I’m going to be a high school freshman and have been playing volleyball since 7th grade and club. Volleyball tryouts start tomorrow and I’m worried about not making the team. During the summer pre season practices, the other girls seemed really good, this high school is really big and feeds from the top volleyball schools in the district. I’m aiming for an Ivy League university and I was wondering what I should do if I don’t make the team, or any tips on making the team. I love volleyball with all my life and I want to continue to play it throughout high school. I have also heard it is good for an Ivy League college application. If I do club volleyball, will it still count as an extracurricular for the college app? I also made the middle band (most freshman are in the bottom band) and student council (I was president in middle school), I love doing all those things as well, but not as much as volleyball. I don’t know if that is enough for Ivy League, even if my grades are perfect and with APs.
Good luck!!! It’s great to have ECs that you love. I bet you have the same chances for top colleges as other good students do.
Here are a few comments:
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You haven’t stepped foot in HS yet …PLEASE do not worry about what college you might qualify for. Understand that the Ivy schools, with acceptance rates generally under 10%) are major reaches for anyone - even with perfect academic stats and nice ECs. It is good to take school seriously and know that college is in your future but for the next couple of years focus on:
–Working hard, learning, and doing as well as you can in the most challenging curriculum you can manage.
–When the time comes study for standardized tests.
–Getting involved in activities you care about and work towards making meaningful contributions to those activities.
–Enjoying spending time with your family and friends. -
If you don’t make the HS volleyball team and want to continue on the club level that is fine and it does count as an EC (an EC can be done outside of school). But do it only if you enjoy volleyball and want to keep playing. Unless you are being recruited for a spot on the college volleyball team it will count as a nice EC – nothing more and nothing less. You could get the same value getting involved in any other club you find interesting and can contribute to .
Yesterday I was chatting with our HS men’s soccer coach. Tryouts are over and fortunately they only had to cut three players. He recounted a player from years ago who was cut as a freshman and went out to play club. He tried out again as a senior and not only made the team, but was the high scorer for the season. People take different paths. Play volleyball if you love it. Be grateful that you have something you love so much. And I suspect you will make the team.