<p>The question is pretty clear in the title. I ask this because people tell others that they should be doing ECs because they enjoy them, not because they are required for acceptance into a prestigious university. So there's my question, Would you have done your ECs if they didnt matter for applications?</p>
<p>Yes. I do my extracurriculars because I enjoy them. I don’t see the point of a stressful EC.</p>
<p>No, I wouldn’t have. But I think my reasoning is interesting and people don’t consider this very often.
I’m pathologically shy, and if it weren’t for college applications I wouldn’t have had any motivation to join clubs or do community service that required me to go out and talk to people. There wouldn’t have been a reason for me to choose to sit around at a meeting feeling awkward and excluded when I could have just gone home to be alone. College apps as an “ulterior motive” helped me overcome this.</p>
<p>Yeah I’m volunteering at my church right now, literally in the church working, and i can say that I’d it were not for college applications, I would instead be playing league of legends right now. But I do enjoy working at my church, so it’s not a big deal. It’s like one of those relationships where someone dates another person who’s rich solely because they are rich, but eventually he or she finds out that they like the rich person they are dating for who he/she is. Lol.</p>
<p>I very much enjoy my ECs and plan to continue them after I graduate.</p>
<p>I think I can answer for everyone and say: not everything, but most things. Many of the activities that I participate in I chose because I enjoy them, but I wouldn’t have picked out so many or pursued leadership positions in them.</p>
<p>As a freshman I wanted to join things because, well, I had big college dreams and I knew they would be a crucial part of the selection process. But I chose things that I would enjoy doing. I didn’t choose things based on the value they would hold in the eyes of adcoms. Although I considered it, it didn’t greatly affect which activities I chose to participate in.</p>
<p>Clubs and sports help kids find their passions and narrow down their interests so they can further pursue them in college. They also allow kids to socialize and interact, forming friendships and giving them a sense of belonging. So they’re not solely for admissions purposes.</p>
<p>Yes, I would’ve done everything still.</p>
<p>I would’ve never done NHS and ran for an office. My other EC activities, like interning at a veterinary clinic, I wouldn’t do this just for undergrad admission. I’ll be wasting my time and the vet tech’s and the veterinarian’s time.</p>
<p>My only EC stuff is art, which I love, so yes. However, I think I should be doing some more ECs for college. I’m just too lazy/don’t like people.</p>
<p>Yes. I joined 2 sports and 3 clubs before I even knew colleges looked at ECs.</p>
<p>Yes. I started playing volleyball 2 years ago for fun and I fell in love with the sport. And I enjoy my volunteer work</p>
<p>I would definitely still play softball. I’ve played since I was 5 (competitive club team since I was 12) and love it, I’ll probably continue to play in college on an intramural team or something. </p>
<p>I still would have done band, I started this in 5th grade and loved it through sophomore year. Junior year was horrible though - I’m not doing it senior year, I don’t care if that looks bad on apps. It was miserable last year.</p>
<p>My other EC’s I probably would not have done. The only reason I’m volunteering for Special Olympics this summer is college apps. College apps are the only reason I considered volunteering at other places. It’s the main reason I’ll be doing scholar’s bowl and applying for NHS next summer. I don’t really enjoy these activities, but I don’t hate them either and they don’t consume that much time so it’s not that bad. But I probably wouldn’t do them if I didn’t feel obligated.</p>
<p>I still would. You’re only in high school once, it’s best to make the most of it.</p>
<p>Yeah pretty much, I’d probably be slightly less serious about a couple of 'em though</p>
<p>I probably wouldn’t have done student gov (which I enjoy so much now.) I probably woulda joined my junior year and not be Student body vp like I am now.</p>
<p>Everything else I do, I woulda probably done because I joined most of them my sophomore year, and by this point I didnt care what was good for college.</p>
<p>I might stay in them. I know I would stay in my math and programming competition clubs. College admissions was the only reason I joined Key Club in the beginning.</p>
<p>Yeah, I would have. (btw yours are pretty weak for an elitist tool chiclanda). The ones I enjoyed doing are as follow:</p>
<p>-started up SEO/Web design business in summer prior to 9th grade; still do it during summer and have grossed $XX,XXX.
-Debate (Webmaster for our site – we’re 6th in nation)
-Server Administrator and Engie for one of the largest CS:GO/CSS clans
-Co-Webmaster of JSA.org; a nationally recognized club with around a few thousand members
-Editor and co-webmaster of MyGamer.com (one of the oldest gaming related domains in history est. 1996).</p>
<p>I didn’t even post mine? But yeah they are weak ill agree. It’s hard when your high school has 300 kids. My opportunities are pretty limited, but I’m working on it.</p>
<p>I would. I’ve been doing ballet and piano since i was 3. Does anyone know if ballet is a good EC?</p>
<p>But based on your lack of academic related ECs, I’d day you really are only “relatively smart.”</p>