<p>Hello sage admissions counselors or people who have learned from them,</p>
<p>How would you advise my h.s. junior about ECs next year?</p>
<p>The main 2 questions are:
1) how important is finishing the 4th year of his second favorite sport Nov-Feb? It'll be his second year on varsity. There's a 50-50 chance at best for co-captain. He might be willing to give up this sport. No way would he give up favorite spring sport.
2) how are jobs generally viewed versus community service? I haven't read a lot on CC about kids working. I think it's an excellent way to gain independence and I expect him to earn money for books and spending for college (about $2k/yr). Service work is valuable too. No time for both plus sports...hard to anything with the huge sport commitment.</p>
<p>This summer he'll be coaching for money and doing sports.
In the fall he could a) get a job related to his #1 sport until the spring season for #1 sport, b) do some as yet unidentified community service until #2 sport starts in Nov and #1 sport in spring, c) do a little refereeing for money in the fall, then do #2 sport in winter and #1 sport in spring. That's what he did this past year. (Sorry if this is confusing.)</p>
<p>Clearly, the decision is his and I want him to have fun in his last year at home. But I'd like to advise him how his choice may/may not impact his applications.</p>
<p>What colleges value most iswhen students show passion, talent and independence in doing activities. The best way for you to help your son do this is for you to urge him to select the activity that he would enjoy most, and then to take full advantage of the situation. </p>
<p>Unless your son is a nationally ranked athlete, which would trump virtually anything at colleges that would have his sport, what your son selects to do doesn't matter. The actions he takes in terms of diving into the activity and what he learns from doing it, and what impact he has -- those will be what will impress colleges. He'd also have to document these effects by focusing his essay on the activity, by winning honors or awards related to the activity or by having a recommendation that explains his impact.</p>
<p>The consequences of his decision aren't just related to which colleges he gains acceptance from. What he decides to explore now as he finishes college will help him learn a great deal about himself and his talents and interests, and regardless of what he chooses, he'll learn things that will help him figure out what paths to take -- vocationally and avocationally -- in college and afterward.</p>
<p>I think kids look more "real" when they get a job- and make it known the money is needed to buy books, help pay for college or even to buy a car. Work shows maturity, responsibility and all the other good things the colleges are looking for. My d is also a sports kid. She too got a week-end job being a soccer referee cause she couldn't fit anything else in her schedule due to sports conflict. But I think being a referee in addition to the sports, just emphasized her "love and passion" towards sports. Anyway- she got into most of her schools, so I guess it worked. Can he squeeze in a little community service?? If he really hasn't done any, to do a bunch in his senior year may give the appearance that he is just doing it to list it on his college application- so I wouldn't go overboard with community service at this time. Can he coach a neighborhood little league team or teach sports to kids with special needs?? By the time a kid is a senior, I think the best activities are ones that put a positive emphasis on the things that you have been doing all along.</p>
<p>Thanks, Northstarmom and Marny1. You both make good points. I've spoken to some who say service is best, others that say not completing the 4th year of something looks bad... It seems there are no hard and fast rules. I'm glad, there shouldn't be, since different things are right for different kids. That reinforces a more profound (non-admissions) truth that you gotta do what you love and learn from, whatever that is. </p>
<p>Once all this end-of-school stress is over in June, I'm going to introduce the idea of dropping his winter sport (the one he's less passionate about) but advise that if he drops it, he fill that time with something significant, either work or community service. His choice (as long as he still ends up with some $$ for expenses before college).</p>
<p>Marny1, yes soccer ref'ing is a good one for busy kids--short, sweet and last minute!</p>