Writing about a non-sport with a strong sport EC

College Essays
1

Hi CC,

I’m in a bit of a dilemma right now as I write my common app essay, and I’d appreciate a bit of input:

I have two hobbies that mean a lot to me: table tennis, and being a maker (if you haven’t heard of the term, think of someone who loves spending their time in the garage building all sorts of gadgets with electronics, breadboards, Arduinos, computers, etc.). However, the problem lies in that I’ve earned multiple awards, national and international as a table tennis player (and I’m also ranked within the top ~300 of boys under 18 in the USA), whereas I don’t have anything to show per se as a maker since most of my gadgets have been creative endeavors with household electronics.

To clarify, I love both a LOT (I spend around 90% of my time doing one or the other, and the time I spend is about evenly split), and in no way do I have a preference for one over the other. I’m just worried that choosing to not write about table tennis, and instead writing about being a maker will raise questions within the admissions committee about whether I actually liked the sport, and lead them to discredit my accomplishments as a table tennis player.

Am I being too paranoid, or am I making a huge mistake?

To clarify, I’m not trying to get recruited (strictly for fun!) as an athlete; I’m just applying as a “normal” freshman applicant.

Thank you!

2

Your essay has nothing to do with awards or your top EC. I think an essay more focused on your make activities is fine. But be sure to read the tips at the top of this forum.

3

You don’t have to accomplish anything to write an essay about it. Two years ago a girl from California was accepted to several Ivies with an essay about shopping at Costco.

4

@intparent @twoinanddone Okay, thank you both!

5

Write about being a maker. Far more interesting and creative than table tennis, which they will see in your app.

6

Right! I do not think, at all, that writing about something interesting and unique instead of your sport means that you didn’t like your sport, or diminishes your accomplishments in your sport, at all. It only adds to the picture of you as a whole.

7

The essay is a chance for you to illuminate an aspect of who you are that won’t appear anyplace else in your application. Since you have awards/rankings in table tennis the fact that you’re outstanding at that and spend time and effort on it will already be pretty self explanatory to anybody reading your application. Your interest and passion as a maker, however, may not show up elsewhere in the app - so the essay seems like the perfect place to show what it means to you.