<p>have been practicing since then.No formal training.
Nothing shows she did anything but practice. </p>
<p>How does it “show” dedication, passion, perseverance? She’s only “telling.” The EC section isn’t about your interests in the same way you might describe yourself to a new friend. Adcoms want to see how you take on a responsibility or fit into a group or fill a need, somehow, or give to others. </p>
<p>There’s a mix-up on CC about “passion.” It means you like or love something enough to go do something with it, with others or for others. Solitary pursuits are tricky.</p>
<p>Oh geez, Guppies? That must have been some total d-bag. :P</p>
<p>I <em>am</em> the guppy guy, *******s. Seriously though, I never put them as an EC. I dedicated a portion of my essay to them and how they tie in with my interest in genetics.</p>
<p>What’s the harm in including it? At worst, it fleshes out your personality a bit; at best, it’s held in as high regard as playing in a formal setting. If you feel like you absolutely must prove something with it, you can send in a supplement of you playing the guitar, but even on its own, it shows that you’re self-motivated and passionate enough to pursue something without the need for expensive private lessons or a hand to hold. In my eyes, that’s a lot of a lot more impressive than being the secretary of the National Snot Society or whatever the hell the new EC of the Week is.</p>
<p>For the record, I intend to mention that I taught myself the xaphoon - not to brag, but I’m damn good at it.</p>
<p>Think like an adcom, who reads thousands of qualified apps from kids who have enough to state about ECs that they don’t need to throw in “I love playing the guitar.” You really don’t get into a competitive college based on personality. Or, solitary hobbies you just do in spare time, with no real engagement or results anyone can assess. There has to be more. The Xaphoon thing- in combo with an obvious interest in music, musicology, cultures…sounds intriguing.</p>
<p>Okay, guppies: does anyone see how breeding them based on an interest in genetics (and an essay that describes this more fully) is waay different than breeding them because, “I love fish?” (When I said, must be a joke, I thought someone was kidding on a chance-me thread. Sorry.)</p>
<p>Colleges want to see that you are making use of your time. If you’re doing something long-term (thus, “playing guitar once” doesn’t count) and productive (thus, “surfing CC” doesn’t count), then you might as well list it if you have space. It adds a little nuance that might stick out in the adcom’s mind, assuming you are otherwise qualified.</p>
<p>That being said, I’d probably list the guitar thing under “Misc.” and try not to overemphasize it. </p>
<p>I know what you’re talking about but this is phrased terribly. So if I demonstrate to adcoms that I have a **** personality, they’re still going to consider me as strongly as they did before, right?</p>
<p>But that said, </p>
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<p>In this case there is no reason why you should put that except maybe as a small piece in your essays. As someone with a decent music background, I think a “few chords” mean the basics - G, C, D, A minor, E minor, maybe a 7th or suspended chord here and there. It doesn’t mean that you have a firm grasp of music theory or that you properly devoted time to become really good at it. If you learn how to do the harder stuff, like fingerpick flamenco songs like Jose Feliciano or something, and you spend time performing publicly, that’s different.</p>
<p>Just leave your app without the guitar. I’m sure that your activities are spectacular enough anyway.</p>
<p>^Adcoms are strangers. They have no experience with you, can’t 2nd guess you, don’t know what you forgot to write or purposely omitted- or what some wacko comment actually means. The CA is all they have to go on.</p>
<p>If you demonstrate that you have a lousy personality, well, you know what’s said: there are thousands with your stats and better energy and commitment, better ideas about how to join, lead, engage, give back, etc- and who come across as nice, deserving kids. </p>
<p>“Think like an adcom, who reads thousands of qualified apps from kids who have enough to state about ECs that they don’t need to throw in ‘I love playing the guitar.’”</p>
<p>Sure, for Ivies people put down how they published a book or invented a time machine or whatever, but there are colleges out there that aren’t Ivy league, and at some, playing guitar would be a rather productive use of time. </p>
<p>“In this case there is no reason why you should put that except maybe as a small piece in your essays. As someone with a decent music background, I think a “few chords” mean the basics - G, C, D, A minor, E minor, maybe a 7th or suspended chord here and there. It doesn’t mean that you have a firm grasp of music theory or that you properly devoted time to become really good at it. If you learn how to do the harder stuff, like fingerpick flamenco songs like Jose Feliciano or something, and you spend time performing publicly, that’s different.”</p>
<p>She meant that was her initial intention, but I’m assuming she got past just a few chords.</p>
<p>Clearly there are disagreements here. Putting it down doesn’t hurt you one bit. At worst, the adcoms ignore it. </p>
<p>I think it’s a perfectly acceptable EC. Sure, it’s not the most amazing thing ever, but it’s not just some useless thing to do in your spare time.</p>
<p>Jessnic- I don’t think we know what level OP plays at-? You’re offering her the benefit of the doubt. Which, I am saying, adcoms can’t really do, if all she’s doing is “telling.” How do we know she got past a few chords? All we know, so far is that she says she’s got this thing she does in her comfort zone.</p>
<p>Well, that’s true. It just seems to me that three years of playing assumes a certain level of experience and talent. </p>
<p>OP, maybe you could send in a video of your playing? If you’re comfortable with that and have a decent piece/song to play, it might make it a more impressive extracurricular. (I’m doing that, but I’ve been playing flute for nine years, so it might be a bit different)</p>
<p>Wow self teaching instruments is an EC? That’s awesome I self teach myself instruments all the time. I hated guitar though, my fingers were killing me.</p>
<p>Not everything in your free time is an EC. You have to do something with it, not just play for yourself. Go to a hospital or old person home and ask to play in their lobby, they’ll usually let you and then I think you’ll have a better chance of admissions taking it as a legit EC rather then just a hobby.</p>
<p>I highly recommend the use of a dictionary for the word “extracurricular,” rather than asking a bunch of other students that do not want you to be any form of competition against them in college admissions.</p>
<p>You could put it under Additional Information. I made a resume elaborating on ECs, volunteer work, hobbies basically anything colleges might be interested in and am attaching it. (~1 page)</p>
<p>You must be able to 'show" your passion, not just “tell” about it. If you can show it, then I would say its an EC. If all you do is play for yourself your probably going to have a tougher sell as EC’s are generally considered:</p>
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<p>You’re missing the social and philanthropic parts.</p>