<p>So is it true that playing a junior varsity sport doesn't help in college admission?
Would someone with identical stats except one played 4 years of Junior varsity sport get the edge over the one that didn't play any sports?</p>
<p>I don't think it should be that big of a difference.</p>
<p>At some schools, varsity athletes might not be good enough to even make JV at other schools.</p>
<p>Does not make a big impact on applications. It should help in the sense that it is another line in college applications EC list, and the time you spent on it. Also, depends on the strength of your team at school.</p>
<p>My CC said 4 years of JV is almost more impressive than 4 years of varsity because you werent the best but still stuck with it.</p>
<p>your cc is just trying to make you feel better. lol. 4 years of varsity means youre already really good and you still stuck with it.</p>
<p>Not true in some instances pattiecake. You're right that it doesn't demonstrate your athletic ability, but unless it's a sport you excel in enough to take to the college level it doesn't really matter. What 4 years in JV does demonstrate is that you have a passion for a something and stuck with it because of the love of the game. I suppose it depends if you mention your love for lacrosse, for example, in your essay or something like that.</p>
<p>How can you guys think that colleges will like it if you pursue something passionately that you're not good at?</p>
<p>That's not logical!</p>
<p>In some states you cannot play JVB as a senior anyway so no one would have four years of being on a JV team; would either have to drop the sport or make varsity senior year.</p>
<p>Gryffon5147 you mentioned that it depends on the strength of my team...Will colleges really look at the record of my team?</p>
<p>Mattmom, I know a high school that doesn't allow any underclassman in Varsity. Varsity is "reserved" for seniors.</p>
<p>WindSlicer
You don't have to be good at something to pursue something you enjoy. It's a hobby. It may be something you enjoy even though you may not be the best at it.</p>
<p>88888888...That HS that only lets seniors play varsity must perform terribly.</p>
<p>Regardless of what level you play at, staying in a sport for four years shows commitment, dedication, and the ability to balance multiple activities with your academics. Not everyone can be the best at their school or in their state and I think most college admissions counselors will respect the difficulty of participating in a sport throughout high school. Good luck.</p>
<p>being on a varsity team for 4 years is no different then being on the chess team for 4 years. If you arn't good enough to play on the colleges team, its just another club.</p>
<p>My best essay I wrote for my applications when I applied was the one about What Did You Do Last Weekend? And I wrote about how it was my first start on varsity hockey, and how I had played two years JV and so it was nice to finally see how my work paid off since I wasn't nearly the best (my school's hockey team is good, DII Massachusetts State Champions a couple years back, so I was terrible in comparison) but I managed to work my way up to help my team, etc.</p>
<p>The fact is no matter what level you play at keeping with JV and working your way up is a lot harder than simply sticking with a sport for 4 years on varsity, and I agree with the person above who said JV can often seem more impressive, like in my case it led to a very important essay that showed what I felt was an important aspect to my character. So no, playing JV can be a significant part of an application, especially since many schools have sports that basically requires a year on a freshman team and at least a year of JV.</p>
<p>^and it might be similar to chess team, but sports are not nearly "just another club" They require a lot more time and effort in most cases, and are often portrayed as the opposite to academics, so having both sports and academics can often be seen as a good thing, whereas having academics and Spanish Club doesn't quite have the same effect in my opinion.</p>
<p>Well, you can elaborate on that in your essay(s). Really depends on where you are applying for. </p>
<p>For UCs and mid level colleges, it will be some help, as it will set you apart from the hordes of applicants that apply with nothing but a GPA and a decent SAT score.
For the top tiers, it will be just another EC that you spent some hours on, just like everyone else.</p>
<p>Mr. Yankee
No, the school I'm talking about has a crazy good badminton team. Their junior varsity just about the same level as varsity. They have won 15+ undefeated league championship and 5 or 6 CIF Championships. They believe that Varsity should be only for seniors, but I'm not sure why. Some Junior varsity players are better than the Varsity.</p>
<p>unless you're recruitable it doesnt matter</p>
<p>It's pretty ridiculous to see someone compare being on a varsity sports team to being in a chess club. This person has obviously never played in a varsity game in their life.</p>
<p>Umm...it definately looks better to be on Varsity. At least at my school, Varsity sports are much more intense than JV and involve additional practices, games, tournaments, etc. Usually the Varsity has a longer than the JV season as well. So most likely, Varsity>JV. Just because they stuck with it and "worked their way up" does not mean anything...most Varsity players have been "working their way up" and "sticking with it" their whole lives.</p>
<p>I agree with tennisgal, but there are other things to take into account. For example, I've been on cross country since freshman year and will probably never run in a Varsity race. That shows some serious dedication- it takes a heck of a lot to keep running when you're in the middle of an 8 mile run on sandy country roads. I wouldn't be doing it if I didn't love the sport, but I just don't have what it takes to be a phenomenal runner. However, I have a few really funny potential essays out of it. Really, it all depends.</p>