<p>okay so here's the dilemna. So I'm a sophomore now & Track these days is just not fun for me. I dread going to every practice. Moreover, I can't get involved in ANY other clubs, activities, volunteering, I don't even have time to hang out with friends.</p>
<p>I hate my life right now...i stay up till 3 am doing hw because track is from 3-7
im always exhausted and im not even the best on the team
life is: sleep school track hw sleep school track hw....</p>
<p>While I will definitely get a Varsity letter (i got it as a freshmen), I am also definitely not going any farther than that. I'm not even ranked in my district yet alone state.</p>
<p>MAIN QUESTION:
Is it worth it to continue doing this - for college? I already have one varsity letter from freshmen year but surely colleges don't put as much emphasis on athletics as they do on other ECs?</p>
<p>If you put in the dedication to a sport and have significant awards (Letter, championships, etc) as well as perhaps being a captain, that certainly looks good on an application. While it's not the only way to show you're dedicated to something, athletics can mean just as much as other ECs.</p>
<p>Yeah, it's significant only if you are nationally ranked or being recruited by the university. Otherwise, you may or may not be better off doing something else that gets you a larger variety of awards and recognition. A lot of people do sports, so it can't really act as a hook in any way, unless you're exceptional.</p>
<p>It sounds like you hate it! Definitely find something else to do that you like! So not worth it to only do it for college and it sounds like there are other clubs you want to participate in.</p>
<p>I'm also wondering about this. I'm planning to be in track, but only JV, which will take up several hours every day. Will that be a definite plus on my application for state universities, or do top state universities care primarily about SAT/GPA?</p>
<p>That's because the time devoted to track could be devoted to other things that may be more crucial to admission, such as a 100 pts increase on the SAT, or AIME qualifying exams.</p>
<p>It depends on the state university, of course, but most focus very strongly on the numbers and very little on ECs. Some don't even pay attention to ECs.</p>
<p>If you love a sport, do it. If you don't, then don't.</p>
<p>I too am coming upon my 4th track season. I've loved the past 3 years and couldn't imagine not doing it this year. My advice would be that if you don't enjoy it, don't do it.</p>
<p>i don't completely HATE it. I just feel the same way as Watson&Crick...
There are plenty of things I love about it; i'm definitely not doing it just because of college. I love the people, I love the work ethic it requires. Which I obviously don't have...but yeah, no way am i going to be made captain</p>
<p>I'm surprised they don't look at athletics > ECs. It is definitely more intense.</p>
<p>Unless one is a recruited athlete, most state universities make admissions decisions strictly by the numbers: gpa, SAT, state residency and whether you've taken the required coursework. At best, ECs will count for merit aid.</p>
<p>You might get a tiny note for being chosen team captain, but unless you are good enough to be recruited, you are better off spending another 15 minutes or half an hour studying. Or better yet, doing something you enjoy wholeheartedly.
Yeah, they'll look at it. As an activity that you spent a lot of time on that you weren't very good at.</p>
<p>This is an easy decision. If you hate it, drop it. Torturing yourself for the slight chance it will make the difference in college admissions is self-destructive.</p>
<p>Don't do it if you are not enjoying it. If you hate your life, then take away the stress. I was swimming two swim teams and doing marching band, so I took away marching band and am now doing an art class (and I love it). Made my life a whole lot easier. So reorganize your life a little bit so you can actually enjoy it (which is kind of the purpose to live, anyway).</p>
<p>You shouldn't worry about what colleges will think. Colleges should take you for who you are, and sacrificing your happiness is not worth it.</p>
<p>I agree, it's obviously best to find an activity that you can get excited about. I do want to note, though, that my son was in your situation; he pursued two sports for four years, even though he was never a top performer on either team and didn't have great passion for it; being a small school there wasn't much else to participate in besides athletics and drama. When senior year rolled around, however, much to his surprise, he was named cocaptain of both teams. He had shown enough leadership and stick-to-itiveness that both coaches rewarded him. And he actually was a great captain and built a lot of team unity.<br>
Having a great senior year would have been enough payback, but he emphasized his leadership experience in his college apps and was accepted at ten competitive colleges. Ironically he is attending one now (in Canada) where ECs don't play a role in admissions. But colleges look for leadership, and commitment and devotion to a team is a positive.</p>
<p>Regardless of your level of achievement, team sports show things about and do things for you which the other posters have not mentioned.</p>
<p>When you eventually get to filling out college applications, you will see that every one asks not only what ECs you participated in and your position, but the number of hours and weeks a year you spent on it. Every college admissions officer knows that a varsity sport took 10 -18 hours a week of your time in addition to school. Knows that you had to budget and manage your time to participate and still get the academic performance you achieved in your gpa. Knows that you might have done better in school had you not had that extra commitment. Knows that you were sometimes (often?) tired and didn't feel like studying. But that you did anyway. They can see that you have the ability and discipline to stick with a commitment (perhaps even more so when you are not a star). And even when ~ as you are right now ~ feeling burned out. They also know you have experience working with others toward a goal and can to some degree can work in a team, a necessary component for future success. They know you are not unidemensional. That adds a lot to the picture and assessment of you over someone else who didn't participate in sports. </p>
<p>To some extent the same might be said for a student who plays an instrument if they are in orchestra and marching band etc. Or are editor in chief of the school newspaper. That is they spend a substantial amount of time at the activity.</p>
<p>Although each of those lends a slightly different flavor to a student's profile, they each show an ability to balance and put commitment and effort into something in addition to school. </p>
<p>That said, you should only participate in a sport for the same reason that you'd do any other EC: that it means something to you, is important to your own sense of self or well being or completes you. Isn't track season over soon? Perhaps you can take the winter off, don't participate in indoor track, use that time to try out other ECs and clubs you are interested in.</p>
<p>Simple, drop it. My d who is playing college athletics, could tell you of soooo many people who LOVED playing their sport and quit for a myriad of reasons. Her sport has been a HUGE part of her life for 13+ years is ready to move on. Life & time are short. If a particular activity isn't vital to obtain your personal goals, let it go and put your energies into something else worthwhile.</p>
<p>THANKS FOR ALL THE EXCELLENT RESPONSES.
especially mhc48...I think I WILL take the winter off to focus on other stuff and see how I feel about it after.....</p>
<p>just quit. not that big of a app booster anyway if you're not exceptional. join other clubs. get leadership positions in those. find club/volunteering that you like</p>