<p>I do devote a lot of time reading (mostly classics; Twilight is just not for me) and therefore I don't really have much time doing other amazing ECs. Well, I do some ECs but nothing is comparable to curing cancer/raising $50,000 etc. Will it hurt my chance anyway (yes, I am thinking about ivies or the top LACs) if I am sure that I want to major in literature?</p>
<p>Hm… maybe you should try some related ECs like starting a book group/club or teaching children to read?</p>
<p>Anyone can just pick up a book and start reading if they want to. Nor does reading show that you have any initiative, leadership qualities, special talent or ability, which is what a “good” EC should do.</p>
<p>However, comparing yourself to people who “cure cancer and raise 50K” is not a good thing either, since most people don’t do those things.</p>
<p>The schools really want to see who you are. Not all high school kids spend that much time reading for pleasure, particularly the classics. I would put this somewhere, perhaps on the additional information section of the application. That’s what my S did. I think it showcases an intellectual depth and passion.</p>
<p>If you are aiming at the very top schools, you should understand that you will be competing against applicants who devote a lot of time to reading AND do impressive ECs. In fact, it is taken for granted that the top applicants read a lot; therefore reading a lot is not very remarkable. Reading widely or deeply goes without saying for applicants to top schools. </p>
<p>Of course you could mention it in the “additional comments” section of the application or mention it in an interview, but I would liken using reading as an EC to using “I was asleep in my house at the time the crime was committed” – it is what is called a “soft alibi.” Soft alibis don’t hold up well. I wouldn’t rely too much on a soft alibi.</p>
<p>I think reading is a hobby, not an EC. My own D has stacks of books she’s desperate to read…and fits one in every single chance she gets…but of course didn’t list it as an EC. She’s been in many ECs too of course (drama, band, choir, athletics, many clubs, volunteering, etc.). But still fits in a book every single break she can get (read one last weekend because there were no “contests” of any sort…which is rare, reads on every school break, reads in between ECs sitting on the floor in the hallway at school, whenever. I watched her lie on a hammock outside and read a Harry Potter book long ago in one sitting. Jeepers!</p>
<p>DON’T stop reading!!! It’s a fabulous way to increase your intellect and obviously something you love to do. BUT…just to answer your question…IMO…Ivies want a lot more than that. I feel like they EXPECT everyone to read classic literature - maybe not to the extent you are, and of course the left brained math/science kids won’t read as much, but…? I think it would be more beneficial to ALSO concentrate on something maybe service oriented? Something with a group/team? Something that helps your school or community? Something more “involved” in some way?</p>
<p>Mm, lots of reading is pretty unique and impressive. Most top students I know say they only get a chance to read for pleasure in the summer. If reading is your passion you should most definitely include it on your apps; it will give adcoms great insight into your true personality.</p>
<p>You should definitely mention this on your application. But like other people have said, counting casual reading as an EC is like counting the time you spend singing in the shower as an independent study in choir.</p>
<p>Maybe if you tutor people for english class.
Reading is a “fun” activity, not an EC :P</p>
<p>Reading isn’t an EC, but it’s positive. Eg: Harvard gives applicants certain recommendations for its optional essay, and one of them is a list of books read in the past year.</p>
<p>I highlighted my love of reading by making it my subject for my ComApp essay. I wouldn’t have listed “time spent reading” or anything like that in the EC section of the ComApp, but since books are important to me, I wanted it to be brought up somewhere in my application.</p>
<p>You might want to also get a sense of how your reading level compares to other top applicants. It might seem like you read a lot of books, but if its actually a low number, you might not want to make as big of a deal of it. I figure the TASP thread on the summer activities subforum might be a good place to figure out how you compare, since TASPlicants are pretty top and they all have to make a list of books read in the past year.</p>
<p>It’s like this: you like cats. okay, now what? Your EC could be to work at an animal shelter, or a veterinary hospital. But just petting your cat isn’t enough.</p>
<p>Extra Curricular activities means you DO something (for others) with your interests. Reading is generally done something for yourself. Don’t get me wrong, I’m always happy to see that kids like to read. But Reading by itself isn’t an EC unless you do something with it. </p>
<p>Start a Book Club, Tutor, Distribute books to elementary school children, Read to kids, work in a library, write for a school or town newspaper. See? There are many things that use your interests, but you have to do something with it to get credit for it.</p>
<p>Tying your love of reading into an EC like a book club would be nice. But it seems to me that someone who wants to major in lit should be spending time reading. Talk about it in your essays.</p>
<p>If you are over any beyond in what and how much you read, you can count it as a “good” EC.
Now, it won’t get you anything at most Ivy League Schools, as it seems to me that they prefer doers to thinkers. They want the future leaders of the world.</p>
<p>However, it is a very helpful and legitimate EC thing to do if you are applying to a certain type of school (Ex. UChicago, Reed, and other more “intellectual” type schools).</p>
<p>You will probably want to submit a list of the books you have read and when to submit, just to legitimize and provide context for what you do. I.E. keep a record.</p>
<p>Also, make sure to talk to your teachers A LOT about your reading. They should write in their recs about your reading and classroom contributions to further legitimize your claims and to emphasize how your reading makes you a better student.</p>
<p>@amarkov i like the analogy 
i agree with what everyone else pretty much is saying… write it on your app somewhere (i know columbia even asks you what books you’ve read outside of school) but its definitely NOT an EC</p>
<p>Most colleges don’t care about ECs except possibly for merit aid consideration. They make admissions decisions overwhelmingly based on stats.</p>
<p>The few colleges that factor ECs into admission are top colleges, places like Harvard that have the luxury of selecting students with high stats and strong ECs. Such colleges expect their applicants to be avid readers of good literature. One would need to do much more to stand out in such colleges’ admissions pools.</p>