<p>Does anyone here have any data to support their opinions, other than anecdotal? Do the colleges provide any data on EC’s? How is it that the various folks posting here arrive at their opinions? </p>
<p>Anecdotes are not that useful, imo, because for every example there is a counterexample. </p>
<p>Again, where is the data?</p>
<p>Taxguy, I agree that liberal arts applicants have to have a similar degree of demonstrated passion and committed pursuits and achievements in ECs like your D had for an arts degree program. What I disagree with and mentioned previously was that I don’t think they have to have their EC passions relate to their intended major. Many liberal arts applicants apply with the most popular major of all, “undecided”. Further, many change their intended major.</p>
<p>Liberal arts colleges and universities are interested in seeing ECs that are significant but those need not be related to their major. A student who is an accomplished ballerina, symphony concert mistress, fencer, newspaper editor, accomplished actor, chess champion, leader of a community organization, diver, karate champion, etc. are qualities that make them interesting candidates who may contribute to the campus culture. It need not be related to their major. For instance, my older D who applied to and attends a selective college, did activities in her areas of passion and none of those relate to her college major (architecture)…she played three varsity sports, band, jazz band, three dance disciplines, musical theater, a job, a tutor/teacher/coach, student government, etc. and did these areas most of her life and achieved in them but they have nothing to do with her academic areas of interest. SEPARATE from ECs, IF a student does have an intended academic area of interest, it is also good to show what the student has done to explore that interest. For instance, with regard to architecture, my kid did an internship with an architect, a year long independent study in architectural skills for credit at school, wrote papers on this subject for other classes, and took art classes in HS (no portfolio…she applied to liberal arts programs). She demonstrated how she got interested in this area and what she had done so far to explore it (plus articulated other reasons why she was thinking of going into it…how it combined various skills/talents/traits she has, along with related interests). </p>
<p>I am an interviewer for a selective university. One entire area of questions I ask has to do with ECs. A totally different area of questions has to do with possible academic or career interests and how these developed. So, both things are of value. But the ECs need not be related to the major. MANY highly qualified students to the top schools have EC passions and achievements totally unrelated to their college major and these selective colleges find THAT attractive…they want students who will contribute to the life of the college, NOT just to the academic classroom. They want kids for the orchestra, marching band, sports teams, newspaper, political clubs, community service organizations, dance clubs, ethnic organizations, religious organizations, intramurals, theater troupes, a capella groups, etc. The peers of my D’s at Brown whom I have met are very active outside of their academic area of interest now IN college…in areas unrelated to their major. My D is simply just one of these kids. She is on the varsity ski team, club soccer team and intramural tennis and would be in the tap dance troupe had she gotten in. Her roomie who is majoring in history is in an a capella group. Her ski team friends…several are pre-med.</p>
<p>I’m not really concerned about ballet as a “hook,” but more interested in what adcoms think participation in ballet suggests about the applicant as a person. It seems to me how adcoms view a specific extracurricular is indicative of whether or not that school would be a good fit.</p>
<p>I’m wondering if adcoms agree with SoozieVT, that “a LOT of people do [ballet] and do it well”? That would explain why adcoms think, per TheDad, that ballet dancers are “a dime a hundred.”</p>
<p>Actually, I don’t think a lot of people do ballet well, and it is very easy to assess who has achieved success beyond the local dance studio (as other posters have noted, there are some super select, audition only, summer programs, and attendance would indicate that this student was probably one of the top dancers in the country in her age group).</p>
<p>Anyone who has a child who has received preprofessional ballet training knows that the experience can be harrowing, and I just wonder if adcoms really appreciate what is involved.</p>
<p>Of course, colleges need to fill their sports teams but do not build ballet companies. The lack of interest in ballet can be explained also as simply a parallel to the lack of interest in ballet in the larger culture. </p>
<p>jyber209, interesting comments.</p>
<p>I am also wondering how adcoms look at a student who has focused only on a single activity, but at a very high level. What if your son or daughter hasn’t done the myriad activities, including participation in dance, drama, yearbook, music, soccer, but intense involvement in only one? To me, it seems like a strength…but what do the adcoms think?</p>
<p>Anyone have a clue?</p>
<p>polo: My D plays tennis and has just concluded her freshman season for her college, a D3 LAC. She is also doing choral music at the same school, so two of 3 main ECs still part of her life… Next year, we’re hoping ‘paid employment’ rejoins her EC list! 
