<p>3togo, Then they should do it. But if they ask me, I would tell them not to. Just as it is their privilege to do as they want, it is my privilege to have my own opinion, no?</p>
<p>Yeah. “If I were running Yale and wanted music to be vibrant there” I would be not changing a damn thing. Does IP really think music is more vibrant at Hopkins than at Yale? </p>
<p>It appears that he is probably right to stick to whatever it is that he does well, which clearly does not include running a university.</p>
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<p>And that, precisely is my point. Focus, specialize, do one thing well. It is a rare, rare individual who can do more than one thing well.</p>
<p>Oh, but I think the kids do lose out. I think it’s sad (and I’m sorry you think that’s a condescending and loaded descriptive) when kids with enormous talent drop their instrument because it’s unconnected to their projected career. I think it’s possible to do more than one thing well. I think pursuing several interests at a high level (or even at a modest level) makes you a more interesting human. </p>
<p>Yale doesn’t lose out. The kids lose out.</p>
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<p>Gee, do you think the elite colleges should just stop looking at EC’s and just look at test scores instead? I’ll bet Asian enrollment would go through the roof! I can’t believe no one has brought this up already!</p>
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I agree with that. That’s one reason Harvard and Yale are so hard to get into.</p>
<p>And that’s two killer one-liners from Hunt in a row!</p>
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<p><sigh> I hate to be rude, but, this is just calling out for a rebuttal.</sigh></p>
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<li><p>You may think so, but if the kids decide that they can’t, who are you to criticize them?</p></li>
<li><p>As for interesting, who cares if you find them not interesting?</p></li>
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<p>See why I think your position is super-condescending? The kids have chosen a path for themselves and are happy in their skin. How about respecting their choices instead of second-guessing them and calling them uninteresting?</p>
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<p>Oh, even in Harvard or Yale very few (if any) can do more than one thing well.</p>
<p>My kid gave up piano because she hated to practice, but now returns to it at her leisure when she’s feeling inspired. My other kid plays tennis (gasping) as a social outlet and before hitting the all you can eat joints. These ecs ultimately bring them happiness and a break from the doldrums of work and focus. That by itself is reason enough to do learn how to do these activities.</p>
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Newsflash: at those schools, almost every student does multiple things well, and usually very, very well. That’s why they tend to have tops scores AND grades AND ECs. This was a bit less true a few decades ago, but now the kids that get in there are ridiculously accomplished.</p>
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<p>In the whole world there are very few people who do more than one thing well. I think you are confusing well, with, you know well. How many people can be Nobel Laureates in two different disciplines, for example?</p>
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<p>Yale doesn’t NEED more music students. They have plenty as can be evidenced by the HUGE numbers of undergrad music opportunities that students can CHOOSE to pursue both instrumental and vocal…and NON-MAJORS. The music performance at Yale is a MM…a masters of music. Undergrads can do a BA in music but not a performance track…it doesn’t exist for undergrads. ALL of their music ensembles are elective for undergrads.</p>
<p>As to the original question, I think that the ECs that are personally meaningful stay with the child for as long as they generate postitive feelings and experiences. For some people, the ECs are life long hobbies and passions. Other people lose interest or drop the activities because of lack of time, only to pick them up later in life. Some people drop the ECs and never look back. I have friends and family members who have gone all of those routes.</p>
<p>A person I know well was a coin collector as a child. It was his passion for years, through elementary school, Jr high, high school, college, and a first career that had nothing at all to do with coins. After a layoff 30ish years ago, he parlayed that passion into a job change. He spent the last many, many years of his second career working at one of the nationally known Numismatic publications. He is now one of the most well respected coin experts in the country. </p>
<p>Another person I know well rode (dressage, jump, hunter jumper) at a very high level through high school and the first few years of college. When his horse got too old to show, he didn’t have the money to buy a new horse or for all the additional costs of horse ownership, he needed to keep up his grades to get into med school. He stopped riding, and never looked back. He enjoyed riding and showing immensely at the time, but when it was over, it was over. Other interests took the place of horses.</p>
<p>Back to the topic…both of my kids, and my husband and I pursued similar ECs in high school and college…and we still pursue them as adults. They are things we LIKE to do…therefore we have found continued ways to do them as college grads.</p>
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<p>That’s what I thought. If kids drop their music ECs after getting in, it doesn’t hurt the academic institution in any way. It was a pure red herring.</p>
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<p>How about Linus Pauling?</p>
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<p>Yes, one of 4 in the history of the Nobel. Like I said, very few can do more than one thing well.</p>
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<p>So it sounds like you’re saying that EC’s are not really something an institution should look at since they really don’t bring anything to the academic institution. Hmmm, I wonder why no one has considered this before.</p>
<p>Re Post 52: No one on this thread ever said it hurt the institution. That’s a red herring YOU raised. </p>
<p>My point was that if talented kids drop their music ECs once they get into a college with rich music opportunities, it hurts the KIDS. You find my position condescending, and you’re entitled to your opinion, but don’t twist my point. I never said Yale was harmed by a student’s decision to drop a musical instrument and single-mindedly pursue his or her major.</p>