What EC’s do you practice/do/enjoy?
What colleges are you thinking of?
Taking up a sport would do nothing for your chances since there’s no way you’d become a recruited athlete in so little time, even if you were a prodigy. Since you don’t seem to enjoy sports and time is limited, use your time well to show depth in the activities you already do.
BTW, having and holding on to a job is considered a big EC, especially if your earnings go toward helping your family or don’t go into dispensable purchases or discretionary spending (latest video game, bracelet… type of spending). EC’s aren’t just “school clubs” and encompass everything you do when you’re not in school. Colleges want to know that you’re not sitting at home watching make up tutorials or cat videos 24/7 and they want to know what makes you interesting/unique/a good addition to their campus community. They’d rather have someone who leads the anime club or will work in the cafeteria or will join the choir or have great ideas for CRU, than someone who’ll sit in their room all day.
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Let’s try again. “Will lack of sports affect my chances?”
No.
But, will a lack of other collaborative activities that show the same assets affect your chances?
Yes.
Or at the least, at holistic colleges that value more than stats.
So, find a couple of activities where you can show the right stuff. The higher you aim, the more this matters. It’s never just about doing what you like. This isn’t a casual life choice, it’s a college app.
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The key portion of the OP’s self-assessment is that her ECs are weak. I agree with the consensus opinion that it’s a little late to try to create a sports portfolio for herself. OTOH, there’s no surefire fix for weak general ECs either. She’s really asking whether there are any “Hail Mary” passes available to her at this point (sorry.) One thing that comes to mind is the role of team manager. It could double as a club officer which always looks good as an EC and as a way of showing your interest in the sport.
Now, at the risk of tempting fate - I’m outta here.
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No, generally sports are not any more important than other ECs. So, unless you have a passionate unfulfilled desire to be involved in track, forego that for something you are more interested in either in or out of school - job, volunteer work, etc.
Neither of mine did “sports” in school, but both were heavily involved in 1-2 ECs for which they have a passion (not just to tick a box on a college app) and somewhat involved in 2-4 others. Reading through threads I have seen plenty of students with sports get denied and non-sport ones with same stats accepted.
My impression is that AOs are interested in who you are as a person - what makes you tick, what makes you interesting, and do you have something in your “resume” that demonstrates some time management.
Good luck!
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I’d give it a try. Not because it’ll help your application. It won’t. But it’s a fun sport and you might find you enjoy it. I wouldn’t let concerns about being “qualified” get in the way. That’s what the tryout is for. Let the coaches decide. My guess is that they’re probably using tryouts mostly to weed out people who aren’t serious. At most schools track is a no-cut sport.
Yes, true. And collaborative activities are important for super selective schools. We don’t yet know where this student is considering applying.
@lookingforward , can you clarify this please:
If a student has what it takes for a super selective school, do you think they are doing things they don’t necessarily like doing because they are trying to present the strongest possible college app? Do you think they should do things that aren’t of true interest if their goal is a tippy top?
My thought is that students should avoid doing things just for their app. They should pursue things that interest them. The students who are HYPSM bound (or similar) are going to be doing the things that super selective colleges want to see because they are drawn to those activities, not just because they think it will get them in.
I’m guessing adcoms are able to spot the difference between the kid who isn’t genuinely interested in an activity versus the kid who is.
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In some communities it can feel like a lack of sports will be a gap in your application. Private schools in my area require all students to be on one athletic team every semester. And at my kids’ public school, more than 80% of students play at least one sport. It’s just something everyone does.
Perhaps because of this, our guidance counselor advises non-sports kids not to worry about it. In the GC’s experience, unless you’re a standout at the sport, it won’t stand out on the application.
Nonetheless, there’s no reason not to try out for a sport in your junior year if you genuinely want to. My non-sports daughter joined a team her junior year just for fun and to do something different, and she had a total blast. She had plenty of non-sports EC achievements, including state and national recognition, but wound up writing about the sport for one of her supplemental essays. The experience can be good fodder for all sorts of things. If it looks fun, try it!
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@lindagaf, I think there are some things that should be pursued because they’re relevant to what adcoms are looking for, to the major, etc. I don’t personally think this is just about doing what you like. (Of course, what you like does have a place.) If you’re applying to a tippy top college, you should show the right prep, etc.
Easy example: maybe that stem kid “likes” photography and would rather take that class instead of some level of calculus. I’d suggest the math. (There can be exceptions.) Or, it’s common for kids to say they don’t like foreign language. But you need to fulfill the college’s expectations for FL.
Maybe the kid wants to join some club because his/her friends hang there. I think they should still have activities related to the major, some community service, etc. We talk about the basics all the time, on CC. Adcoms aren’t saying, wow, this kid only did what she wanted. It’s a balance.
The only group of schools I know that virtually require a sport are the service academies. Athletics involvement is part of their grading criteria for applicants. At other colleges a sport is just another EC. Put your time into what you love.
Is any of this helpful, @collegegirl235?