(We encouraged her not to work this year so her general adjustment to college academics would be less stressful.)</p>
<p>atlantamom: the data is going to be different at every school, but just look at a typical LAC with 1500 kids. That school will probably have 20 or so men’s and women’s varsity teams. Each team will have 10-50 kids on it, so lets say an average of 25. That’s 500 kids out of 1500, or 30%+ of the student body, playing college-level sports. I am hard-pressed to think of another single EC category that will have as many participants, though maybe when one combines all the performing arts (music, drama, and dance) you’d have a pretty large group too.</p>
<p>fendrock: To me, ballet connotes discipline, hard workingness, and the willingness to suffer! I would have a knee-jerk high opinion of someone who did ballet at a high level; this is just a gut instinct.</p>
<p>Let’s not confuse a “hook” with an “EC that connotes rigor, passion, effort.”</p>
<p>Lots and lots of ECs connote rigor, passion, and effort-- if done at a high level and over time. VERY few of them amount to hooks.</p>
<p>“What I disagree with and mentioned previously was that I don’t think they have to have their EC passions relate to their intended major. Many liberal arts applicants apply with the most popular major of all, “undecided”. Further, many change their intended major.”</p>
<p>Very true. As soozievt noted, most lac and national universities expect students to change their proposed major at least once. Also, many students at top colleges have strong avocations in fields very different from those they plan to enter as careers.</p>
<p>For instance, 2 US presidents were editors of the Harvard Crimson newspaper – Kennedy and one of the Roosevelts. I doubt that either planned to be a journalist. Typically the Crimson, a daily newspaper, has few aspiring journalists, but many students who plan to be doctors, lawyers, and business executives.</p>
<p>What the top colleges are looking for, however, are students with the talent, skills and passions to fill slots at the wide variety of extracurriculars that are important parts of the college experiences at those colleges.</p>
<p>Some of us posting are people like me who are alumni interviewers for top colleges and have talked personally with admissions officers about what they look for.</p>
<p>One also can find plenty of links and even comments by admissions officers on this subject by searching CC’s archives. Many top colleges also include info on their web sites about how they evaluate things like ECs. You also can learn a lot by checking the individual college boards on CC and seeing who was admitted and rejected.</p>
<p>fendrock, I am in agreement with SBMom’s statement:
"Let’s not confuse a “hook” with an “EC that connotes rigor, passion, effort.”</p>
<p>Lots and lots of ECs connote rigor, passion, and effort-- if done at a high level and over time. VERY few of them amount to hooks."</p>
<p>That’s what I was trying to say about ballet. Ballet IS an attractive EC on an application. I have two kids who are dancers. There are other parents on this thread whose kids were dancers or did ballet and got into selective colleges. Colleges like to see any EC that involves a high degree of rigor, passion, effort, dedication/commitment over years and many hours/week, etc. Ballet falls into such a category. It is an attractive EC commitment/achievement. When I said that a couple years ago TheDad (when his D was an applicant) thought such an EC would stand out and then later came to the conclusion it did’'t make much difference…I don’t fall under either of those two opinions. I don’t think it stands out as unique because LOTS of people do it…we have lots of accomplished dancers at our studio…a few just got into elite BFA dance programs and many went onto selective liberal arts colleges. But I do think it makes a difference because it IS an attractive/positive/worthy EC on an application. It simply is not a “hook” at the top schools in the land unless one has an achievement at a very high level. But it is still an attractive EC seen positively by adcoms. </p>
<p>It is possibly more attractive to schools that have a dance curriculum or active EC dance troupes so that the school sees the applicant as contributing potentially to campus life. I know several girls locally who attend ski academies for high school so their main EC is a heavy duty commitment to ski racing. These few girls I know didn’t apply to any colleges with either varsity ski teams or club ski teams and so their huge EC involvemenet is not going to look as attractive to schools where they will not be able to show that they will contribute to campus life in the area of their EC they did in HS. They can show huge commitment but it may not be as attractive if the school has no need for anyone with that interest. </p>
