<p>I've already included several activities such as piano, clubs, and volunteer experience, but now I'm wondering if I can include a couple hobbies, including (but not limited to):</p>
<p>1) Self-taught ASL
2) Reading (A LOT) </p>
<p>At one point does a hobby become appropriate to be listed as an extracurricular? I demonstrate passion in my pursuit of these but I haven't had any particular awards/accomplishments pertaining to them. </p>
<p>Readers tend to reveal themselves in their applications without listing it – high critical reading scores, sometimes high writing scores, mentions of books in essays, recommenders might mention it, activities like writing club or library volunteers, strong English grades, strong vocabulary in essays, etc. I feel like my kids’ applications shouted “READER” without them listing it specifically. And admissions officers do notice these signs! I would put self-taught ASL in your activities. If you do anything with it (volunteer, have deaf friends or family members you use it with), mention that as well. </p>
<p>I agree, I think ASL could be an activity especially if you do something with it (see above post), but reading is not an EC. It is not all that unusual for a top student to be a voracious reader.</p>
<p>Yeah I was a bit unsure about putting reading as an EC, but I saw someone including it somewhere and was curious as to whether I too could use that to my advantage, haha.</p>
<p>And intparent, I think you’re right. My CR score is 750, my writing score is 780, and I’ve gotten As while taking all the most challenging English courses my school offers, so I think my interest in reading should be apparent. I’ll just include self-taught ASL.</p>
<p>Self-taught ASL… maybe. I’d only write about it if nothing else I had was interesting/compelling/applied to my major.</p>
<p>When it comes to reading, you have to do something extraordinary for it. Like “I’m an avid reader who started book blog that is now gets ten thousand hits a day and all the major publishers send me ARCs/let me interview authors.” Or “I love books so much I wrote a novel at 16.” (though even thennnnnn I’m not sure it’s wise to brag about novels written as a teen) There are a lot of book worms out there; it isn’t notable unless you’ve taken it to the next level of wunderkind.</p>