<p>Right now, I'm a sophomore and I play baseball for the JV Team, I'm starting shortstop. I've also gotten straight A's both years(9th, 10th) and have taken 1 AP class, AP World History. Next year, I'm planning to take 3 APs(Calc AB, Lit, and Comp Sci). I'm not really sure if I should play baseball next year because of all the workload. Also, I'm not even sure if I want to be on varsity because of the increased pressure and competition.</p>
<p>My question is: Does playing 3 years of baseball + varsity look better than playing 2 year of baseball +JV????? And how much better does it look?</p>
<p>If I join other clubs/associations like Speech and Debate and tutoring other kids, will that make up for me stopping baseball?</p>
<p>P.S: Coaches and other people have told me that I'm really good and I've recieved a couple awards and I've been playng since I was like 8. I'm also Indian so that's pretty unique.</p>
<p>Another option is joining tennis where I will make varsity for sure and the amount of committment is not very high</p>
<p>Do things that make you happy. Don’t just join activities as college application fillers. If you think you’ll regret quitting baseball, don’t quit.</p>
<p>IMHO, playing varsity sports AND keeping your grades up is the most impressive combination available to a high school student. Here is why I believe this…varsity sports are unlike any other EC’S because of the physical AND mental toll playing a sport at that level demands. There isn’t another EC I can think of where injury is a constant possibility. There isn’t another EC I can think of where physical exhaustion is a constant companion. There isn’t another EC I can think of that requires more time commitment than a varsity sport. There isn’t another EC I can think of with more accountability. There isn’t another EC I can think of that tests your ability to perform each and every day. There isn’t another EC I can think of that has the constant pressure to keep your position in that EC.</p>
<p>Before everyone jumps on my case. I realize there are lots of great EC’s out there. But I don’t believe any put as much pressure on a high school kid like a varsity sport.</p>
<p>dont do it for your application… do it cause you like doing it. It really is as simple as that. I wouldn’t dream of not playing my sports even if it will give me more time to work.</p>
<p>Alright thanks. LOL I actually have the opposite problem. I’m pretty bad with handling stress and stuff and since baseball is such an intense sport at our school, I actually don’t really like playing anymore. Thanks for the reply though</p>
<p>If you don’t like playing, don’t play. I played soccer for 4 years, 2 on JV (one as JV captain) and the other 2 on varsity. One of the best experiences of my life was to start as a JV benchie and earn my spot as a varsity starter senior year. I think lots of valuable experiences are learned playing sports, especially at the high school level, and would always recommend people try sports out. But never continue them if you don’t like them.</p>
<p>My inclination is to tell you to do whatever makes you happiest, but since you want to know which will “look better” for admissions, I’ll try to look at it that way.</p>
<p>First, keep in mind that ECs are unimportant for admissions at most colleges. But, if you’re aiming for a very selective school, it’s prudent to analyze this strategically.
The longer commitment will definitely look better than the shorter one. How much is hard to say, since it’s a subjective call. Unless you expect to be recruited, it won’t be huge.</p>
<p>
In my view, each of these ECs (sports, debate, tutoring) are equally attractive, but more rather than less continuity looks better.</p>
<p>If you want to drop baseball and get heavily into debate or tutoring, now would be a good time to do so, as you’ll be able to have a solid year+ under your belt in time for college applications. Starting new activities just in time for senior year doesn’t make too good an impression.</p>
<p>Why do you keep bumping this thread? Every poster has given you the same basic advice – do what you love, but don’t do it for the sake of making your application look better. What more can anyone say but to repeat the good advice you’ve already been given. If you don’t want to play baseball anymore, don’t. If you want to do speech & debate, do it. Unless you are trying to be recruited for baseball, which I assume is not the case, it absolutely doesn’t matter. Colleges are interested in what you are passionate about and if baseball no longer does it for you, move on!</p>
<p>@ Gibby’s last sentence: I understand that, dude, but I feel like that won’t look good on the application, right? If I move on and do something like speech and debate, I’d be losing that baseball continuity and I feel like that’s the thing in my application that will stand out. Your thoughts???</p>
<p>So basically you want colleges to admit the person you are pretending to be. You want adcoms to perceive your passion about an activity that you really would prefer not to do?</p>
<p>If someone told you that hitting yourself in the head with a hammer every day would improve your chances of admission would you do it? Based on your posts, it sounds like you would at least seriously consider it.</p>
<p>You only go through high school once. Do what you enjoy - at least as long as whatever you enjoy is not destructive. Even curing cancer will not guarantee your admission to any school.</p>