<p>Allmusic…you asked about how adcoms view a candidate with one major ECs rather than a handful of ECs…they view that very positively if the ONE EC is a major committment/dedication/passion with significant contributions and achievements. They are not looking for quantity of ECs but for quality and depth of commitment and achievement. I have one child who did several ECs but each one was in depth and for at least 8 years, some as many as 12 years each and with significant contributions and achievements. She was/is just the well rounded type, though well rounded has gone out of fashion in terms of elite college admissions. Today, in fact, it is often seen as more attractive to be really good at one area of passion. My D didn’t care because she never chose her ECs around college admissions and was passionate about several areas…mostly straddling two main areas…sports and performing arts (but several things in each of those broad areas). She even wrote an essay about her many “sides” of herself. My other kid, who when younger also was well rounded…many sports and many areas of the arts…eventually dropped all sports in middle school to focus solely in her major area of passion and related areass to that…all in the performing arts…several areas of it but her main passion is musical theater. Just two different kids. Both got into good schools. The well rounded one is doing a liberal arts degree (goes to Brown) and the child who focused on one major area of passion is actually going to college FOR that area of passion…she is in the BFA program in musical theater at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. I don’t think one way is the better way. I think in each case, each child was “herself”. One likes many things and still does. The other is driven to pursue one area that she said she wanted to go into back in nursery school, lol. </p>
<p>Perhaps one singular passion is in vogue today with admissions but I am of the school of thought to be yourself…go into what you enjoy because you want to, not because you want to get into college. If that means you like four things and do them in depth and do them well, or it means focusing on one thing…it is an individual’s choice. I also know some people advocate choosing ECs that are UNIQUE and more of a 'hook". I can’t see picking something to get into college. The ECs that my own children did, they picked when they were very young and never wished to give them up. Nobody was thinking of college at the time. None of their ECs are unique ones. They each desired to keep doing these things IN college, not just to get into college. That is what a passion is. It is not done to get in, but is done because you can’t imagine NOT doing it. </p>
<p>So, if it one passion or three…unique ones or common ones…just commit oneself to it, contribute something, take on a role in the activity, initiate something, achieve as highly as you can…perhaps regionally, in your state, or even nationally (though national recognition is not essential). I don’t think it matters which activity one picks or how many they pick. Just be yourself and get involved in what you love. </p>
<p>I realize I am sharing anecdotes and personal experiences. However, I also work as a college counselor who advises students applying to colleges, including selective colleges. I would not get so concerned with the question that this thread asks “What EC Activities Do Top Schools REALLY Want”…I’d do what YOU really want and I’d do it really well and for a long time and in a significant capacity. They do want THAT.</p>
<p>PS…like Northstarmom, I am an alum interviewer and so am cognizant of what questions are important to admissions. I interview applicants for Tufts University.</p>
<p>From the Harvard admissions site:
“Harvard seeks to enroll well-rounded students as well as a well-rounded first year class. Thus, some students distinguish themselves for admission due to their unusual academic promise through experience or achievements in study or research. Other students present compelling cases because they are more “well rounded” – they have contributed in many different ways to their schools or communities. Still other successful applicants are “well lopsided,” with demonstrated excellence in one particular endeavor – academic, extracurricular, or otherwise. Some students bring perspectives formed by unusual personal circumstances or experiences. Like all colleges, we seek to admit the most interesting, able, and diverse class possible.”</p>
<p>The dean of admissions at U Penn. quoted on MSNBC’s site:
“Lee Stetson: There is probably no perfect, ideal student. We look for a range of qualities and talents that begin with academic interest and include excitement and involvement in extracurricular activies…it does not have to be in many areas. It can be commitment to one particular talent or ability where you have excelled. What is very important in this process is to communicate to the Admissions Officers reading your file that you can “reflect” on how your life experiences have made you the person you are. Seventeen year olds are not accustomed to this kind of statement.”</p>
<p>A Yale Daily News article from 1999:
"The Wall Street Journal article compiled statistics from Swarthmore, the University of Pennsylvania and Georgetown to argue that “across the board, being a student leader, a team captain, or a publication editor is a huge plus” when applying to an Ivy League school. The report cited statistics like 39 percent of Eagle Scouts and 59 percent of National Fine Arts winners were accepted to Penn.</p>
