<p>Ugh. Another prestige hound.</p>
<p>hutch, After 8 years of dedication, not being able to continue with ballet must be painful to accept, both physically and emotionally. How it will look on her college application is really not as important as finding a personal outlet for the energy and discipline. </p>
<p>I’d say give your daughter some space to develop some of her other creative interests – like music or theater. </p>
<p>College applications do often ask for a quantification of volunteering activity, but the important factor is not, really, the hours but the heart. It sounds like your daughter has plenty of both, bordering on overload. </p>
<p>I’d encourage her to fill the hole that ballet has left in her time and spirit with more “me” time and focus on her inner, artistic, creative side as well as her public, altruistic side.</p>
<p>Also, it’s quite early to be targeting specific colleges, especially the most selective. She sounds like a great kid who, if allowed to experiment and enjoy, will find her own path.</p>
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I think this is a challenge for a parent who is homeschooling–choice of ECs by the student can happen a bit easier in a public or private school. I would suggest that your daughter should look for activities that not only show leadership, but allow her to show independence from you. I think some colleges will be thinking about that when they review the resume.</p>