<p>Hi, I am looking for advice on whether or not I should participate in track this year. </p>
<p>My current ECs are:
Academic Decathlon (Captain; 9-12)
Quiz Team (Captain; 9-12)
Student Council (Most Likely President Next Year; 9-12)
Orchestra (First; 9-12)
NHS (Chairperson; 9-12)
Mentoring Group (Founder & President; 10-12)
Candystriping (Chairperson; 10-12)
Varsity Track and Field (9-12 or 9,10,12???) </p>
<p>I have participated in varsity track and field 9th and 10th grade and will definitely be participating my senior year. However, I am currently in 6 AP Classes, and Decathlon has become a HUGE time commitment this year. My question is, how big a deal is it that I participate in varsity track and field this year in regards to college admissions? I’m mainly looking at HYP, UChicago, etc. I know, I know, I should only do an EC if I enjoy it not simply because of college admissions….BUT as T&F would be a time consuming activity and take away from my classes/other ECs I would like to know - should I bite the bullet and try to swing T&F? Or is it OK if I don’t participate in it this year?</p>
<p>Thanks!</p>
<p>Edit: Leadership is not an issue for Track...I will not be getting a position either way. Awards/Medals are also unlikely</p>
<p>It would look strange if you didn’t participate. Plus, you won’t have any awards or placings to show for your junior year. Plus, not competing this year would probably hurt your performance senior year.</p>
<p>Ultimately though, if you feel its too much, it’s not a big deal.</p>
<p>My situation is kind of the opposite of yours. I’m taking a 4 month hiatus from being a literacy tutor and cutting back on a few other things to focus on track and tennis this season (my senior yr). Anyways, will it look make your EC’s better and make you look more well-rounded? yes. Will it be fun for you? Only you know that…My proposed solution is to commit to track and then if you grades start to alter slightly from before, then quit. This is assuming you have A’s in all your AP classes. If you don’t, then forget track, junior yr grades matter more. Getting all A’s in 6 Ap’s in junior year is definitely a big boost and will help your class rank. And you’ll have more time to prepare for Ap tests. The key is to know your limits. Plus what about SAT’s/ACT and SAT II’s. Actually it might be more beneficial in terms of academics for you to not do it. You could use those 10 extra hours a week to do a lot of stuff. Plus your other EC’s are good. You could try to take that extra time to really develop your other EC’s as in do something big or maybe organize a fundraiser for one of your other EC’s. If I was you, and i didn’t love track as much i do, I would skip it.
^this is pretty much my whole post summarized. I could’ve just said that and not written that long paragraph. lol…:)</p>
<p>If you had the track talent to medal or be recruited, then I would say, definitely stick with it. If your main passion and talents lie more with Academic Decathalon, concentrate on that.</p>