My major has almost NOTHING to do with my extracurriculars

College Search & Selection
1

Hi. So my extracurriculars are very culturally orientated. I do alot of things relating to Chinese Culture (Lion Dance, Chinese Club, National Chinese Honors Society, Culture Diversity, Chinese School President). Yeah, and i want to do a business major
Is that a big disadvantage for me? Also, which schools particularly care more about (Chinese) culture extracurriculars (like maybe NYU since theres so many chinese people there)?

Thanks!!! (Also, please dont say “they all care” unless they really are all the same)

2

Unless you are applying to some school w no Chinese students and lookin to recruit some to add diversity, schools may wonder about your insular interests in your ethnic culture only.

3

From your other threads, seems like you also do Model UN and are the president of NHS, as well as volunteering at various places. I can’t imagine that an interest in (your?) culture would be seen as a bad thing. You’re involved in stuff that makes you happy. No more single-minded than someone who ONLY does one specific sport.

Bonus: Threads about being well-rounded vs. singular.

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/high-school-life/1844136-why-is-being-well-rounded-bad.html

http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/college-admissions/1832571-well-rounded-student.html

4

I disagree. At selective schools asians are an over represented minority. So an asian applicant w only self-ethnic interests probably isn’t going to be viewed in the same positive way as a URM with the same. Just like violin playing by an asian kid is downgraded, as compared to violin being played by a black or hispanic kid. Fair? No.

An applicant who only does ONE specific sport is cut major slack for being one-dimensional if the athletic level is recruitable.

5

So im at a disadvantage because of my interests in my culture? Does that give me a disadvantage?

6

It’s commendable to have interest in one’s ethnic culture. But from your opening post, you appear to have interests in nothing but your own culture.

7

Extracurriculars at school don’t reflect a person’s entirety - I wouldn’t assume that a person was ONLY interested in their own culture just because those are the clubs they joined (and even if they are, so what?)

And no, the fact that your intended major doesn’t match your ECs doesn’t matter. Nobody expects a 17-year-old to have it all figured out.