Sadly, I am not involved in many sports and those that I am involved in I am pretty bad at. However, I am really good at academic competitions such as robotics and math team and quizbowl.
Are these activities less substantial than sports? Are they considered out-of-the-classroom?
All advice is appreciated
Schools are looking to assemble classes with a diversity of talents and interests. I wouldn’t continue to worry about not considering yourself to be a strong athlete; focus on highlighting your strengths instead. Maybe this story will help: When our family attended an off-campus Exeter admissions event, not one of the half-dozen or so students on the panel were athletes. Not one. And yet all these kids were offered admission and were thriving at the school.
Have you had your interviews yet? If not, it might be helpful to think about which sports you are interested in trying and mention this in your interview. You could ask about club or intra-mural sports, and other ways for a non-athlete to participate. Many schools require some degree of athletic participation, and a willingness to try new things is a positive. All of your academic competitions are really great, so nothing to worry about there, but think about all of the activities that are offered at boarding schools - what would you want to try given the opportunity?
As usual, the advice above is good! I would suggest looking at what the athletic requirements are at the schools you’re considering to make sure you will be happy meeting them. Many schools use mandated sports participation as a way of strengthening their community. If they have developmental teams, intramurals, or activities that are less competitive (rock-climbing), that might be more appealing. The schools do not value this more, btw, but want to know you will engage with your classmates this way.
Berkshire school could be a great option for you! They are a very math and science oriented school, while still maintaining a well rounded program. I am a current student. They offer mountain programs, independent study programs, math team, advanced math and science reasearch program (AMSR) a robotic makerspace, and a STEAM lab. They also offer strength and conditioning, dance, and rock climbing as sport options. Feel free to PM me if you have any questions!
We were in a similar position last year. Make sure you apply to a diverse group of school, and pay special attention to those that have robotics and math teams. The bigger schools have less need to find students to fill their sports teams so they can look for more “academic” students. BTW many of my kids friends this year do not play any sports and will be on intramural teams all 3 seasons.