<p>My son enjoys recreational sports but does not want to join a competitive varsity sport in high school. Looking at the "chance me" posts on cc it looks like most going for top colleges have varsity sports on their list of extracurriculars.</p>
<p>How important are varsity sports on a college application? Does anyone have a son or daughter who was accepted at a top college without varsity sports?</p>
<p>Thanks for your help.</p>
<p>My D happens to be playing her sport for her college, but I think the non-athletic EC that has served her friends well is Debate!!</p>
<p>Recruited athletes enjoy tremendous advantages in admissions.</p>
<p>Below that level, varsity sports are “just another” EC, no better or worse than music, volunteering, debate, whatever.</p>
<p>I think it only matters if you want to be recruited. I don’t think the colleges care whether your ECs are sports related or not. If you are not looking to be recruited then being captain of varsity soccer is great, but being the editor of the yearbook is also great.</p>
<p>DS had NO varsity sports on his resume from high school. DD had one but never competed her senior year due to an injury. Both got accepted to the colleges of their choice.</p>
<p>DS did participate in the ski club, and that was on his resume. He really had NO time for a high school sport due to his involvement on out of school music pursuits.</p>
<p>The only schools I know of which explicitly look at sports separately from other ECs are the service academies.</p>
<p>“Recruited athletes enjoy tremendous advantages in admissions.”</p>
<p>This is very, very true - - so I think playing varsity sports isn’t really that meaningful unless your talent level is such that you’d be recruited.</p>
<p>I think “healthy mind healthy body” is always a plus. My oldest played a sport recreationally that the high school did not have/support. He played it as a club sport in college. I think there is a mile difference between a kid that wants to play a varsity sport in college and a kid who simply shows through an application the healthy mind, healthy body and that balance in life. We are a nation of people who don’t get enough exercise. It’s never a “bad” thing to have something that keeps you physically fit on a college application. OP if your son is going to continue with his activity in college through a club or intramural, that can easily be addressed in the application.</p>
<p>I actually think a sport as an EC, if passionate about it - even if one didn’t excel to a recruitable level at it, is valuable for the application - especially if an essay about the experience and it’s value to that person is well conveyed.</p>
<p>Thanks everyone- He does like sports so he keeps fit just does not want to compete in sports. I’m sure he’ll participate in recreational clubs in college.</p>
<p>Sounds like it is not a major factor in admissions though which was my biggest concern.</p>
<p>D was a recruited athlete for some colleges - but her top 2 schools did not have her sport. Despite this fact, I do still feel that her rowing did contribute to her acceptance to these two schools. But that is because that was her main EC that she had a passion for and demonstrated leadership and success in. </p>
<p>Your S can demonstrate this through other ECs with no problem - as long as he is focused and passionate about one or two things.</p>