<p>I know that many people believe that cheerleading is a fluff sport and I can't blame them, because sometimes it can be. The competitive team that I belong to, however, engages in serious athletics and competes. We recently placed in the top ten in the country at the national cheerleading competition. Obviously, I am not being recruited to cheer. Do you think I should update my application to reflect this accomplishment? In the cheerleading world it's a huge deal. In Yale's world, it might seem ridiculous.</p>
<p>Include it. Yale needs cheerleaders after all.</p>
<p>it's unique......i would include it</p>
<p>Not ridiculous in Yale's world at all:</p>
<p>Cheerleader here!!! woohoo!</p>
<p>Assuming that your application already shows your previous achievements in cheerleading, I can't see any downside to making the update.</p>
<p>I don't think the Y adcoms would see cheerleading as fluff. Without a doubt, to achieve a top ten competitive team is NOT fluff. Best of luck to you!</p>
<p>All Ivies love ambition and passion. If you love cheerleading and are amazing at it, then then the Ivies will see you as a great addition to their college campus. Simply said, you have a talent that very few people have to bring to the campus which is cheerleading. As facetious as that sounds, admissions will look at ECs all relative to the applicant's interests. Since I am going into business, I have tons of business awards and ECs and AP Macro/Micro 5s to back my choice + years of family business experience and summer Fortune 500 company internship. If you're interest is in something else, then your application should reflect that. Good luck with your application. On a cheerful/comical note, I wish Harvard could take more cheerleaders :p.</p>
<p>I think it would be regarded as a very positive thing.</p>
<p>Wasn't George W. Bush a cheerleader at Yale?</p>
<p>lol. If he was, he sure created the stereotype of dumb cheerleaders. :p</p>
<p>i know a cheerleader who went to harvard 10 years ago.</p>
<p>last year, one of our cheerleader seniors got into upenn early decision.</p>
<p>AND, this year, our drill captain (at my school drill is just as big a deal as cheer if not more) has already been admitted to yale (of course she also was ranked number 1 at the end of her junior year, but her rank went down this year as she takes off three periods a day to go work at a business internship)</p>
<p>i think the ivies like cheerleaders...especially if you're smart b/c it shows you not only have brains, but you're a normal person with a social life as well.</p>
<p>Dang I should have stressed that I'm a cheerleader. I did mention it in my diversity blurb.... lol.</p>
<p>Thanks for your help! I submitted an update. My hesitations came from a meeting with an another ivy admissions rep who rolled his eyes at the mention of cheerleading. Haven't there been enough "Bring it On" videos sold to prove that competitve cheerleading is not fluff? haha Good luck everyone!</p>
<p>Just for the record, cheerleading is alive and well at Yale. It is a club sport, but it is still fairly well funded. My daughter has been a cheerleader there since her freshman year (she's a junior). In fact, she's in the picture Scipio added--right down there in front with Handsome Dan. I can't say for sure that cheerleading helped her get in, but it sure didn't hurt. </p>
<p>And in case you do get in, about 60% of the squad will be seniors next year so there will be a great need for new squad members coming up.</p>