<p>But Swarthmore and Georgetown are not in the Ivy League. And admissions officers said while debate team captains from Penn’s class of '02 were accepted at a 46 percent rate – as opposed to Penn’s 29 percent rate for that year – a student’s extracurricular activities do not guarantee a student’s acceptance to a prestigious school.</p>
<p>Admissions officers also said the report includes sports as an extracurricular and added that this misrepresents the admissions process, since athletic ability is subject to evaluation by coaches, not admissions officers.</p>
<p>Harvard Director of Admissions Marlyn McGrath-Lewis said Harvard’s admissions process in the final stages comes down to very subtle distinctions between candidates, since the university receives thousands of applications from students with high grades and perfect SAT scores.</p>
<p>“There’s very rarely anything you can point to that got a kid in,” Lewis said. “It’s that hard to get into Harvard.” She added that at Harvard a large admissions committee votes on every applicant.</p>
<p>Lewis said that while statistics like those quoted in the article suggest that for one year debate team captains faired well in the admissions process, this proportion fluctuates from year to year.</p>
<p>She said often a student is admitted to Harvard when the admissions committee can predict that the student can achieve long-term results.</p>
<p>“The framework is 60 years, not four years in some classroom,” Lewis said…"</p>
<p>From the collegeboard.com site:
“How Important Are Extracurricular Activities?
The significance of activities has been exaggerated. While schools do consider them, they’re looking to see if you’ve shown a long-term commitment in one or two areas.”</p>
<p>From Time.com:
"College admissions officers will be looking closely at your extracurricular activities, so choose them wisely. Your participation in community service, clubs, student government, charity organizations, sports and artistic endeavors (such as band and theater) may reveal as much about you and what you might contribute to a university as your marks and SAT scores.</p>
<p>Go for quality, not quantity. Don’t flit from the Spanish Club to soccer, piano lessons to play rehearsals. That approach may suggest you have no real interests, that you’re chalking up activities to look good on paper. …</p>
<p>It will be much easier for you to stick to something if you choose activities and organizations that really matter to you…</p>
<p>Be creative. Do something unusual. While no one expects you to have reorganized a food cooperative in Appalachia or taught the elders of a remote Arctic village to use the Internet, college admissions officers appreciate an original activity. …</p>
<p>Choose activities that show you are a potential leader. A club with a serious purpose that gets you involved with the world outside school, like Students Against Drunk Driving, will make a better impression than participation in the Dawson’s Creek Fan Club…</p>
<p>Don’t sleep through summers. … It’s not just what you’ve done during the school year. Even if you need to earn money for college, try to find some summer activity that will tell admissions people that you stayed engaged in learning. <a href=“http://www.time.com/time/2001/collegecenter/in_outside.html[/url]”>http://www.time.com/time/2001/collegecenter/in_outside.html</a></p>
<p>Fendrock, I really do think that the ballet/dance experience was a significant factor in my daughter’s admission to top schools. I believe it was viewed positively – and I know my daughter thought it was important. My daughter danced with a professional company when she was very young, and she also competed at the national level for a ballet competion. All these things were early- before high school - but listed in her dance resume, which also included a picture of her in point shoes in first position arabesque. She has attended an arts high school as a dance major and her focus is now more on modern choreography - she listed about a dozen works that she has choreographed and included a DVD. She submitted the DVD to Univ. of Chicago as well as Barnard – Chicago of course has no dance program, but they do have a student-run ballet company & they did admit her.</p>
<p>Dance was not my daughter’s only strong passion. My d. also has studied Russian in high school; traveled to Russia with a school group to study intensively in St. Petersburg; and traveled on her own through a foreign exchange group for a semester-long home stay in a small town near Russia. </p>
<p>I didn’t look at it as doing EC’s for the sake of getting into college – I looked at it as developing a college application based on what the student brought to the table. My d. is interested in studying linguistics, and she wrote essays which tied in her interest in spoken languages with using dance choreography as a medium of communication. </p>
