<p>Right now I am a junior and I have played on the varsity tennis team at my high school for 2 years with letters (freshman and sophomore). I grew up playing tennis and was highly ranked in elementary and middle school, but in high school I have completely lost interest in the sport. I was a starter in my freshman year, but I stopped trying and basically wasted my time in my entire sophomore season riding the bench. Now that tryouts are coming up, I really do not want to play because it is not fun at all and I want to focus in school (currently have a 1990 SAT [will retake], 3.5 weighted GPA 1st semester Soph, 4.0 weighted 2nd semester Soph, 4.5 weighted 1st semester Junior) so that I get another 4.5 this semester and raise my overall GPA from a 4.0 to a 4.1 and increase my UCLA chances. My parents are adamant about me continuing to play, because they keep telling me that another year of a varsity sport will look better on my college applications. I'm currently in 3 clubs, including NHS. I feel as though I won't be able to balance a tennis season and schoolwork (4 weighted classes), so should I quit or play this year? Will a 3rd year of a varsity sport really make a big difference on my college app? </p>
<p>I would stick it out and play. It shows dedication. If you want to get into UCLA, try to show that you can balance tennis season and a rigorous courseload.</p>
<p>Honestly, if you really don’t like it then don’t do it. I was in band for 8 years on an instrument that would get me a fairly good scholarship,but once i got into high school I realized how much I didn’t like it. I quit it and honestly I feel alot better and I can do alot more with my time. Doing an EC just to look better to colleges isn’t the best use of time, you should focus on doing things you feel passionate about. </p>
<p>Don’t play then. Do what will make you happy.</p>
<p>Are you looking at very competitive college ? </p>
<p>I think it would help you stick out on your apps and it shows your ability to manage a rigorous schedule and perform at a varsity level. I think that’s pretty impressive and colleges would probably think the same. You should continue to play tennis if you want to look good for colleges, but if you really don’t like it anymore I don’t see the point in continuing to play. I hope that I helped somehow.</p>
<p>Definitely do not continue an activity simply for college applications! What a waste of time. Quit, and find an activity that you actually enjoy. </p>
<p>If you dislike it, quit. But I think you should pick up another sport if you do. Try volleyball, basketball, cross country, soccer, or something. I think you’ll regret completely dropping sports.</p>
<p>I am in practically the same situation with lacrosse. I’m a junior and have been on varsity for two years, but I really don’t like the sport or my coach or my team mates. I’m planning on going through with quitting. I talked to my guidance counselor about it and she told me that if I have enough ECs without it then it should be fine. It’s not worth being miserable for another two years of the sport. Just replace it with some nice volunteer work or something.</p>
<p>I’m in the same situation too, except I played JV tennis for two years and just got onto Varsity. But the people are really cold and standoffish and don’t like to practice with me (they want an “actual challenge”) and I really don’t enjoy it anymore. Plus, I started losing when I got onto Varsity, which doesn’t help the enjoyment level. </p>
<p>Tennis is one of the most time-consuming sports out there, and NHS and other groups take up a lot of time too. I decided that I’ll finish out the year then drop. But I agree that you need to find something to replace it with: for me it’s interning, and for @libby123 it seems to be volunteering. I think that it’s better in the long run: for college apps, my emotional well-being, and the chance to learn cool stuff. It’s a hard decision to make: my family kept trying to talk me out of it until I found the internship to replace it with. Obviously, don’t leave one activity you don’t enjoy for another you find even less interesting, but if you can find something else and convince your parents that it’s better for college admissions… You can probably find an internship that only takes a few hours a week, and internships don’t force you to miss school for tournaments! Internships for teenagers are hard to find, but if you manage to score one it says good things to colleges about your initiative and interest.</p>
<p>There are obviously lots of other things you could do with your extra time: just explore what you’re interested in and find a way to sell it to your parents. You don’t necessarily need their approval: it’s your life, but it really helps if they’re on board. </p>