<p>im currently a junior in hs and i have a question regarding whether my "hobby" should be mentioned on my college app.</p>
<p>i really love interior design (but its not something i want to pursue as a career) and i keep tons of sketchpads with drawings of furniture ive designed and rooms ive arranged for family and friends.</p>
<p>my question is, with some sprucing up, would it be ok to submit these drawings as a supplement to my college application, even though i do not intend to pursue art in college? (i want to go into engineering)</p>
<p>my guidance counselor told me to think about what i do in my spare time.. and this is one of the big things i do, but i do not want to submit it if it is going to be looked as silly or a waste of time.</p>
<p>If you have actually designed rooms for other people, then definitely put it down since it seems that it is a major time commitment on your part.</p>
<p>Designing furniture and living spaces could be art or it could be engineering. There is a whole field of engineering called "human factors engineering" that is related to how things work for people (not quite ergonomics, but related). You might want to create a "book" of your best work with some commentary on the thought processes you used to get to the designs.</p>
<p>It will depend upon the school. A large university with a small admissions staff will not be interested. A small liberal arts college will likely take an interest in that type of material. This is a very good question to ask as you visit each school to see if they do take additional information into account. Good luck.</p>
<p>IMO what you are doing IS related to your planned career. You are making designs with an eye to addressing some practical problems of life. That is a good part of what engineers do. </p>
<p>Your activity suggests that you are a practical person with a problem-solving bent. The sheer volume of work you have done shows serious commitment, similar to a more conventional EC. If you have actually designed rooms for people, be sure to say that.</p>
<p>I see nothing wrong with submitting some of these works of yours. However, I think they would be most effective if they did not stand on their own. Would you consider writing an essay about your efforts in this area, and submitting a few drawings as adjuncts to the essay?</p>
<p>Whether you should or should not submit the drawings would depend on the school, as was mentioned above (Stanford, for example, does not accept any such materials). But this hobby would make a great essay topic...</p>
<p>While you are looking at engineering schools, look into schools with a major in industrial design. It may suit you better than the typical engineering curriculum, which is rigorous, standardized and has very little in the way of creative opportunities.</p>