<p>This is a little random, but does anyone know how much colleges value a sport like figure skating? I'm a figure skater (male) and have been skating since I was 4. I don't think many of you will understand most of this thread, by the way, because I'm going to ask very specific questions about skating....Anyway, I think by sophomore year I'll definitely be able to land all of my triples (axel not included), maybe before then. I really don't know how I'll be able to place in Regionals/Sectionals/Nationals, but I'm hoping to get on the podium for Novice or Junior at least once (at nationals). I hope so, at least. Figure skating is my passion in life, and it'll likely be all over my college application. I know some top colleges (Princeton, UPenn, Michigan, Harvard) have a Figure Skating team and are members of U.S Figure Skating. (By the way, I saw some videos of skaters at Harvard, and they were PRETTY bad, if you know what I mean...) I'm just wondering if it would be a good hook or anything. Also, I know a guy that won Novice Nationals (it's actually extremely hard!) but he said it didn't help admissions AT ALL, that they mostly only look at Junior and Senior (the upper levels are, from lowest to highest, Juvenile, Intermediate, Novice, Junior, and then Senior. Senior is all the stuff on T.V, Worlds, etc.) By the way, you can't be recruited for skating, right? I doubt it...also, if you're a male figure skater (pretty rare I guess lol), you'll know that if you're even mildly good, placing at Regionals is usually a piece of cake (I'm UGL, we're good but still pretty easy). So I feel like I could put on my college app "Won Novice/Junior Regionals" and it would SEEM great but actually not be worth that much. (Regionals is around 5 states I think.) So it seems like if the admissions officer knows a lot about skating (unlikely, but possible), I wouldn't be in great shape because there are all of these child prodigies and stuff nowadays. But if they didn't know, getting first at a competition in 5 states is pretty impressive, right? Anyway, just see whatever you can answer is fine. I was just curious :)</p>
<p>It’s a nice EC. Definitely mention it on your app. But at your level of achievement I doubt that it will count in admission any more than any other somewhat unusual EC. </p>
<p>Now if you make the Olympic team that might be a different story. Debi Thomas took her Olympic medal to Stanford, and Sarah Hughes parlayed her gold medal into admission to Yale. And her younger sister Emily, also an Olympic figure skater, went to Harvard. However, I don’t know their stats, but based on hints and statements in the media, I have the impression that all three of them had impressive academic stats too.</p>
<p>I think what colleges value is passion, dedication, smarts and success. The top schools have really seen it all, and they know what’s easy to achieve and what’s not, so don’t fool yourself about that.</p>
<p>That said, you clearly have spent a lot of time and energy on figure skating. A great essay will go a long way. It’s not skating accomplishment that gets you in–google Joey Cheek.</p>
<p>Stanford seems to like figure skaters a lot.</p>
<p>Dartmouth has a fantastic skating team. One of my sisters is a Dartmouth alum and she said their team is quite good. They probably value skating ability rather strongly.</p>
<p>My son was a ballet dancer and went all the way through NY City Ballet School for 8 years .His dad went to Harvard ,son was waitlisted . He had a near A average and 2160 on his old SAT … Many female dancers go to Harvard ,not so many males .We thought he had a decent chance -you never know .</p>