<li><p>What if they vary? For example, in cross country, I spend 5x2.5 = 12.5 hours in practice, plus another 7-9 if we have a meet (so ~19-21) which we have ALMOST every week. So would I put 20 hours down? </p></li>
<li><p>Then, for journalism, it varies even more. Three weeks a month, I spend around 5-10 hours a week on it. The fourth week, I spend about 30 hours. So what number do I put down? Average them and put 20? 15? 10? 30? </p></li>
<li><p>For class-related extracurriculars, I’m also at a dilemna. I’m enrolled in a Leadership class, and although we do much of our work in class, we also do a good amount of work outside of class. However, can I use those hours toward “extracurricular” involvement, or would it just be considered “homework”? I might spend 2-3 hours (outside of class) in a typical week, 5-10 if we’re executing a project that week.</p></li>
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<p>Just want to make sure my admissions officers have no reason whatsoever to doubt my application.</p>
<p>Oh, I guess I might as well get all my questions out there: </p>
<li><p>Is there any reason to put extracurriculars that you quit? Piano, for example, took up 7-8 hours every week until junior year (when I quit to have more time for journalism). I also decided not to do basketball this year, which took up 14 hours every week (9,10) and 6 hours when I was team manager (11). Oh, and if I did put basketball on my application, would I say 6 hours or 14? </p></li>
<li><p>Should you put things you joined your senior year? I’m a Link Leader this year, for example. And I plan on joining a few more clubs because going to TASP over summer inspired me to do a few more things. If I put them on my application, will I just look like somebody who’s randomly joining things to attempt to seem “involved”? But what if they’re important to me now?</p></li>
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<p>Applications are slowly killing me…and I’ve barely started. Hooray! </p>
<p>you know, this should have replies, because I'm getting confused about that as well. How do they expect you to average out your hours for every week of the year? ><</p>
<p>You should only put the most importan ECs. With each EC you would put down what year(s) you participated, average number of hours per week for how many months a year. My daughter did tutoring 3 hours a week for 9 months, but she also spent 3 additional hours/week for preparation, so she put down 6 hours/week. She took her private tutoring very seriously. She took time out to meet her student's subject teachers to see what she needed to focus on. My daughter spent on average 20-25 hours/week on ECs (ballet, clubs, tutoring). My daughter didn't have that many ECS, but she spent a lot of time on all of them. More ECs is not necessary better. College wants to know you have used your time wisely in HS and you have passion for what you do.</p>
<p>Another question I've seen mentioned around but never really discussed, is whether commuting time counts or not. For example, if someone were to commit an hour commute to a nearby city to do research or volunteer or do some kind of extra-curricular, does that hour count as time? It's wasted, homework is hard to do while on a car (motion sickness) and it's for a good cause, but at the same time, it's not exactly the same thing as the actual EC itself.</p>