<p>Hey!! I will be applying in the fall of 2014 and have a quick question on extracurricular. I have done 1000+ hours of dedication to my church band. Should I include this on my resume or will Stanford and other colleges such as the UC’s frown upon it because its a religious activity? BTW I am pianist and the youngest member of the band.</p>
<p>@Stanfordhereiam. It is commendable to have dedicated that many hours to “church” band. Stanford will see it as a passionate dedicated extracurricular activity (Stanford does not care whether it is religious or nonreligious band)…and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Keep it up and you have something wonderful to write about…</p>
<p>@gravitas2 thanks for the answer I really appreciate it!! :)</p>
<p>@grativas is right about Stanford and many top colleges, but you should be careful what to put in your application. I do believe that there are some colleges that are very picky about Ecs. I know Berkeley is VERY picky for sure, but I am not sure if they care if your ec is secular (I was recently admitted into Berkeley and I had written down a religious ec, so I am very confused about this topic myself). No matter what, you should write in your application; it is a commendable achievement. However, you should do some research about the colleges before harping on it too much on your application. Also, do not write it in your Common App essay, just in case ;P</p>
<p>Stanford - go for it</p>
<p>UCs - write it down, but do not make it the focus of your app</p>