<p>ECs seem to be important in college admissions, and maybe even more so for college admissions. However, next semester I really don't see how I'm going to be able to do many. I'm going to be living in a foreign country, and doing my schoolwork (8 classes) in about four days a week usually, since we're going to be travelling more during the weekends, and not only do I have to get all the schoolwork done, it's just sort of hard to do more traditional ECs when you're in a foreign country, especially for a long but not that long amount of time.</p>
<p>Could travelling (as well as quasi-auditing university classes) be considered an EC? If so, how would you put it down?</p>
<p>Also, are non-traditional ECs alright for homeschoolers? I have some traditional ones, but not as many as public school kids do. Do they still look valid, and how do you frame them?</p>
<p>Of course travel (esp. international ) is an EC and a good one too. </p>
<p>Your ECs really ought to be focused (related and in no more than two or three areas) more so than having a laundry list of them. </p>
<p>How can you use your travel to your betterment? Will you be providing a community service while you travel (tutoring? volunteering?) ? Will you write stories about your travel and submit them to magazines or other literary publications?</p>
<p>It is international - I'm going to be living in Britain, and we'll get to the continent a good bit.</p>
<p>I guess that could be a problem for me - I have SO many things I'm really interested in....But it's not just a laundry list of different minor clubs and stuff, so maybe that works?</p>
<p>I hope to try to publish things about my travel - writing being one of those above mentioned passions. I'm also studying World History this year, two modern European languages which I plan on (attempting) to speak, and one "dead" one. I'm also going to be doing a research project on Jewish History in Europe (linking to ANOTHER passion) and then presenting it when I get home.</p>
<p>Nontraditional ECs are fine. They might actually be an advantage because you won't look at other students.</p>
<p>I wouldn't worry about the one semester -- travel can be an EC, particularly if you explain it. Schools just want to know how you spent your nonschool time.</p>
<p>First -- remember that the majority of colleges are looking at GPA, courses taken and test scores first, so you have to be "in range" to get accepted to a school. After that, many use EC's and essay to distinguish the different applicants.</p>
<p>Make sure your course of study continues so that you have the recommended number of credits (4 math, 4 science, whatever...). I am guessing that you do -- but it is important that you don't underestimate the importance of your courses, GPA and test scores. </p>
<p>Then -- colleges are looking for something that makes you different, someone they think would add something to the college. My suggestion would be that you continue to develop any interests you have when you travel. Because you homeschool, you have opportunities that many traditionally schooled kids don't have or overlook. You say you are interested in writing -- so your EC could be creative writing and you participated in that EC by: journaling, attending a writing camp, publishing a collection of writings, belonging to a writing club, etc. you can join all those activities that relate to writing together as representative of a single EC. surely, if you are truly interested and dedicated to an EC (like writing) you don't stop just because you are traveling. You find some way to incorporate your interest while you travel. You just need to be able to communicate that to the college on your application. </p>
<p>When you are in Britain, look for activites that connect with your interests. Think of how interesting it would be to meet individually with a writing tutor at a college in England, a local author, attend a writing club where you are staying. their perspectives would be different than here in America and would add depth to your interests. There are many ways to continue your interests and they should all count as ways you participated in your EC</p>
<p>Don't feel like you have to work inside the model that most traditionally schooled kids do -- that is what makes you stand out.</p>
<p>I know about GPA and everything, and I am continuing with all my classes - part of why I'm having this problem, actually.</p>
<p>I do those sorts of things with writing here, but writing isn't my SOLE interest - I don't have any ONE singular interest. I do plan to continue with writing as much as I can, but I don't really know if I can find actual activities. I'm only going to be living there four months, and about three weeks of that I won't be in Britain at all, plus a lot of long weekends. It makes it sort of hard, since it's going to be busy enough. I'm not really looking to try to do MORE than I am here, since I know that's not possible, or even to replicate exactly what I'm doing. More I'm interested in whether or not colleges would see the travel and everything as an EC, provided I tie it in in the ways I mentioned in an post, and if so, how to "package" it.</p>
<p>Also: Is it really bad that I don't have only one interest? I mean, people change their majors in college, so why should you have to only be into one thing in highschool? Isn't it better rounded to like more things? Even if they might be related but not exactly tied together?</p>