<p>I'm new to this forum, but I've been following you guys for almost a year now. I just signed up to ask a question:</p>
<p>Can extracurricular activities or awards help you--significantly-- if you do not major in that subject, or if the college you are applying to does not put much emphasis on the subject?</p>
<p>This question is for personal reference. My mom is a database engineer, and I was thinking of competing in FBLA (future business leaders of america) in database, as well as another field. So if I was to win some award, would that matter at all to a top college like Yale or to a business school?</p>
<p>Also, I was wondering how prestigious of an institution (? can't think of the word) FBLA is, because I haven't joined yet. Bad, I know. I've heard that competitions are notoriously easy..but I really want to join a business club.</p>
<p>I can’t give you any insight on how FBLA is viewed, but I can tell you that your ECs do not need to be related to your intended major for the ivies. My daughter is a physics major at Harvard and her major ECs were (and still are) related to dance. While she did connect the two in one of her essays, I don’t think Harvard felt that her achievements in dance foretold great achievements in physics. Good luck!</p>
<p>No, they don’t have to be related to your major. But your ECs do have to reflect your commitment to and passion for those interests: Just winning a random award in something isn’t going to make you stand out. Frankly, I wouldn’t bother unless this database is part of some larger activity that you care about - applying for the award should be incidental to the EC.</p>