Hello! I’m a current 9th grader attending an international school (I’m a Korean student).
I have been part of both cheerleading and performing (theater) throughout middle school, but due to schedule adjustments, athletics practices and musical performances occur at the same time now. I need to commit to either activity ASAP, but I can’t decide.
As for cheerleading, I’m part of the Junior National Team, and will be competing in the US next year. Auditions for the school musical hasn’t happened yet, but I’ve been part of school productions for quite a long time. I enjoy both activities so much, so I’ll have to make a decision based on how much each activity will help me in the future (uni admissions).
At hindsight, it seems evident that the cheer team will be a better choice – after all, it’s a national team, and could help me in future admission cycles. But it brings a small financial burden (will cost approximately 10k+), and I won’t be able to be part of the team the next school year. I don’t know if being on the national junior team in the freshman year will be helpful in college applications.
Being part of the musical would mean that I cannot participate in both the national and school team, but it seems like a wonderful opportunity.
I love both activities so much, and I can’t find a way to decide. Which one should I choose? Or is there an “alternative?”
(If it helps, I want to apply to schools like Brown/UChicago/Yale in the future)
Choose the one that is most important to you - not your application.
Which do you have a passion for, which can you not live without.
That’s the energy/enthusiasm you’ll convey to schools.
You do activities for you - to show authenticity and love. And it’s your life - and one vs. the other probably isn’t going to tip the scales to Brown/Chicago/Yale - and you’re in 9th grade - if you even have the academic profile to get into them (waaaaay too early to know).
Since you love both it’s a bummer you have to choose one - but this will happen more in life.
Which will work best for you combined with your schedule as well as the one you can’t wait to get to - that you love so much - that’s the answer!!!
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This is what I think also. Do what is right for you.
You also might want to read the following blog from the MIT admissions web site. My take on this is that you should do whatever is the right thing for you, and do it very well. This is what I did in high school and I did get into MIT. Other people who I know have done the same and gotten into highly ranked graduate programs (either Ivy League or “top 5” or both). However, what was right for them and what was right for me were entirely different.
While this blog is on the MIT web site, I believe that the same approach applies to other top schools such as Brown, U. Chicago, and Yale (and Harvard and …).
There is also the issue that even if “doing what is right for you and doing it well” does not get you into any of MIT, Brown, Chicago, or Yale, it is still likely to get you into a university that is a good fit for you.
I agree with other posters that you shouldn’t decide based on hypothetical college admissions. I noticed you said you wouldn’t be on the team next year-could you do cheerleading this year and the musicals subsequent years?