<p>Can anyone give me a concrete definition of it? I am having troubling contemplating what EC's I have done.</p>
<p>Is saying "Bodybuilding/Weight Lifting" or "Going to the gym" a EC?</p>
<p>Can I say "Debating" if I have been debating in an online forum for a while (more then 2 years) about politics/religion/science. </p>
<p>What exactly can we put?</p>
<p>You should confirm this with your counselor</p>
<p>Usually colleges are looking for meaningful extracurricular activities such as a competitive sport, band, orchestra, honor society, community service, etc. If you are doing bodybuilding/weight lifting as a competitive sport, then yes, going to the gym to train would be your EC.</p>
<p>Is your debating in an online forum part of a debate team for a state or national title?</p>
<p>All for passion. Not national title/state. Are extracurriculars supposed to be for state/national titles? That means volunteering isn’t a EC. I don’t believe all EC’s are related to national/state titles. </p>
<p>Basically, they are all just something I do in my spare time after volunteering at a place for 5 hours a day.</p>
<p>ECs are what you enjoy doing. I think you could easily put that you debate online on your college application. That does not mean adcoms will appreciate that more than a national/state/etc/ distiction. If it were in tandem with a Debate team, then it would just improve the perception of your passions.</p>
<p>ECs are a funny bird. Some things count, some don’t. By your definition in post #4, spending 12 hours a week copying the phone book would count as an EC since it shows dedication and is something you do in your spare time. But I doubt many adcoms are going to see it that way…</p>
<p>I think Stanford puts it well in its FAQ
So your volunteer work -> EC. Bodybuilding -> not an EC. But that’s just my prediction; what ultimately matters is what the adcoms say…</p>