<p>Hey! I'm a rising junior, and I've been doing varsity track/XC. But I don't think there's very much of a chance for me to be recruited, even by a small college. And it takes up a lot of time everday during the school year. So I'm sort of thinking about dropping XC/track and doing something else with that time. The problem is I don't really know what to do. So any suggestions? I mean, I want to do some useful, something SIGNIFICANT. I've thought about research, starting a club,etc. If you guys could suggest something along those lines or something out of the ordinary, that would be great. Thanks!I live in NJ by the way.</p>
<p>what are you interested in - animals, art, politics, and what is available in your area</p>
<p>what about service or volunteering, what about having a fundraiser for a charity</p>
<p>Well I'm interested in art(pretty good too), science(especially biology--not medicine!), and I do volunteer at a hospital.</p>
<p>I think you should stick with the athletics, even if you don't have a chance for recruitment. Many kids in obscure sports have no chance of ever being recuited and yet the devotion and time spent look great on their EC lists, way better than many ECs where there is no degree of passion.</p>
<p>If you like the track/xc thing, stick with it. If not, I always recommend a job. You get money, experience, and an idea of what the real world will be like.</p>
<p>I disagree, many kids just do a sport and that is it, it is not way better than many other EC's not by any stretch, just showing up to run a few hours a day is not necessarily better then working a shelter teaching kids art, or volunteering at the SPCA, or organizing a fundraiser for Make A Wish, or creating a club for the environment</p>
<p>TO assume that an EC doesn't need devotion, or time is absurd</p>
<p>I get irratated with this attutude that sports are the be all end all for ECs</p>
<p>I know so many kids who got into amazing schools who didn't do sports all 4 years of HS</p>
<p>so do you have any ideas?</p>
<p>In general, sports take way more devotion/time/energy then most clubs regardless of whether you are the president. </p>
<p>Sports aren't a necessity, but they are awesome. Do what you want, a lot of people don't do sports on here so you will get biased answers on both sides. </p>
<p>DO WHAT YOU LIKE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You may not think you are good, but you probably can make a college team, it may not give you an admissions bump but who cares.</p>
<p>I gave lots of suggestions....If you think sports are more time consuming that an instrument, being in a play, running stage crew, think again</p>
<p>My D is doing a volunteer project this weekend that is at minimum 10 hours a day</p>
<p>THink about it, for a sport, you show up, someone tells you what to do- how far to run, where to go, what to wear, etc...it takes time, sure, I grant you that, but it doesn't take much imagination</p>
<p>where is the learning, where is the sharing, where is the helping others except yourself in a sport</p>
<p>again, the attitude that well, sports beats out most other ECs is hogwash, and in fact a narrow and close minded way of looking at your options in life, and easy out if you will</p>
<p>it is MUCH harder to get the bus, and go to a senior home 3 days a week and do art, and help the elderly</p>
<p>it is MUCH harder to go on a Sunday and pickup garbage other people have left behind</p>
<p>it is MUCH harder to work with a homeless child who has nothing and teach them about colors</p>
<p>it is MUCH harder to go and raise money for a dog rescue orgnazation</p>
<p>it is MUCH harder to spend 8 hours on a Saturday sorting food at the food bank</p>
<p>it is MUCH harder practicing an insturment 3 hours a day</p>
<p>it is MUCH harder translating for new immigrants</p>
<p>it is MUCH harder cleaning dog cages at the pound</p>
<p>showing up to train, while physically draining, and is fine and dandy, isn't the only way to show dedication, passion, drive, devotion, and if you thnk it is, well, that is sad indeed</p>
<p>How long have you been doing track? Did you start it solely with the idea/hope of being recruited? Sports CAN be a big bump in college acceptances at many schools, regardless of whether you are good enough to make the college team or not. I would advice not dropping it at this point, unless you hate doing it, as it will be hard to come up with an outside activity that shows long term committment with only 1 year to do it. My son found out this the hard way, as he was passed over by many less academically talented students by his first choice college. In every case, they were students who participated in sports at school.</p>