<p>In response to an earlier comment about EC's reflecting one's intended major(and passions),
are debate, speech and Model UN (good dedication and accomplishments) strong
enough as EC's to reflect my passion towards majoring in philosophy? They seem kind of unrelated to philosophy, but there was really nothing related I could find at school...</p>
<p>First of all, I think this thread belongs in High School Life…</p>
<p>If you can’t find any EC’s that relate to your passion, create your own. My school didn’t have a history club so I chartered one and now it’s one of our biggest clubs on campus. All the EC’s you mentioned are fine, since there really aren’t very many philosophy organizations at the high school level. In regards to debate, I would suggest you focus more on Lincoln-Douglas Debate because it is more philosophical in nature. If you can be really successful in this event, it will highlight an ability to deconstruct and respond to complex ethical and metaphysical questions. Some other competitions to consider:</p>
<p>-Davidson Fellowship in Philosophy
-International Philosophy Olympiad
-Any essay contests you can find about philosophical issues</p>
<p>lol at international philosophy olympiad… What the hell do you do?</p>
<p>It’s EXTREMELY difficult…I don’t think a US kid has ever won. But you would have some ridiculous street cred in the “philosophy world” if you placed…</p>
<p>Basically, the competition is a four-hour, blind essay writing contest. Students are given four topics from which to choose to write their philosophical essay directly in a language which is not the language of their state or nation. So, US kids have the choice to write their essay in French, German or Spanish. O.o</p>
<p>I spent all high school doing classical and English literature ECs and applied as a history major, because that is what I will be. If you like your extracurriculars, they don’t have to reflect your curricular interests. I mean, you shouldn’t go out of your way to keep the two separate, but you don’t need to make them converge, either. Dance, for example, would not be objectively better or worse for your application as a philosophy major than would debate. (Although that philosophy olympiad thing sounds pretty cool.)</p>
<p>I just want to second what exultationsy said. My daughter is a rising junior physics concentrator. In HS she did not participate in any math or science ECs other than Mu Alpha Theta membership. While she now takes classes with many who competed in the international math, physics, and/or chemistry olympiads, that is not the only path. Dance was, and still is, her major EC. I would guess that dance was the primary EC for all of the members of the Harvard Ballet Company (or they would never have developed the talent needed to become a member) and they cover the spectrum of concentrations at Harvard.</p>