Dealing with having only one, very serious, EC.

Applying to College Admission Stories
1

I’m an upcoming senior this year, and I’m panicking because throughout my high school career, the only EC I’ve had is ballet. Now, this is not because I’m lazy and didn’t want to give more time to do other things, I simply had none. I sacrificed a lot of time that should’ve been used to get the best grades possible because I once believed that I had a shot in a career as a ballet dancer, I work my butt off, 18+ hours a week, with very little time (if any) for anything else. I would’ve loved to have done other things but I simply couldn’t commit to anything else because ballet had always came first, it isn’t something I regret, but it is something I’m freaking out about now that college decisions are to be made. I want to get into BU, but my passion has came at a price, a 3.4 gpa, 2 honors courses and six AP’s, a shortened class schedule (I’m only taking five classes next year so that I can get out on time enough for my lessons), and a 1730 on my SAT.

From experience, does anyone know how badly this will affect my acceptances? I am by no means under any delusion that I will even be considered for Yale, MIT, Harvard, etc… but a school, such as Boston U or Fordham? Will they turn me away because they notice that school was not my priority? I have no intentions in quitting ballet in order to fit in more school time or to cram any last minute ECs, because I think it’ll do more harm than good since it’ll be my senior year. Any opinions? I’m a little stuck.

2

I can’t speak for Fordham, but as for BU, it depends on what you plan on majoring in. If you are going there for “General Studies”, it is much easier to get in than if you were planning on majoring in Pre-med.

You could also maybe write one of your essays on how ballet has affected your life in order to express the importance of it to you to the AdComs.

3

“I once believed that I had a shot in a career as a ballet dancer”

So, you are continuing with intensive lessons that continue to affect your schedule even if you have realized this? What are your reasons? It would be better for your college application if you are continuing your committment due to personal goals, etc. rather than just because it’s a habit and something you have done for so long, eh you might as well continue it. The difference between these two is passion which is a characteristic that colleges are looking for. It’s not the only one of course but it can make a student stand out. Have you developed future goals that have to do with a dance career? What academic field are you considering?

I agree with the above poster that this could be further explained in an essay. I think that it is ok to show…failure in an essay. I really don’t want to use failure especially since your dedication to this art is evident even in the few lines you have posted. But, perhaps writing about how this particular goal/dream didn’t turn out the way you expected. I would write about what you’ve learned of yourself as a person as a result. Also, talk about why you are continuing even in your senior year. Will you work at it for the rest of your life? How important is it for you and why?

I would look into Wesleyan University. I hear that students often mix creative majors like dance with academics quite easily.

4

“I would look into Wesleyan University.”

Although Wesleyan does sound like a good fit for the OP, her GPA and SAT scores are far below par for that university. Only 13% of the student body had a GPA below 3.5, and The 25th percentile SAT score was a 1930.

On the other hand, Boston University is definitely a possibility. If you can write your Common Application essay about your passion for ballet and how its changed you as a person for the better, it could have a great effect on the admissions committee. I think you have a solid chance at both there and Fordham.

Best of luck.

5

My daughter is a ballet dancer (regional company) in her early twenties…when she was a senior in high school I insisted she apply to college as a backup plan (although she didn’t end up attending). She applied as a ballet major together with an academic major (she had planned to double major). Her stats were similar to yours, with NO AP classes. She found her commitment to ballet was looked on very favorably by all the colleges she contacted. She was accepted to ALL colleges to which she applied (although she was rejected by one ballet program after being accepted to the college). ALL colleges offered her merit $$. (Don’t know if this would hold true today as the economy has changed.) The level of commitment that an intensive dance program requires (in high school) while maintaining academics demonstrates a level of maturity that is not present in many high school students. Does your company do charity performances? This is volunteer time (an EC related to your interest). Do you teach classes to younger dancers either for pay or to assist at your school? This is either a part-time job or volunteer hours (again an EC related to your interest). As decresendo pointed out, you need to focus on your passion for dance. Your stats are good for BU, and there are many opportunities for ballet both on campus and in Boston. If you end up in Boston, Boston Ballet is not the only game in town, look at Jose Mateo.

6

Yes, ever since the tenth grade (when I started the pre-pro program at my ballet school) I asked my school director if I could do a work-study type program in order to pay for my 570 dollar a month lessons. So since then, I’ve been working about an hour, three days a week that pays for half of my tuition. And yes, sadly, the only community service I’ve had is through outreach programs our school does for elementary schools during Nutcracker season and such (; The reason that although I’ve decided on college as an option while still maintaining, as of two weeks from now, 21 hours (phew) of ballet a week is because I truly, LOVE this. And I can’t bare to part from it, my mother has tried to coerce me into taking less hours, but it would make me feel so lazy and undedicated.

