Not a lot of EC"s - how bad?

<p>Does anyone else have kids who don't spend hours doing EC's and volunteering? My D (about to be a senior) goes to a very challenging small PHS and spends most of her time on homework and studying. She does theater and has done serious Arts summer programs, and some community service - about 70 hours over 2 years. She has travelled a a lot and will be working this summer as a paid intern in a research lab 30-40 hrs per week. She and 3 other kids organized and fully fundraised their prom. But she doesn't play sports , her school doesn't have a lot of clubs no government. </p>

<p>We also value family time - she has a sister, and feel like she deserved time to hang out with her friends which is already very limited by her work load.
She wants to go to a good LAC and after reading all these posts y kids with clearly no free time after all their activities I worry she won't stack up.
I also feel like we are driving are kids to have no downtime.
Any thoughts?</p>

<p>I'm not a parent, but I just wanted to chime in and say that schools can often tell when kids are doing what they love versus filling in their time to look good to admissions committees later on. Your daughter is doing the former, and there is nothing wrong with the fact that, for her, that involves family/down time. In fact, it might be impressive to adcoms that she makes time just for family. I don't know. But I personally think it shows that she knows how to prioritize better than a lot of other teens.</p>

<p>Also - ECs are whatever you do with your time. They don't have to conform to a certain type of activity. "Family night" is an EC if the student gets something out of it; so is cooking or sewing or camping. Anything the student is passionate about and can explain in depth can count as an EC imo. Not to sound awful here, but it depends how you market it!</p>

<p>Good luck to you and your daughter. It's great that she isn't doing things just to please the idea of some future admissions committee, but rather to be pleasing and productive in her own estimation.</p>

<p>Actually it's funny you mention cooking - she is a pretty serious home cook - collects cookbooks reads gourmet watchen Top Chef and Iron Chef and generally likes to have a night a week to tackle a really complicated recipe (she did Beef Wellington) but I don't think she thinks that's worthy to mention on her apps</p>

<p>Well, I think it is! But if she's worried that she doesn't do enough to make it a "serious" EC, she could just enter a few local cooking contests between now and applying to college. Voila, it becomes a "serious" EC, or at least serious enough for her to feel good about it (even though I personally already think it sounds compelling).</p>

<p>It's not about the quantity. It's about the quality. To me, she does not sound lacking in EC's. She sounds like someone who has pursued her specific interests in theatre and arts, has given back to her community and school and, to top it off, has a paid research internship. The latter is not that common for a hs student.</p>

<p>Me, my eyes glaze over when I see those super long lists of EC's. And I am NOT a fan of those touting their # of hours in Community Service. Just seems to miss the point. Back in the dark ages, I went to schools which emphasized social justice, giving to others and giving back to the community. It was second nature to me and still is. But I could no more tell you how many hours I spent at it then, nor now. </p>

<p>I think your D is fine.</p>

<p>While the cooking avocation might not be worth a mention on her apps, you never know when it might be the basis of a great essay. I wouldn't force the point, but it can be things like essays built around the success of a first attempt at Beef Wellington, or the nightmare of the Failed Beef Wellington, that can show a kid's real personality.</p>

<p>IMO your daughter will stack up just fine to the kids with crazy schedules.
She has leadership skills, initiative, and is not panic-ing to pad her application.</p>

<p>We were told by a LAC Admin Officer that they would much rather see one EC that the kid is passionate about, than a list of stuff. He said hobbies are fine to include; for some kids, that is their passion.</p>

<p>BTW, our S had very few EC'S. His biggest passion is/was reading. He got accepted to most of the LAC's that he applied to.</p>

<p>reading too is a big one for my D. I appreciate all the comments - definitely stress reducing. I also thought about a cooking essay but if I suggest it she will probably reject it :)</p>

<p>It looks like she has great ECs! Theater and lab work are probably quite time-consuming.
My two Ss did not participate in student government, sports, or any of the standard Ecs. But S1 wrote his essay about being part of a student group devoted to discussion. It did not take up much of his time, but the essay showed a very nice aspect of his personality.</p>

<p>ECs don't have to be school clubs. Your daughter has more than enough. It's really all about having a life outside school and presenting it.</p>

<p>Sounds to me like she does a lot of ECs. I thought your description of your D would stop after the 2nd sentence of your post. To me, that would be "not a lot of ECs."</p>

<p>As others have pointed out, extracurriculars are just that: what a student does when she’s not in school. Basically, colleges are looking for interesting kids who do interesting things. </p>

<p>Student council presidents and sports captains have appeal but so do kids whose interests lead them along less structured paths. I think your daughter’s challenge will be not to develop additional interests but to figure out how best to focus and present her existing interests in her application. Through supplementary materials and essays and recommendations she can “flesh out” her commitment to her pastimes.</p>

<p>If she’s an artist or actor she should consider putting together a slide portfolio or performance tape. Colleges recommend this even if she doesn’t intent to major in art or theater and their websites will give specific information on their requirements. I’d also suggest an accompanying arts package which would include (along with the portfolio or tape) an artist’s statement, a resume of classes/achievements/accomplishments in the field, related travel experience, an additional recommendation from an instructor or mentor, one or two media articles.</p>

<p>Her essays and recommendations should enhance and reinforce her accomplishments and interests. Try to focus on a common thread and – for example pick one of her interests, research or theater for example – and use the essay(s) to amplify her commitment. Make sure that her recommenders are familiar with her interests and activities and mention them in their letters. </p>

<p>She shouldn’t worry about trying to who she isn’t. Getting off the beaten track in interests and activities is a good thing.</p>