Is it frowned upon if you don’t join clubs in your school, but rather are involved in interesting, unique activities outside of school? My dc is not interested in what her school offers, but we live in a big city that offers everything you could imagine. I’m in the beginning stages of researching colleges and I’m wondering if we should push dc to join something at school.
ETA-dc is at a performing arts school and already has multiple extra hours each day added on to the academic classes so when the long day is over, dc is ready to get out and be somewhere else.
My dd is similar. She did not like any of the clubs at her school, so she found one with few friends. Otherwise, all her ECs are outside of school and very focused. I don’t really think that is considered as a negative.
It can be far better. Colleges want kids who pursue their own interests, and swim against the tide sometimes. It helps if they can be documented/quantified somehow, though.
According to a video I saw of Erinn Andrews, former Admissions Officer at Stanford, you want your EC’s, ideally, to be a mixture of:
-in-school (taking advantage of what your school provides), outside of school (pursuing your own interests)
-seasonal, year-round (shows commitment and ability to organize)
That being said, I think many kids often are overloaded with activities from within their school. I see no reason as to why pursuing outside activities and experiences would be a negative. Usually, outside activities are harder to become involved with and more unique. I will say, however, it’d look odd if you participated in NOTHING at your school…what’s to stop the college from thinking, “Well, if Bob didn’t utilize the resources at Smith High School, why will Bob take advantage of the resources here?”
Put another way, 3 points: what you do based on your own interests (personal, as well as towards your possible college major and future goals,) what you do for and with your groups (starts with high school peers, includes your cultural or religious groups, etc,) and what you do for your community, its needs. That would get you a nice balance.
To skip hs activities entirely, when colleges are looking for kids who integrate well, can be iffy. Depends on the tier of colleges. You have to remember that even Harvard wants kids who will contribute on campus and make good roommates, friends, team members.
Thanks for your feedback. Dc is in 9th grade, which I know is early, but it seems important not to waste this year. When I talked about outside extracurriculars I was referring to being involved with legitimate organizations like interning for a museum for an example. From what I’m reading above it sounds like she has to join at least one club at her school. Can she do that starting in 10th grade if she does interesting and meaningful things in our city this year? Thanks again. This is helpful.
Yes—she should join at least one club at her school and try to attain a position of responsibility/leadership in it. If she has time for two, that would be even better—the second one doesn’t have to be a high-involvement activity. Basically you just want to show that even though she’s very active outside of school, she also participates in and adds to her high school community. Be sure to start keeping track of all the hours she puts into each activity (at school and outside of school).
But remember, it’s not just obvious clubs. If she’s at a performing arts school, participating in performances can count (depends.) If she’s always been a dancer in plays, maybe she can do tech crew for some. Or there may be school initiatives, committees, etc, she can participate in.
Leadership isn’t just getting a title. Depending on the tier she’ll aim for, whether they look for this, it can be more about what the effort itself represents, her leadership mindset and willingness.
If she is at a performing arts high school, she is already participating actively in the school community. There is no value added in throwing in a club or a title for it’s own sake. She is not in the same position as students at ordinary high schools where no engagement could raise any question.
Please don’t heap worthless ECs on a 9th grader who is probably already stretched. For great college prep advice, check out Cal Newport’s web site, Study Hacks, and the resources there. He makes the point, eloquently, that it’s about depth, not breadth, when it comes to ECs. 2-3 activities is plenty. Meanwhile, College Admin people have already got applications from the 5,000 editors of the school newspaper, 6,000 captains of the math team, 10,000 Key Club members…If your daughter has her own passions, then good for her!
Have your kid read “How To Be a High School Superstar” by Cal Newort before you send her off to join any high school clubs.
Depending on the college targets, it can very much be about depth and breadth.
Cal Newport is great, but is in his early 30’s and as far as I know, doesn’t have an admissions perspective. And, he “argues that “follow your passion” is bad advice.”
(Ok, the passions thing is related to your work, http://calnewport.com/books/so-good/)
But top school adcoms are not interested in your passion for kitties or Hummel. They want to see what your drives are and how you pursed them, what sorts of decisions you make and what they represent. And then how you are able to balance. So a kid interested in the arts is good with museum work. It’s just that now she needs to show more.
This doesn’t mean overloading.
I don’t get “don’t follow your passion” at all from that book. Have you read that particular title? He has several books. This book is really focused on following your passion, but doing it in a way that is not like everyone else and in a way that gives some focus and context that will resonate with college admissions. I honestly think it is the best advice book I have ever seen for college admissions.
I saw his digest on his site. The quote is from there. “So Good” isn’t about admissions. I’m against the wholesale tossing around of the word “passion,” without qualifying it. It’s treated as a key without identifying what it;s supposed to unlock.
@lookingforward - the point of “How To Be a High School Superstar” may be hard to convey in a digest. I also “honestly think it is the best advice book I have ever seen for college admissions”.
Read the actual book before you criticize it.
Not criticizing it. Not referring to Superstar, but his more recent 2012 book, linked above http://calnewport.com/books/so-good/ (Not criticizing that one, either. Just pointing something out.)
But still, he is not an admissions insider. CC talks about passions without qualifying the term, speaks of doing what you love as if this were life advice. I’m talking about something much more specific to admissions, especially to a highly competitive: show the attributes the colleges want. It’s irrelevant that you love kitties, unless, I guess, you’re aiming to be a small animal vet. You may love playing with neighborhood kids, but it won’t get you into a top school. (Nor will writing about that pivotal moment in 1st grade.)
Otoh, the kid who wants engineering and does robotics, maybe gets an internship, is pursuing his interest in a relevant way. Want to be a doc? Go get some health related experience (not forming a hs club) or at least something compassionate. it goes on. It’s fine to join things you like, but be able to show depth and breath. wanna be an engineer? what’s wrong with tech crew?
Okay, his other books are on other topics. They are not the book I recommended. And he isn’t telling anyone to love kitties, for crying out loud. PLEASE read the Superstar book before pronouncing it worthwhile or not. He says plenty about passions in the book that is not generic – it is literally the most specific roadmap I have ever seen for taking something you are interested in and turning it into something that admissions wants to see. He talks about the balance between test scores, grades, APs, and ECs in a very compelling way as well (hint: you don’t need a 4.0 or a million APs or perfect SATs to get into top schools – and he is right – you have to prove you can do the work, then show them what else you’ve got – and ideally it isn’t what other people have as well). Trust me – his method helped get my youngest kid into some top notch schools, and she was a lot happier high school student than she would have been if she had just swum in the mainstream with everyone else. Just wish I had read it earlier so D1 could have benefited.
I am pronouncing nothing, nada, zero, on his books! I copied a quote from his own website. I previously read most of Superstar and it’s fine. Ok?
Intparent, you and I are so often on the same page that I just apologize for any confusion. My point is CC does encourage passions and doing what the kid loves. But there still needs to be some filter and some savvy strategy. This is for admissions, not just ordinary, ok, high school life.
OP has nothing to lose by encouraging her D to join something in the hs. It doesn’t mean overload or padding or suffering. There is greater risk to unilateral, depending on the college level she aims at.
Back to the OP’s question…It makes no difference whatsoever if your child in involved in ECs in or out of the school. Colleges look for students who are involved but that involvement can be anywhere…school, church, community service, hospitals…anything. One of my S’s major ECs was outside of the school system – he volunteered with people he really enjoyed doing something he felt strongly about – he got into his reach school so I’m sure it was no issue.