<p>I can’t isolate one from the other-- it is the whole package that makes my daughter unique and special. Dance by itself might not be enough, in part because even though dance takes a tremendous amount of skill and dedication, many dancers are not intellectuals or academic achievers. We could see that at my daughter’s arts school – although my daughter did well and another dancer went to Harvard a few years back, most of the dancers are not the top students – for the high achievers at her high school tend to be instrumental musicians. Dancers as a group within this setting are stereotyped as being rather dumb (they aren’t, but many are not college bound as they aspire to dance professionally, so they don’t always put much effort into their studies) – this is similar, of course, to the perception of athletes, but dancers don’t have the advantage of being recruitable. </p>
<p>So it simply seemed to me that dance was a valuable EC, but not one which should have been the centerpiece of my d’s appication – for that, the Russian study seemed more unique and something that was more likely to demonstrate intellectual prowess. </p>
<p>So what I am saying is that if you have a daughter who has studied ballet intensively but does not plan to major in dance – a strong college application is probably one that is two-pronged. One that emphasizes her dance training, but also has a second focus. The question is, “what does this student bring to the school that others don’t?” Dance is good, but it not unique enough to set the student apart from the others – but dance PLUS another strong EC or academic interest/accomplishment may be very good.</p>
<br>
<br>
<p>Of course, the same could be said of music kids–heaven knows, I’ve done a lot of paying and chauffering in my day. Yet music is something that can definitely help you at admissions time at the right college.</p>
<p>I think the problem with ballet as a hook is that it is hard to garner “awards” to show “passion”. </p>
<p>For example, thinking in the music vein–4 years in the marching band, no matter how much dedication it requires (the fall marching/field show tournament season is bruising), doesn’t get you far. I equate this with being in a ballet troupe.</p>
<p>But a music kid can show leadership by being band president or drum major; he or she can show expertise by being selected to All-State; he or she can delve deeper into music by playing in outside youth symphonies.</p>
<p>I’m not sure that ballet has such equivalents.</p>
<p>Ballet has solos. And competitions. And the standard way to stand out is to be accepted at a prestigious summer program. And leadership can be shown in dance performances initiated at school, dance programs led, dance clubs chaired. Social commitment by taking your dance on the road for senior citizens etc.</p>
<p>Ballet at below professional levels is not a hook. But I believe it is a compelling EC and shows enormous dedication. You ever try jumping around on your toes for 3 hours? It hurts like H. And getting all your homework done when finals fall right during Nutcracker weekend and you are the Snow Queen or Dewdrop or whatever? And have you ever noticed how many ballerinas wind up majoring in neuroscience? The kids with an academic bent can’t help but wind up wondering how do these bodies and the mind that has to control them work?</p>
<p>It is a lot of work. Personally, to me it’s the equivalent of music, just people tend to think of musicians as smart and dancers as less so.</p>
<p>However, I do believe that sports and positions like newspaper editor require more leadership on average than music and dance. Leadership means getting other people to do what they should do. In dance, that’s harder unless you choreograph or direct. In music, not that I know much, but I assume you have to be the conductor. Sport captains have to lead their teams. Editors have to get a group of teenagers!!! to get the paper out.</p>
<p>I do think that, collectively, the admissions committee does realize what time, effort, and dedication specific ECs take, and what they are worth, in terms of their value in assessing the discipine and dedication that a student will bring to academic work. The high level of involvement/achievement box could be checked with baton twirling, theatre, ballet, sports, marching band, It’s Academic, newspaper, yearbook, or service leadership. From this aspect of what an EC adds to the student’s application, I doubt that there are significant differences in the minds of the committee, as a history of perserverance and success in any discipline is usually a good way to measure the overall motivation of a student, and allows them to conclude that this student will do what it takes to ensure quality output - check.</p>
<p>As far as what the student will bring to the campus life, that has both a generic and a targeted component. An individual who has succeeded in most any EC has demonstrated that he/she is someone who will get involved and seek out opportunities, doing something that the school can be proud of and which ensures that he/she is likely to be happy and engaged. By contrast, the conventional wisdom on CC has been that if there are no substantive ECs on the application, and the student is applying to highly selective colleges, it would be wise to offer something spectacular academically or have a very good reason (seriously ill family member during high school, need to work to help support the family, etc.).</p>
