<p>This sort of topic has been covered here before, but I'm wondering about my specific case:</p>
<p>I am kinda weak on EC's for the top-tier schools to which I'm applying. When I think about why I'm not president of seven thousand clubs, I realized that I find my time much more productive if put elsewhere...towards HOBBIES.</p>
<p>For example, I'm into the environment, but my school's environmental club does NOTHING. My time is better served going home and reading a scholarly paper on global warming. I spend a lot of time reading up on/thinking/writing about my interests (finance, environment, economics of global warming, golf)...but I don't have official "clubs" for all of them.</p>
<p>Should I put "finance" or environment down as an interest? Or has all the time I've taken reading Businessweek or Science or the Journal of Economic Literature gone to waste?</p>
<p>I'm pretty much in the same boat: little/lackluster ECs and applying to top-tier schools. But you're probably better off than me. At least you actually read up on economics and the environment on a consistent basis (assuming). I cant really recall where all my time went...mostly to homework, projects, papers. And I'm guessing TV and video games are highly looked down upon. Occasionally, I do read up on articles regarding technology or exotic/rare animals, but I don't really think this can be considered an EC or hobby in my case.<br>
In your case, however, I get the sense that you really do enjoy reading and learning from what you read in these magazines/journals. I think you should definitely put it down since you need all the help you can get when applying to top schools. Your telling the truth anyways, since you actually did it and it is indeed one of your hobbies. Whether to put it down as "Economics" or "Environment," I don't know. Maybe it all fits into the category of "Reading" (which I believe is often accepted as a appropriate hobby). Let's wait for a second opinion. (Hopefully with help from this thread, I can resolve my own issues in the lack of ECs as well.)</p>
<p>I think if you can demonstrate that in college you would have the ability to apply what you've read about to making change, etc. then that would help you?</p>
<p>2-iron, you seem to be a very good writer - do you happen to blog about your interests? If so, blogging is definitely an EC and should be listed as such. It takes a lot of time and effort to establish a successful blog. Just a thought. :)</p>