<p>i already play 2 instruments. im good at both. my teacher says im pretty talented on the piano and very talented on the violin (not bragging!). and the truth is there is really not much i like to do that would impress colleges! music is really one of the only things i feel that i am good at! i have taken interest in the flute now. if i can perform well enough and get to a high level in the flute will it impress colleges and show them that i am active and well rounded enough and that im not always studying with my time, etc? i do have some other ec's too though but im mainly into music :) i love music. i am musically oriented! so does it sound like a worth it idea? im not ONLY doing it for college! when i pick ec's for college i pick things im good at and will enjoy on the way! im sure i will like learning flute!
^ranting... ><</p>
<p>If you’re wondering if you should have instruments as one of your ECs, of course you should, especially if you love them that much! I think it’s really admirable that you’re not doing it for college. The point of ECs is kind of to find your interests anyway.</p>
<p>Hey, I’ve been playing the acoustic guitar for 2 years, and it’s very cool to see how much I’ve improved since I started :)</p>
<p>‘Invention 13’- J.S. Bach, no open strings. WIN</p>
<p>music is great as an EC, but you ought to be challenging yourself and showcasing your ability. This means entering performance contests, trying for a seat on a regional orchestra, starting a small business where you play at parties and weddings, etc. Recognition is a key factor in standing out with a music EC. </p>
<p>Also have you thought of how you could use your talents to benefit the community? Just off the top of my head I could imagine someone organizing a regular series of recitals at a local old-folks home, or working as a volunteer to help elementary school kids learn to play, etc. In short, take what you already love doing and extend it to also encompass community support (which is another EC area).</p>
<p>see thats actually my problem i don’t think im good enough to play in an regional orchestra because i’ve only been playing the violin for 4 months, talent helps! because i can already play grade 6 pieces but…i still started to late DDDDDDDDD; my parents only ever forced me to play piano when i was young and i hated it sososososo much that i never really got anything from it except some musical backround by the time i QUIT…NOW i like it ==“” and have to catch up with the people in my school that are my age…i want to do more with the violin but I CAN’T …this issue has been driving me crazy since the first violin lesson when i discovered that i LOVE the violin! :/</p>
<p>Yes, music counts as an EC :)</p>
<p>
Well, this is a glass half-empty or half-full kind of thing. On the one hand, most colleges in this country actually accept almost all of their applicants. Even as you move up the selectivity index it still just depends on grades and scores. Point being that you’re going to have lots of college choices, and what you ought to be concerned with is finding a school thats a fit for you (and financially affordable). The flip side, unfortunately, is that at the most selective colleges, say the top 100, the competition to get in is intense. And those kids stand out just everywhere, including ECs.</p>
<p>The question about impressive ECs comes up regularly on the forum, and there is a thread with comments by Northstarmom (an Ivy alum interviewer) about what constitutes impressive ECs from the point of view of the most selective colleges. The post is at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/210497-those-ecs-weak-so-what-s-good.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/210497-those-ecs-weak-so-what-s-good.html</a></p>
<p>2 very interesting articles about ECs that stand out and how to get them (same author, different examples) are at [How</a> to Be Impressive](<a href=“http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/05/28/the-art-of-activity-innovation-how-to-be-impressive-without-an-impressive-amount-of-work/]How”>The Art of Activity Innovation: How to Be Impressive Without an Impressive Amount of Work - Cal Newport) and [Save</a> This Grind?](<a href=“http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/09/12/case-study-how-could-we-save-this-ridiculously-overloaded-grind/]Save”>Case Study: How Could We Save This Ridiculously Overloaded Grind? - Cal Newport) While I don’t agree with everything in them, take a look at these 2 articles and I think you’ll get some original ideas.</p>
<p>yes see unfortunately i cant show my determination even if i want to because i started all the instrument too too late… i am totally determined and i practice a lot and everything but i cant participate in playing for anyone or audition for some kind of advanced orchestra because i need more time to improve i know i would have been able to if i had started earlier. anyways i am aiming for at least a school like ucla/ucb… which is hard 
any ideas for a 3rd instrument? i know right? lol im obsessed !== anyway i love the flute and the guitar and am trying to choose. since i love them both which one would match better with the violin and piano on my college app? because i was thinking piano, a woodwind, and a string instrument would look better than 2 string instruments and the piano since everyone knows that if you play violin guitar becomes very easy to learn and the other way around too… besides you play a wider variety or instruments now? does anyone think it matters? if it doesn’t i’m gonna learn guitar because i don’t have much power when it comes to blowing i can’t hold it as long lol~ and i like them both anyways… ^ i have an unusually big mouth ^^
please…
<a href="http://answers./question/index;_ylt=As8BzKbZZbINfcscgxAfUSbsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20110705004636AAVJrbo%5B/url%5D">http://answers./question/index;_ylt=As8BzKbZZbINfcscgxAfUSbsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20110705004636AAVJrbo</a></p>