I am not sure if my title makes sense, but I am heavily involved in the field of study I want to apply as a major (think school clubs, out-of-school high-impact non-profit, awards, etc.). But does that even matter these days? I’m starting to see a bunch of kids get admitted to majors where they aren’t involved in anything relating to their major in high school.
You need to pursue ECs of interest. In most cases the what doesn’t matter but that you are passionate about them is a good thing. Sports, band, jobs in fast food or grocery stores don’t necessarily match up with majors (in many cases) or walking dogs, tutoring kids but so what.
Do things you care about whether they are tied to your intended major or not.
Do them for you - not for college apps. I hope you’re passionate about what you’ve done so far.
Btw many schools don’t care about ECs at all.
I’m def passionate about my ecs haha my ecs are the reason why I wanna major in what I wanna major in. Which schools don’t care about ECs at all though??? Even top top schools like MIT and Stanford care
Many publics and privates. Not at that level though. Yes some schools look at grades and SAT/ACT and some look at your ability to pay.
Those schools are obviously a crapshoot for even the most talented and accomplished.
Good luck.
No, in many (most?) cases, I don’t think it really matters WHAT you do, as long as you show genuine engagement, commitment, and ideally some level of achievement and impact. You could do that in a lot of different ways, and one way is not necessarily superior to another way.
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It sounds like what you are asking is “Should they value ECs if they don’t relate to your major?”. The answer is yes.
S23 had mostly sports (captain of 3 varsity sports) and school leadership ECs. He didn’t do any school related ECs that would apply to his major (there weren’t any). What he did show through his ECs is that he knew how to lead and motivate people and that he was respected and trusted by both staff and students. He, like many others, didn’t even find a passion for his major until mid-way through Junior year, so it would have been hard to show a lot of interest in it through ECs. That doesn’t mean he’ll be any less committed to doing well in that major or be any less successful in the long run. ECs are to show what type of person you are, not necessarily that you’ve committed to a certain area of study since high school began. We are talking about kids who are still exploring who they are and their areas of interest.
S23 showed his passion and interest through the classes he chose to take, the research involved in those classes, and his essays and conversations with OA’s and department heads.
D22 played a year of a JV sport and had no other ECs. She chose to work instead. While it wasn’t a school sponsored EC, it did show that she had a good work ethic and her work ethic was mentioned in her recommendations. For her, it was more authentic and led to a better outcome than any of the ECs that would have related to her major.
Remember that for most schools that look at ECs, they are part of a holistic review. They are one part of your application. Perhaps they will put you over the top, but that weight won’t be the same for everyone. Even at the same school.
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For ECs, you should do what is right for you. Whatever you do, do it well. Treat other people fairly. If you get into a leadership position, then remember that leadership is primarily about listening and making the activity better for everyone, and specifically is not about getting your way.
Since you are participating in the ECs that are what you care about, this sounds like you are doing exactly the right thing. Don’t worry about what other people are doing for their ECs. That is their business.
It goes both ways. Most students have ECs that have nothing to do with their major. Some students have ECs that are related to their potential major. In my own family I have seen this go both ways.
It is mostly top ranked universities in the US that care. They have a problem that they have way too many applications from students who are nearly perfect in terms of academics. They need some other ways to differentiate between applications.
Some schools will not even ask about ECs. One daughter for example only applied to universities in Canada, and none of the specific schools that she applied to asked about ECs at all.
ECs can show an ability to focus on something that matters to you and put in consistent effort over time. ECs can show an ability to work well with others. These qualities can then be applied to a very wide range of future efforts.
Regardless it sounds like you are doing well.
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