<p>I am not sure about the exact definition of e.c. so I am wondering if reading philosophical works would count as an extracurricular? Before I was told that an e.c. is anything you do outside of school. Also, it would be great if someone call tell if I can list philosophy as an e.c. for reading the works of various philosophers and of course the occasional 8 hour debate over the true origins of romanticism on an application for harvard.</p>
<p>That would count more as a hobby, I would think.
But I mean, if it means that much to you… you better write a good essay on it?</p>
<p>Take philosophy classes in the summers, if you can. Do whichever type of debate it is that has mostly philosophical questions, not research-intensive ones. (Lincoln-Douglas?) Then yes. Reading, no.</p>
<p>so would that mean that debates (philosophically-based) in the philosophy classes could be listed?</p>
<p>I disagree with these posts. I put my academic and entirely self-motivated study of a very particular field (which basically just amounted to lots of reading) on the common app as an EC, and it worked out pretty well for me.
If you do it, I would use the short answer common app question about one of your ECs to explain it. Otherwise, it might look odd. But definitely don’t rule it out.</p>
<p>reading and discussing academic matters as an EC? </p>
<p>Straw grasping in extremis</p>
<p>Of very misguided categorization skills at play.</p>
<p>^^ Agree.</p>
<p>Another student may read hundreds of comic books and spend hours debating the merits of same. Does that make it an E.C.? No, not until the applicant starts drawing and illustrating his own comic books, then it would be considered an E.C…</p>