<p>The targeted aspect is what the student brings to the entering class that the college would like to attract. For instance, Williams finished a new performing arts center, and one would think it could be an advantage for a few years to be a performing arts EC candidate, as the new center is obviously one way to balance their (still lingering) image as the “sports LAC.” [No aspersions meant for Williams - my stepdaughter, crew and gymnastics, chose it among the other top LACs for that reason]. The “student EC to college EC preference quotient” is sometimes known, but most often unknown to the applicant, and the degree of fit for a specific college in a given year may range from offering something unique (Wyoming State Barrell Racing Champion - probably a plus for most colleges) to bringing coals to Newcastle (actors at Yale) to “typical EC for our college, we want (or don’t want) more of them this year” (newspaper editors at Harvard, singers at Brigham Young, etc.). </p>
<p>As the wise posters on this thread have stated, the best approach for the student is to do what you love, put lots of time into it, take every opportunity to develop your talents and place them in exhibition/competition for recognition/awards, and retain genuine enthusiasm which will shine through on the application.</p>
<p>
Ballet does.</p>
<p>There are a few highly regarded ballet competitions, such as the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi.</p>
<p>And students can get roles dancing with professional companies as well as with youth ballets. Many of the students at my daughter’s high school have danced with local companies. </p>
<p>My daughter also listed specific roles she had danced with the Youth Ballet – because classical ballet is built around a fairly standard repertoire, specifying the part does convey a lot of information as to what the dance entails. </p>
<p>So yes - it is very possible to demonstrate achievement in the ballet world. I think the biggest problem is simply that the very top, most dedicated ballet dancers simply aren’t on a college track – they are the ones who apprentice to a company in their mid-to-late teens. From a physical standpoint, a young woman who aspires to a professional career in ballet cannot afford to wait until she is 22 to embark on her career. </p>
<p>That is why you see most college programs focusing more on modern dance, which is more foregiving of older bodies – and you will see modern companies composed of much older dancers, as well as more dancers with college degrees.</p>
<p>There are some achievements you can do in dance. For instance, at some studios, there are select corps or repertory troupes by audition. Our studio has that and my kids have been in it. Some studios, NOT ours, have competitive dance troupes. Another achievement in ballet is to perform in a professional production. There are very selective by audition summer programs. As well, the NFAA Awards, which my child won for musical theater, has categories for dance, including ballet. Competent dancers can be asked to teach children’s classes. As well, choreographing dances is an achievement. These are the sorts of things either my own kids have done or I’ve seen others do. Not every achievement is captain/president or has an award with a name. But there are various ways to achieve in many EC areas, and this time I am just talking of dance.</p>
<p>EDIT…I cross posted and didn’t see the wonderful last few posts before I wrote mine just now. As far as leadership, I agree that choreographing is a form of leadership. I know when my D has done this, she really was leading her tap troupe. She was recognized at the performances for being the choreographer. She also has choreographed musicals. My other D taught a tap dance class and choreographed all their dances for a performance. So, that is a kind of leadership. </p>
<p>I agree about achievements as far as roles danced or companies they may have danced with. </p>
<p>I also agree that some of the very top ballet dancers do not aspire necessarily to college IF they plan to go on to be a ballerina…they try to get into a company. However, many excellent dancers I know who do want to go to college…some opt for BFA in dance degrees (several from our studio just got into these) and some go to BA schools where they can continue to dance but may not major in dance. Many are very good students as well.</p>
<p>I think the type of EC (sports vs. dance vs. theatre) is not particularly important. We can all recognize that each “significant” EC has its own particular set of expectations and is challenging in its own way. </p>
<p>Varsity athletes put a lot of time and effort towards their sport, but they’re far from the only ones who do so. I don’t want to turn this into a one-upping contest, so I won’t go into the details of my own background in theatre, but suffice it to say the sacrifice is comparable. </p>
<p>I think schools are really looking for these well-lopsided students. Your ECs should have a focus (or two or three) but need not be all concentrated in one area. </p>
<p>For example, I would group my ECs this way:
