Sports taking all my time?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

Hi, I’m a sophomore and a Varsity cheerleader at my school.

It’s almost impossible to do anything other than cheerleading and school. I’m part of DECA and French Club also, but again, because of cheer, I don’t make it to all of the meetings. I really don’t have anything to show that I was really committed to those two clubs, and I don’t even really know if it’s worthy of putting on my collegeapp.

I love cheer, but it really just takes up all my time. For example, right now, it’s competition season and I have a 4hr practice tomorrow and Thursday (starts right after school). Our season runs from June (after school ends) through early March. Comp season starts in the last week of Nov. It’s really hard to manage, especially with advanced classes. There aren’t enough hours in the day to do anything else, really.

I am trying to coach next year (in the fall, when there’s a little less of a commitment), anticipate being captain, and have received All-American and a Dedication Award for it in the past. Though, I don’t know how much colleges are really going to care about this, especially cause they may assume it’s a much smaller commitment than it actually is.

All in all, is this going to be a disadvantage in admissions because I lack in other ECs due to cheer’s time committment?

2

You dont need many ECs. You do need a couple that you do to the max, so document your impact.

3

Do not quit cheer if you like it. Taking hard classes aren’t everything. Definitely stick with cheer if it’s a passion of yours. I’d never quit track or cross country to have more time for school.

4

  1. I forget how exactly the common app works, but I am pretty sure you put in how many hours you spend on an activity. SO if you practice 10 hours per week, and then have competitions on weekend that take 10 hours total, you would put 20 hours/week Cheering.

  2. You may just think your activity is “cheer leading” but is it more that ? DO you varsity cheer at the football, baskeball and ? games? As well as do competitions?

  3. Put DECA and French club on your application anyway. It shows you have academic interests aswell even if you don’t spend as much time. Include what you do even if it is not official leadership. “Staffed the Club booth and the Club fair, raised $200 for French dinner” or whatever you did.

  4. If you are Captain next year, you can put that on your application under leadership. Under Honors and awards you could put that you are All American.

  5. Colleges care about cheerleading as much as they care about any EC…it shows that you can be dedicated to something and work hard at it. It shows that you can do well academically as well as spend 20 hour/week on an EC.

  6. BUT…know that colleges care very much more about Academics than any EC…you have to get good grades. Learn to study on the bus. Look at this for further ideas:
    http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/high-school-life/2026961-what-to-do-when-you-arent-doing-well-in-a-hs-class-p1.html

  7. I would disagree with @easyalesseffort…taking hard classes is everything for college. Obviously I think that you want to balance Academics/life, but don’t get caught up in the HS Cheerleading industry.

  8. You won’t be disadvantaged over having one time consuming EC…but remember academics come first. So decide if you can keep up with your advanced classes. Think about you, senior year, getting your acceptances to the colleges you want. Will you wish you had spent more time on academics or cheer?