Varsity Sports vs. Academics

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>Hey guys!</p>

<p>I'm currently a Freshman and I made the varsity swim team at my school. The varsity swim coach is also the varsity water polo coach and he told me that he needs sprinters for water polo next year, so he'll automatically take me for varsity water polo next year (I did a year of club WP last year). I didn't do water polo this year though (it was fall and I thought it'd be too much with all honors, stupid and I regret it). So when I apply for college, will it look better to have 4 years of varsity swim and 3 years of varsity polo or would it look better to have more academics / extracurriculars? I love both sports, I'm not gonna quit just to "look better," I was just curious. In case it matters, right now I am in the following EC's: </p>

<p>key club
science olympiad (next year secretary :) )
quiz bowl
academic league
starting player and captain for QB and AL
next year, CSF (california scholarship foundation - can only start 2nd sem of soph year)
Peer counseling (starting next year, have to be soph)
volunteering at synagogue / tutoring hebrew / counselor for 4th graders</p>

<p>i think im doing enough EC's, i mean admission officers will know that I'm limited because of two varsity sports (and the ONLY TWO that have stupid 5 o'clock workouts), right?</p>

<p>in case it matters, my schedule is:
Honors Biology 1-2
Honors English 1-2
Honors Algebra 2 / Trigonometry
Honors Spanish 3
Digital Media 1-2
PE</p>

<p>all help appreciated!</p>

2

<p>Do the sport. In the long run, it’ll help you alot more than science Olympiad will.</p>

3

<p>Don’t worry how it looks. Just do what you want to and put some effort into it. That’ll look better than doing things just to get into college.</p>

4

<p>

I think you should definitely go with the former. The swimming will show commitment to one activity. Water polo is similar but it shows that you branched out a bit and “tried something new,” and stuck with it. If you keep your academics good, it will be put into the context of doing two varsity sports, so that’s a bonus.</p>

<p>Still do other extracurriculars, definitely, when you get opportunities in the summer/on weekends/etc. but focus on what you’re passionate about. Your ECs look good, and with varsity sports, they don’t look artificial like every other person who’s president/co-founder of every single thing.</p>

5

<p>Honestly, you can probably balance two varsity sports and tough academics. Do what you enjoy, and challenge yourself. You should know your limits.</p>

6

<p>colleges want to see depth in a certain area as well as well roundedness. stick w/ thne first option.</p>