Folk Dance: Children’s Morris (english folk dance) team 9-12, junior squire 12; local Folk Arts Center program committee member 11-12; school folk dance club 10-12, president 11-12
Music: all-girls school a cappella group 10-12, co-director 12; member of school Honors chorus 12; summer folk music touring group 12
Sign Language: 1 year of school classes (maximum offered), 4 summers of ASL/interpreting classes and work-study, member of school JNAD Deaf Club
Theatre: 2 productions Junior year, one major role; school theatre class 12
Other: school GSA 9-12, French exchange 10, Church youth group/organize and perform at AIDS benefit coffeehouse 9-12</p>
<p>I have many ECs, and no one EC takes up ALL my time (except Theatre, which is intense but has short “seasons”), but this is far from a laundry list. Colleges can see that I have several passions.</p>
<p>In addition to this, unusual activities are a boost. My sister was the president of the school Juggling club, took circus-arts lessons and went to circus camp for years. She sent a videotape of herself juggling (at a very high level–extremely rare “contact” juggling and proficiency with 5 clubs) to the admissions office. Got into her first choice (extremely competitive LAC) ED.</p>
<p>My point is, there is no one formula. Do what makes you happy. Your passions will emerge. Three years ago I had my dance team, GSA, church and that was it.</p>
<p>Etselec…I know several kids who have exceled at circus…I wonder if your sister trained at the same places/camps. I know many who have done Circus Smirkus and many who have done circus at French Woods Festival of the Performing Arts. Several whom I know who have achieved in circus skills are now going to selective colleges.</p>
<p>soozievt,
My sister attended Circus Smirkus camp for one year, Smirkus advanced/road show for two (plus CIT the third year), and is now a counselor there, applying for coach summer 2007. She didn’t even try out for the tour show because she preferred the “fun” of camp. </p>
<p>She convinced her school to buy a hanging fabric this year!</p>
<p>Awwwww…I love Circus Smirkus! Always was curious to know what happened with some of those kids (I know some went off to the Cirque or something like that)…</p>
<p>I know many kids who have done Circus Smirkus …the camp and also the ones who have been on the summer tour…and ones who have been counselors there. So, your sister likely knows many of my kids’ friends. I also live in Vermont. </p>
<p>Here are where a few of my D’s friends went who are alum of Circus Smirkus…
One got a GDE and is in the circus school (I forget the name of the school) in Canada.
One is at Vassar studying film.
One is heading to McGill.
One is at St. Lawrence U.
One is heading to Northwestern. </p>
<p>All of them were accomplished with Circus. I also recently interviewed a candidate for admissions this year as an alum of my college (though unfortunately she wasn’t admitted) who is also in Circus Smirkus and is going back as a counselor this year. </p>
<p>Thus I am almost certain that your sister knows the kids I know who are friends with my children (my kids are ages 17 and 19 and in college now).</p>
<p>“As the wise posters on this thread have stated, the best approach for the student is to do what you love, put lots of time into it, take every opportunity to develop your talents and place them in exhibition/competition for recognition/awards, and retain genuine enthusiasm which will shine through on the application.”</p>
<p>In addition – and I think that this is extremely important t – wise parents give their children every opportunity to pursue and recognize their interests and to develo and discover and creatively and independently use their strengths and talents.</p>
<p>This is what wise parents do for all kids, including those who will never have a hope of going to HPYS. A large job of being a parent is helping our offspring develop a perspective, ethics and habits that will serve them well for a lifetime, and that’s what we do when we help our kids explore their interests and connect with opportunities (in school and outside of school) that will help them explore and develop their interests.</p>
<p>Usually, the last time that parents are able to help kids in this way is when the kids are in high school. Our kids are still listening to parents, and there also are many opportunities for them to try out new things and to run with their ideas and talents. </p>
<p>If, however, we allow our kid to only study and to devote their free time only to sleeping, partying, playing videos or watching TV, then our kids will probably grow into adults who don’t know how to entertain themselves, don’t know how to contribute to the world, and also lack the social skills and confidence that would help them be fulfilled in their homelife and work life.</p>
<p>Again-- the bottom line is not what can we force our kids to do so that they have ECs that impress Harvard. The bottom line is how we enable our kids to participate in and even create activities that help them make the best use of their unique constellations of interests and abilities so that they are fulfilled contributors to our world.</p>