Recently, I’ve been a bit worried about the interests I’ve chosen to pursue in high school. A few of my main ECs are independent and basically unstructured:
-Ceramics, which I’ve demonstrated significant interest in, but as an independent activity: I borrow my former teacher’s wheel and make pots, then glaze and fire them at her house.
-Writing a book: I had an idea for a fantasy book in 10th grade and have been planning and outlining it ever since. I want to write as much of it as possible between this winter break and senior year.
-Gardening: I plant and maintain a garden every spring.
These aren’t my only activities obviously, but they’re the ones I’m most unsure about. I’m thinking of applying to some pretty selective colleges (ivy league) and I don’t know what the impression of these activities will be. Will they be seen as unique and memorable compared to some other same-y, highly structured ECs? Will they be seen as unimpressive or lacking in leadership initiative? I really don’t know. Should I even list gardening, for example?
Also, are there some colleges that might be more into these activities than others?
I think you should worry less about what the impression on the colleges will be. These are the things you love to do and are passionate about. Stand by your choices. I once had a student write a wonderful essay on her love of gardening and it was wonderful- that’s a great way to work in a non-structured EC- write your essay about it! Good luck to you.
How cool that you enjoy gardening! To me, that is your most interesting ec. Are you interested in a major in nutrition, landscape architecture, plant science or biology? There are so many cool things happening in the plant science world now! Lots of school like to see activities in a major when you are applying. You can take that ec to the next level by helping with a local community garden, donating food and doing cooking demos at a local food bank, helping your school set up a demo garden, hydroponics or aquaponics system. My son set up is own aquaponics system (small!) at our house and entered the data into the regional science fair. This was several years ago before it was hip and he did quite well. Now our school has a functional system they use for teaching. How about entering some produce or flowers in your state fair next summer? You could also talk about what you’ve learned for a local 4H group. The possibilities are endless! Good luck!
Just reread your question, so I’m adding a bit: a University like Cornell would be very interested in your gardening, if you want to major in something like plant science or nutrition or even biology. If you want to be a fine arts major, the ceramics would be more important, etc. Writing a book would stand out if you are applying as a journalism or English major. However, writing a book is a great exercise that can vastly improve your writing skills and can be a fun activity, but don’t expect it to give you a bump in admissions unless it is a published by a major publisher.
When it comes to ECs, most schools aren’t looking for quality in what you’ve actually done, they’re looking at the quality of your dedication. “How passionate are you?” is what they’re really asking. Wanting to write a novel is a very good example, and if you truly go through with your plan and begin to produce something, that’s an EC that will really shine. My main ECs are music and cooking. Music is pretty standard, but I doubt most students are too into cooking. When I wrote about cooking in my supplements, I talked about why I started, why I continue, what I’ve learned from it, and how all of the knowledge I’ve gained from the intellectual sphere of food has helped me in my career as a student. I’m certain that you could do the same for gardening. You could easily relate a hobby like gardening to an interest in a related science. If you’re not interested in science, talk about the work ethic behind gardening or how tending to a seasonal garden promotes local food systems which is awesome!
This will sound cliche, but it’s true: the best ECs are the ones you want to do, just like the best essays are the ones you want to write. Your application is supposed to be something that gives admissions officers a candid impression of you. Ceramics, a novel in the works, and a garden (so long as you are truly invested in those things) will serve that goal well.