I was wondering if anyone can provide insight into a couple topics pertaining to ‘Extracurricular’ participation in high school.
First off, For-profit admission consultants often speak of how they can help High School underclassmen decipher what Extracurricular programs they should participate in in order to maximize the impact during college admission applications. Does anyone have insight into whether a ‘sport’ carries more weight than a non-athletic club, like ‘Glee’ or '‘Debate’? I ask because it’s often difficult to participate in Varsity Sports year round, with Field Hockey, Basketball and Track going for three hours everyday (and longer, of course, on game days).
Additionally, you also hear it said that sticking to activities for four years in high school shows commitment that UC’s are looking for. The same people will also say that, conversely, NOT continuing to do an activity after the first year is BAD on your application. Is there truth to this in how the UC’s are looking at applications?
Any advice would be much appreciated.
If you check the common dataset’s for the UC’s, you will see that EC’s are listed important, but not Very important such as Academic GPA/Test scores/HS course rigor and personal insight essays.
Each UC will weigh the EC’s differently so there is no “one size fits all” answer. I believe that in all things being equal for a group of applicants, that an individual’s EC’s can then set them apart from the rest of the pack. Showing commitment is important and a laundry list of EC’s does not reflect well on applicants, but HS is a time to explore different areas of interest so dropping an activity after a year may not be the best option but if it is something you feel is not worth your time, it should not be a deterrent just because you think it looks “BAD” on your application.
My advice is do what you love and not worry about how it is perceived by admissions.
Being miserable in high school because you are stuck in an activity you picked at 13 and now hate is far worse than finding a new one. Activities that ‘look good’ like Jazz Band, Student Government, varsity sports, etc take a ton of time and tend to attract a ‘type’ of kid. If yours decides an activity like that isn’t for them - and you force them to continue, you will all be miserable - and they won’t perform well.
Generally, UCs are very GPA focused. If you have a 4.3 and few ECs, that looks better than a 3.5 with a ton. That is unfortunate because it isn’t good for you average 16 year old. I agree 100% with @gumbymom, a HS student should try several things and get involved in the ones that stick, leaving behind the ones that don’t. Changing course is a normal part of a teen’s development - as long as they are engaged in the school community and performing academically, I’d let them pick and choose their activities.
The advice I got was that an applicant should demonstrate a deep (and honest) commitment to something. 4 years of one varsity sport is an example. Was also advised that it’s best for an applicant to do–ideally, lead or create–one significant volunteer experience (e.g. organized a clothing drive for homeless youth for four years) rather than amass random hours of clubs and routine volunteer hours.
Which UCs are you considering and which majors?