Should I put Tae Kwon Do or Model UN on my Common App?

Applying to College Common and Coalition Application
1

I am debating whether to put Tae Kwon Do or Model UN on my Common Application. My question is: how important is it to have some type of active/ sports activity on your application? I’m asking this because although colleges like a person dedicated to something they are also looking for someone “well-rounded” and that kinda means being active. Harvard has 4 qualities they rank on and one is athletic… so if I don’t put any athletic activities on my app I will be a 4 (the worst rank)… or so my thought process is.

I achieved a black belt in TKD right before I started highschool, and my activity really died down in freshman and sophomore year to the point where I completely stopped (I wouldn’t really say this on the common app though lol). This is why its not something that I would necesarilly put on my application ( I also dislike a good amount lol… I mostly did it because it was the only activity I was consistent with since 1st grade when I started, and my sister did it with me so I could never really completely quit). I never attended any competitions or taught classes (I helped a little with little kids classes).

Model UN is something many people in my school do and its basically just trying out, signing up for a conference, and going… so I did that. It has helped with me gaining confidence and practicing speaking, etc., but its also not something that is very important. I’ll say something along the line of “Served on crisis and UNICEF committees at conferences in Washington D.C., Philadelphia, and New York City”, which sounds impressive I guess.

I have one open space on my common app. My question is, which one do you think I should put down? ( I can always mention the other in my resume.)

Also if its important, I am mostly interested in economics but still exploring whether that could be economics and policy or finance. I may apply to the ILR school at Cornell and took an International Relations class at Penn this summer.

2

Well, you list your hours, and if your hours are zero, then you stopped. If they were one hour as a freshman, and then you stopped, then it’s really not worth mentioning, IMO.

If you do list it, you’ll still get a 4, IMO. A 4 is “little or no interest” which is how you just described the activity.

You don’t have to fill every space.

3

There are multiple spaces to list extra curriculars on the common app. What did you put in all the other spots? Is there no space left to list both?

MUN ties into the international affairs class you took this summer. If that is an area of strength you wish to show, go with that. If it ties in with some of your other activities, you may be “pointy” in that area.

A black belt in TKD is also impressive. Because you earned it before high school it wouldn’t “count” as a current award. However, you may be able to say you practiced through freshman and sophomore year to maintain that level of skill.

Knowing what colleges you’re applying to and what they value may help you decide. For example, at one prominent university, about half of the enrolled students participate in some kind of sports, even if it is intermurals or merely competitions between dorms. So, if you’re applying to a school like that, having something sporty on your record can’t hurt, even if you’re not a two-time varsity team captain. Other colleges value depth in your ECs. In that case having participated in MUN and then taking a college class in international relations can show some level of exploration and curiosity.