<p>With all due respect, fencing, band, etc are poor substitutes for a 12 year old student that is capable of excelling in undergraduate studies, or a 16 year old in graduate school. There are “bright, motivated, top” students and then there are those who are not even on the same planet. Those that think that these latter students can “fill in” time with other activities, or deny their ever expanding thirst for knowledge, have most likely never met one of them. From my experience, they are intrinsically driven to learn and acquire knowledge. It is as natural to them as participating in EC’s and other hobbies are to most students.</p>