<p>wondering about this</p>
<p>Serious hobbies, maybe.</p>
<p>I do play a lot of basketball every weekend and sometimes play several times during the weekdays when I have time. Can playing basketball count if I am not on a team because of the work I have to do?</p>
<p>What work do you have to do? If it's working a job (including in a family business) or doing major work at home like taking care of siblings, those count as ECs.</p>
<p>Playing basketball in the driveway or even at the gym just in a recreational setting is not an EC. If you were on an organized team it would be an EC. You don't even have to be Varsity for it to count. I've played basketball everyday for the last six years (except for maybe 50 days a year and when I had knee surgeries), and only put it as an EC because I was on my school's team and AAU. </p>
<p>If you're not on the team, don't put it. But whatever your job is, that is an EC as Northstarmom said.</p>
<p>Things that you can practice on your own that is neccesary for the EC, such as playing an instrument - violin, piano, flute, sax... of course attending concert bands and orchestras are better, but you can do that in your free time as well, especially if your teacher holds annual recitals. </p>
<p>The fine arts - painting, drawing, graphic design - you can submit your works to nationally recognized contests. Anything else is just up to you... you can start a literary magazine by yourself, a poetry journal - basically anything that you can show as solid proof and effort for as time well spent.</p>
<p>i kept a journal about things about life during the summer when i took time to reflect on it. It has 60 entries in it.
I plan to get a job during the summer as well.
Thank you. I made start a poetry journal.</p>
<p>Some sort of home business/ internet thing.</p>
<p>Get off your butt, there is so much to do in this world, and so many people/groups genuinely need your help.</p>
<p>Why do you want to do an EC at home? Are there home responsibilities that keep you from doing outside ECs or do you just not to do ECs away from home?</p>
<p>No, in the beginning of the year I was going to join several clubs in school. I joined the film club, Asian American club, 411 newspaper and Charity club. I also have 100 plus community service hours at a local library and a member of its teen group for young readers. I just think that I need more quality extracurriculars. I also kept a journal during the summer of over 60 entries.</p>
<p>I will probably add to the journal to make it more notable. I have also joined a book club online.</p>
<p>How old are you? If you can still take on a leadership position in those clubs, that'll boost your ECs.</p>
<p>IMO, GPA > Awards = SAT > EC's
Focus on getting awards.</p>
<p>Journal?</p>
<p>worthless, and I mean utterly utterly worthless and you look pathetic for even mentioning it, UNLESS.</p>
<p>you get published.</p>
<p>and I don't mean in your school's litmag. Check out the publications you like to read, either literary, news, whatever. Most have the option for people to submit guest columns or send queries about writing pieces for them. </p>
<p>That's an EC you can do at home. Not an easy one mind you, but it is.</p>
<p>What if one's school situation really doesn't allow one to do many EC's outside of home?</p>
<p>Seems like a feeble attempt to add an EC without actually doing anything. Pardon me if I'm wrong.</p>
<p>Awards don't do jack in college admissions, unless you are focused on an award-oriented EC such as science research.</p>
<p>This thread is kind of sad. Basically it is asking "what can i do in the comfort of my room besides studying that can help my college chances". Get out and do something you like! Look at the OP's post history...</p>
<p>Yes - awards are good. Text books are available - get a hobby. Learn how. Also, you may want to learn how to get through this college admissions process without asking everyone to plan your life....</p>
<p>Seriously. Come back here when you're almost done w/ sophomore year (maybe) or when you're a junior. Just do what feels right, what you enjoy, and realize that college admissions are very competitive, so what may be the top at your school may not and likely WILL not be the top in the rest of the country. Expect a lot out of yourself. You'll be fine.</p>
<p>Jonathan: When colleges look at extracurriculars, they are not looking for a laundry list of clubs you joined and go to once a week. They are also not looking for someone who sophomore or junior year realizes they have to do something other than study to get into college and so creates an EC just for the purposes of college admission. They are looking for long-term commitment and devotion to something. </p>
<p>As for the journal -- no, this is not the type of thing one would put on their resume. However, I know a student last year who did mention her journal in her college applications. She has been keeping a journal since she was in elementary school; it is now many volumes. She writes in it every day. I think this is unusual. Your job in your application is to describe yourself in a way that admissions gets a clear picture of you, that you become a person rather than a list of statistics. This student's journal writing helped admissions get to know this kid, and she was accepted ED to a highly selective LAC.</p>