted to highlight. Sports didn’t make it on the app. Though the sports took lots of time, putting it the app muddies the theme of a visual and performing arts kid. She got accepted SCEA at a HYPS. </p>
<p>Stevema, You are correct, however, if the student does not have more than 10 ECs. I guess I had really thought about it in that way before.</p>
<p>However, only your son really knows what he values and what his passions are. And indeed, friendships and comraderie are extremely important. There’s no creative way to find a free arts class? Or take an overload of art and sport at school?</p>
<p>YoHoYoHo–it isn’t “sports” that is the issue, it’s “EC’s”–the EC’s just happen to be sports. If your D ONLY did her film and theater as part of the school day and no EC’s after school there is no WAY she would have gotten into HYP, etc.</p>
<p>Ah, got it. But art will be an EC.</p>
<p>The way I see it, your son wants to do two things – take a certain type of art class and play a certain sport – but he can only do one during the school day.</p>
<p>But perhaps there are other ways in which he can pursue one of these interests.</p>
<p>If he does not care about playing on his school’s team but still wants to continue the sport in some fashion, could he play the sport in a community league? Or would he like to pursue his interest in this sport in some way other than by playing it? For example, would he like to be a volunteer official for younger players’ games? Or be an assistant coach of a younger players’ team? (Community leagues may offer such opportunities.)</p>
<p>Alternatively, could he play his sport at school and take a suitable art class in a summer program or at a community college?</p>
<p>YoHoYoHo–not when it’s a class during the school day</p>
<p>If the sports and arts both happen at the same time during the day, which is how I understand it, why wouldn’t both be classes, or both be EC’s?</p>
<p>Yes, my kids had ECs, I can’t see how taking an art class during the school day, means you can’t have any ECs at all, but I am regularly surprised by the strange way other schools run things. For example both my kids did Science Olympiad after school. It had a tiny budget, they regularly beat schools that did it as a class during the school day with huge budgets and it didn’t push out other classes. OTOH, my younger son was in two school orchestras which met during the school day and did push out time for other classes. (Though one actually met in the period before the official start of school - the only other classes that met then were gym and health.)</p>
<p>YoHo, I got your PM and truely thank you for the advice. I was watching The Walking Dead so please forgive the late response :-)</p>
<p>The reason we have to choose between between art and sports is his class schedule only has room for seven credit hours. Algebra ll K, English lll, US History K, Physics K, Adv Arch totals six credit hours. Only room for one more. I asked him was it possible to play and not be in the football class and he said its nearly impossible to get any playing time because it will look as though its not a priority. I have a hugh problem with this but I have bigger fish to fry so to speak. Lol. I can try a little harder to find another art option, however time has just about run out. Final changes to next years schedule are due this week and Art is already on the list. Tbh, Im leaning toward going with our first mind and sticking with the art class but I just know he will have adverse feelings come football season. I guess this is his first lesson in having to make tough decisions.</p>