<p>Originally posted this on the wrong board and got zero hits, anyone?</p>
<p>How much do you think ECs mean once you are out of the supercompetitive 25% and lower admit rate schools? From what level down can you get away with not having been a Nobel Prize winner or having cured cancer in 10th grade? The top level kids here on CC amazes me when they list all the ECs. Personally, I can't see how some kids find time to sleep with their seeming endless lists of ECs. </p>
<p>My D is a sophomore, and is at a level below that of the typical poster, but I think more in line with what might be many of the lurkers here on CC. She is top 10% at a medium size public not known for producing too many Ivy Leaguers. She should have a 3.75 GPA UW and probably a 4.3 or so weighted after this year. She will take 5 or 6 APs by the time she graduates, and I will guess will be around 1800 on the SAT. She's been in the musical, has been a 9th grade and JV cheerleader, and will be a 4 year letter winner and most likely school record holder in track which she wants to continue doing in college along with 3 years/letters in cross country. She definitely wants to pursue the track competitively, so it seems like a D3 school will be the best fit for her, as I can't see her being competitive even at lower level D1. She also does indoor track although the state does not recognize it as a championship sport and it is not varsity. She will most likely cheer again in 12th grade, and probably try out for the musical or play or something else along the way. She has been on the school newspaper, and was on the middle school yearbook, so I could see her getting into that again. Without going on a Peace Corps mission in the summer or spending a summer researching at sea, can she hope to get into a Washington and Lee or a Gettysburg or CMU by doing what she's doing? Or should she just concentrate on the next level. I don't want to see her doing something other than having fun as a kid and pursuing the things that she wants, forcing ECs that look good on an application.</p>
<p>2nd half of the question. How do sports ECs compare with music, community service, etc. At one time I think sports used to be looked down on compared to fine arts and volunteering. To be successful at many of the competitive ECs like sports or music takes a huge time commitment. Is doing one of these and having a few fringe ECs OK? Where does the line between passionate EC and not well rounded begin and end?</p>
<p>QUOTE:
"Personally, I can't see how some kids find time to sleep with their seeming endless lists of ECs."</p>
<p>I'll comment on this part first. The truth is, many don't (sleep). Some do. Those are the ones who are so bright that they really can complete their homework & do a beautiful job with less effort than most others. By contrast, some students -- whether superbly bright or not -- are quite sleep-deprived. What they do is come home after e.c.'s, do some homework, and take an extended nap. Then they arise at 1 or 2 a.m. and work straight through, and then leave for school. This is a fairly common pattern, reflecting a commitment to "work" first, sleep second.</p>
<p>Got to run. Will comment on other part later. :)</p>
<p>(A parent too, but not of children who have successfully fought their bodies' cries for sleep.)</p>
<p>I've never heard of that type of sleep pattern. It is not normal and sounds terribly unhealthy. I sleep between 7-8 hours on school nights and I am tired during the day. I can't see how anyone could function with an "extended nap."</p>
<p>It's not necessary to have numerous amazing ECs. I really believe that what colleges want to see is passion/commitment. I only had three extracurriculars, none of which were saving the world or finding the cure to cancer, and yet I still got into various top ten LACs. I slept fine.</p>
<p>Your daughter looks like she's on the right path with her commitment to track and cheerleading. She'll be fine.</p>
<p>Whether y'all would do it or not is not quite the issue.. it definitely happens and some people can handle that type of situation.</p>
<p>What I would tell the OP is to check school's SAT midrange and GPA midrange, along with the school's history in accepting people from the school (i.e. did that school not accept anyone with an SAT lower than 2000, someone who wasn't in the top 10% without any hooks?). College admissions becomes extremely numbers based when you get into the smaller colleges, however that is no reason to skimp essays. If you can catch the eye of an admissions officer with a brilliant essay, that will often incur a nice push into the admit pile (assuming the kid has the numbers to match). </p>
<p>Just make sure your daughter creates a balanced list of schools based on her numbers and how they relate to the colleges she's applying to - a few safeties, matches, and reaches that she is interested in will help to ease the increasingly competitive college admissions process. </p>
<p>That's really intense. If I have a ton of work to do after getting home from work or something late, I do homework till around 11, and then wake up at five to do homework with coffee. I can't even imagine waking up at one or two.</p>
<p>Well, while I have no doubt that some can do that type of schedule for a while, I cannot envision allowing my D to maintain anything resembling that. The cost/risk to benefit ratio just isn't there, on top of being totally unhealthy for an adolescent (or an oldtimer like me for that matter).</p>