<p>By the time I graduate, I will have done 9-10 years of classical ballet training, along with modern, jazz, and modern composition training. I love dance and feel it has helped me grow as a person, but I don't really have an interest in it as a career or even a major (and I would never be good enough for that). Our studio requires dancers to put in 15-20 hrs a week in sophomore, junior, and senior years, and I can definitely handle the commitment, but it makes it hard to fit in other ECs. Do potential colleges understand what a big commitment this is? Dancers are not recognized the same way that athletes often are, as we don't compete or rank. I know you're always told that an in-depth EC is more valuable than many surface-level ones, but without any sort of recognition or leadership opportunities how will this look to admissions officers?
If it helps, the one leadership opportunity offered at our studio is to choreograph a dance your senior year, if you've taken composition all hs years, and I do plan to do this.</p>
<p>It was for my daughter, but it probably depends upon the colleges that you end up applying to. She is a member of the extracurricular ballet company at Harvard and her commitment to dance was a major element of her college applications. However, I would imagine it wouldn’t have helped as much at a college with no dance programs.</p>
<p>At your high level of commitment dance is a major EC. You should definitely emphasize it on your college applications. Minimally colleges would see long term involvement in dance as indicative of your ability for deep commitment to an area of interest. Such commitment translates to other pursuites – including academic ones.</p>
<p>Even though you’re not planning to major in dance, consider preparing and submitting a music supplement. Selective colleges encourage that in situations such as yours. The supplement would typically be a DVD that shows your performance/choreography skills. It would typically be sent by admissions to the dance/music department. You can’t lose by sending the supplement. Ask admissions for instructions on the length and format of such a supplement.</p>
<p>As an example of what a college may expect in such a supplement see:</p>
<p><a href=“http://think.scrippscollege.edu/Guidelines-Supplemental-Admission-Material.pdf[/url]”>http://think.scrippscollege.edu/Guidelines-Supplemental-Admission-Material.pdf</a></p>