<p>In my opinion, extracurricular activities should reflect a natural lifelong commitment to things you enjoy. It seems that top colleges want to see an artificial amount of EC's, however. When I look at nearly everyone's list of activities, I can't help but think how phony they all are. Once they leave school, they aren't going to continue 90% of these things. Therefore, I don't think that looking at a laundry list of activities from high school is reflective of the student at all. On the Common App, they aren't even interested in what one did before high school. I have been doing a few activities for most of my life, so I had to write down my true time commitment to them in the bottom line (where they didn't really belong). It just irritates me because I know all of these kids load up on EC's for three years for the sole intent of getting into a good college and them dump them when they leave; somehow their long list looks better than the few activities I have done for my whole life. Does anyone feel the same way?</p>
<p>You’re right. I shouldn’t have been assuming that this is what colleges are looking for. What I meant was that I feel inferior in terms of EC’s when I look at everyone’s long list. Btw, I’m an honors math major haha.</p>
<p>I actually am. Transfer admissions.</p>
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<p>Get off your high horse kid. I know a lot of people that do what Orion said. </p>
<p>A student in our school started a charity to help inner city kids, but when I asked him if he actually likes what he’s doing, all he said to me was: “Not really, I’m just doing it for college”</p>
<p>And I’ve seen a lot of the people with the same mindset. </p>
<p>The fact of that matter is that a lot of ECs are rather “phony,” but the sad thing is that it’s the reality of life. People do this in undergraduate and graduate schools as well, so they can build up their resumes. Not too many of them actually enjoy what they’re doing.</p>
<p>I agree DK. I am also aware that there are many exceptions, and I am sure that some students who start charities really do love what they are doing. I also think that most students do enjoy at least one of their activities, whether it be basketball, model UN, etc. What I am talking about is the excess of participating in four sports, starting charities, volunteering 1000 hours, etc. If people truly cared about all of this stuff, they likely would have been doing it from a young age. Colleges only look at a couple years of it, though.</p>
<p>If colleges really encouraged long term commitment, why don’t they even give the option to report it on the Common App? I suppose one could stick it in the accomplishments line as I did, but it still doesn’t feel like it’s emphasized.</p>
<p>Big diff between what colleges are looking for and what the young folks on CC <em>think</em> they are looking for.</p>
<p>I don’t think that this thread was moved to the correct place because it doesn’t have much to do with transfer students, but ok.</p>
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<p>^ This. Your making a very broad assumption OP.</p>
<p>My D got into her dream school with decent but not great test scores, middling grades, and basically one EC. But the EC involved something that she had pursued since she was 10 and took as far as it possibly could go.</p>
<p>Hi, answer, DO NOT DO A LAUNDRY LIST OF EC’S. you need to pursue one or two, and REALLY pursue it (camps, competitions etc), which should also be in addition to a sport if you do so.</p>
<p>@orion222 I had a friend who did a sport every season for all 4 years. To be honest, they didn’t want to do it but their parents made them because it would make them get into a good college (which it didn’t). I agree most people don’t want to a bucket load of EC’s… I only did 2 my whole HS career, and that’s because I was actually interested in the sport I was doing.</p>