<p>In some ways, this article is a no-brainer. The way I read it, if you take kids with similar test scores, the ones who also had good social skills (cooperative, hard-working, etc) advanced further than those who merely did well on tests. Well, duh.</p>
<p>But further down, I found the statement that kids who participated in sports and activities did better than those who didn’t. That statement lead me to email this article to our hs principal and school board chairman. Both of them very much value “extra” curriculars, but if this type of information could be disseminated to parents and the public at large it would help. Parents need to encourage their kids to join clubs, teams, etc - we’ve known for years that kids who don’t leave the building every day when the bell rings do better in school. But now we can show that they do better in college and the working world as well. When push comes to shove, the budget axe always falls on the "extra"curriculars. Taxpayers need to understand that kids are getting concrete, real value from sports and clubs, not just a fun way to fill their time and stay off the streets. Colleges clearly already understand this, as they ask about and value EC’s when evaluating their applicants.</p>