I’m a junior with 3.8UW GPA and 33 ACT, my top choice is UT Austin, also applying to UMich UNC Tulane IU Bloomington and a few more, but I was wondering if people could give me opinions of my ECs.
All of these I have done since freshman year unless noted otherwise
Sports Editor of Student Newspaper, which is #2 printed paper in Ohio, #1 website (Sophomore-Present)
Won 3 awards at the state student journalism convention at Kent State, honorable mention for one article, excellent feature for 2 others
Stock Club (Might be Pres/VP next year)
NHS (Starts Junior Year)
Business Club (Probably will be President next year)
Israeli Culture Club
I work 1 hour after school each day at a software engineering firm doing maintenance, cleaning, moving stuff, watering plants, etc. From Dec. 2015 until May 2016, they won’t need me after this school year ends so I’m gonna get another job)
JV Golf (Captain soph. and junior years)
JV Soccer Sophomore year, probably playing soccer senior year
Freshman basketball, Cleveland Jewish basketball league from soph. until now (Will be student chairman next year)
Over 100 volunteer hours and that will increase
Helper at sports camp going into freshman year, counselor of 1st graders last summer
Tutor 1 hour every week for NHS
UT Austin Summer Pre-College Sport Management Program
(I want to major in sport management, which is way less competitive than other majors at UT since it’s in college of education, although I am out of state so I can’t get auto admit)
Occasionally I help cater events for my friend’s dad’s catering company, I do an event every month or two
Participated in my school’s leadership conference junior+senior year
LINK Leader next year (Basically like the leaders of freshman orientation and help them get acclimated to high school)
I know my ECs could be somewhat better, but I feel like they are pretty good for the schools I’m applying to, especially since some of them relate to my intended major (Sport Management), and I’m not applying to any SUPER selective schools like Wharton etc. that you need to have top notch ECs.
Can people tell me what they think and give me some advice of what to do in the few months before my apps will be all submitted? Obviously I can’t change that much, but as I said I am gonna get another job hopefully after I’m done at this one since it’s only for the school year, and maybe I will get an internship in the summer relating to sports, and just get a job next fall.
Looks like youre keeping busy, but that is a very long list, to some it may seem like a laundry list.
But I see no reason why those schools will reject you, so I think you’ll get in!
I would say you are in excellent shape. Your ECs are very good for someone who wants to make the case that sports is your passion and sports management is your intended direction. And that is the most important thing. When you are telling your story in your applications you should be focused on your passions and directions; the ECs should be natural outgrowths of that. My advice for the summer and Fall: double down on your sports journalism and maybe try to do something related to that sports camp. Yes, an internship in sports would be nice, but you would do just as well to become a contributor to some online sports sites and build a little portfolio of meaningful sports commentary (maybe including about the business of sports). Places like Bleacher Report and its rivals seem to be pretty open to contributors. And it doesn’t need to be paying to “count”. It doesn’t need to be an “internship” to count either. It’s the work you create. And when you are looking at schools, by the way, you should be also be considering some other large state flagships that love their sports teams and sports information operations (FSU, Penn State, UGA come to mind). Your scores are solid for all the places you are applying, but I think your passions and achievements will be the thing that gets you in.
One other thing: it’s great that you are working inside your father’s business. There are tremendous management lessons to be learned inside any business, but certainly inside a family-run catering business. Sports management is, after all, ‘event management’…and you are getting a first-hand look at how to do that inside your dad’s business. It’s not a side thing: it’s one of the main things. I think it might be more valuable as a summer gig than a ‘sports internship’.
@theofrelord Thank you! @mayorshinn You might have misread but actually it’s my friend’s dad’s business, my dad is a lawyer lol. Thanks for your feedback. The other day I talked to my english teacher, he is friends with a sports agent who graduated from my high school and his office is right near me. He is an agent for Bill Belichik, Bob Stoops, Kirk Ferentz, Brandon Sherff, Dallas Clark, Ted Ginn JR, and some other big names. I’m gonna send him an email and see if there’s any chance I could intern at his office this summer, that would be a dream for me.
Ha! Sorry I misread! I any event, getting good experience in an entrepreneurial environment is excellent for a future management focus. Whether it’s your family business or someone else’s. And of course interning at an agents office would be great (and fun).
@mayorshinn Yeah, I definitely agree. The agent emailed me back and said there aren’t any internship opportunities, but did offer to let me do my senior project at his office, so I’m happy about that.