I’m taking four AP courses and an honors class this year, and have been doing SAT prep for 1.5 hours a day on my own so I can raise those scores (I’m attempting at a 2000) I’ve decided to stick with a six class load to raise my chances.

Senior Year classes:
AP Literature
AP Goverment/Economics
AP Statistics
H Physics
Algebra II (I was pretty rebellious, ahem, STUPID, in freshman year, causing me to have to retake half a semester in Algebra. I got sucked into the normal crowd in my school, I live in a low-income area, and it took two suspensions and my mother demanding I get put into an Honors English class in sophomore year for me to wake up and smell the coffee. So no pre-cal for me.)
Spanish III for Spanish Speakers.

I would like to write about how I changed as a person during high school through ballet. I was definitely the bad, truant kid during ninth grade and the beginning of sophomore year. I didn’t get any D’s (only one F, which I retook and received a B) But how I grew out of it, I would really like to take the time to explain in my personal statement how different I have become, I went from a first-generation, typical Hispanic girl (typical at my school anyway) who didn’t care about school to a girl who decided to dedicate all her extra time to school and ballet. I’m panicking like crazy at the moment, I can truly feel the weight of my bad decisions right now, they’re keeping me up.

I don’t want my personal statement to be a pity story (look at me, I went to a school that has 80% of their students as minorities and the highest pregnancy rate in California but I managed to get sucked out of that bubble and kinda succeed, a little.) Because I feel as though it’ll sound as I’m just trying to AA my way in. Should I really go this route for my essay? Ballet would definitely be in there, as it has changed me so much, but it would be more about the person decisions I made in order to change my character. I would really like to stress that those suspensions and poor choices do not reflect my character in any way.

thanks to all who took the time to reply, oh… labellehistoire, if only I could get into a school like that ):

7

Did you get any awards or entered in any good gigs as a ballet dancer?

Colleges tend to look for the exceptional. I know no one in SoCal that ballet dances full time.

8

hmmmm, I’m the only one at my ballet school who has any kind of scholarship because I’m quote “an exceptionally hard worker and especially enthusiastic.”

I don’t dance ballet full time unless it’s during summer, what I meant is that any time I’m not at school, I’m at the studio either working or dancing. Most of the girls who dance as much as me end up as a dance major in ballet programs at less-prestigious universities with easier entry requirements such as Indiana University and Point Park (who have stellar ballet majors but have a lower academic rigor compared to BU), to name a few, or go on to professional careers. Others choose Julliard or NYU TISH, or something along those lines, but I don’t intend to major in dance. While I love it, I have ultimately decided that I want to major in another interest of mine, history, because I plan on eventually attending law school. A good debate has always gotten my blood boiling (:

9

Just play up your experiences in ballet. Colleges aren’t nearly as concerned with the activity itself as they are with the commitment, passion, dedication, and time management skills involved with it. They’re also not stupid; so long as you express your experiences with ballet eloquently, they’ll realize that your one EC is worth much more than that of the kid who was the Treasurer of 13 clubs and showed up to two meetings a year for each.

I had a similar issue when I applied to college last Fall. I had a few more ECs under my belt than you and was more competitive academically, but musical theatre was truly the cornerstone of my High School activities. Just make sure that you take advantage of the essays that colleges give you to really accentuate the fact that this was something that took up a lot of your time and helped you grow as a person. Hell, I’m doing NOTHING with musical theatre this coming school year and U of M hardly seemed to care. Good luck!

10

thanks for the encouraging words! I’ve decided to just trudge on with my schedule, continue doing as much SAT prep as possible and hope that my dedication, passion shine through enough to make me a candidate for BU. One can only hope, keeping fingers crossed.

11

If you can, this year, show improvement in your grades but especially SAT, then you have a shot as long as your hard work in ballet has produced some accomplishments. As for schools like the Ivies, why not apply to some as reaches. You never know, they do take a lot of people because they are passionate about fine arts!

12

It’s going to all boil down to your GPA and test scores, not your one and only EC. Worry about that and not your EC. Good luck to you!

13

Please don’t panic! Here’s what I see in your one EC:
Passion for your EC.
Work experience (3 hours a week for 2 years so far).
Volunteer experience (outreach to elementary schools).
The potential for an excellent supplemental recommendation concerning your hard work and enthusiasm.
An out-of-the-ordinary essay topic.

I do wonder whether it is wise to continue to devote the same number of hours a week to an activity that you do not plan to continue professionally when you are taking 3 AP classes and 3 other classes; all As on your senior year midterm transcript could be helpful in bolstering your position that you made some foolish choices at a freshman but have become more serious about your grades over time.

14

College advisors always say that they want to see passion- not a list of EC’s. You have a great chance-- reach for your dream schools and make sure you have some others on your list as well. By the way, my daughter got into BU and Fordham with a lower GPA than yours and only slightly higher SATs.