Expert: Bruce - 3/13/2011

Question
Hi, my son is a freshman in high school and we are starting to think about the college application process.  I know that colleges look at extra curricular activities, but I'm not sure how they evaluate them.

He loves sports and has played different sports his whole life.  He has always been a pretty good player on teams, but never a star.  He tried out for the high school soccer team and tennis team but was cut from both.  He might make the tennis team next year, but probably will not make the soccer team as they are very competitive.  Do colleges only consider clubs/teams affiliated with the high school?

For example, would they view the following as extra curricular activities for admissions criteria:

*playing soccer in the local rec council league (not affiliated with the school)
*taking tennis lessons, member of local tennis club, playing tennis with friends, but not on a tennis team. (not affiliated with the school)
*joining the high school ski club, which skis together about 8 times per year, but not a competitive team.
*part time job

Thanks for your help!

Answer
Hi Scott,

Colleges like to see how applicants are spending their time, whether it be sports, arts, music, etc. If your son is committed to a couple of activities that is seen as positive, whether its played on a school team or recreationally. Better, generally, to have a few things where there is serious interest than to be a dabbler.  Best wishes.

Bruce