January 18, 2010
Can I Get Into A Good College Without Playing An Organized Sport?
I really want to get into Boston College, but I know its really selective. Does anyone think that I can get into that college without playing a sport? I am really busy with school work, all the possible advanced classes my school offers for a higschool sophmore, and I’ve played French Horn for six years. My GPA is really important to me and I work hard to keep it high. I like to read, draw, write, and perform and am a big supporter of the performing arts.
Is this enough to look good on a resume, in addition to volunteering? Or is an organized sport necessary to getting into a college, even though I am active?
Thanks, I’m really going to be happy to get a response to this question.
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Comments on Can I Get Into A Good College Without Playing An Organized Sport?
While we can’t promise you admission anywhere, the answer is of course not.
Who told you that, it’s crazy! Sports look good, but volunteering looks better. It isn’t that you have to play a sport, it’s that you have to show something besides classes to demonstrate that you are not just a good student, but a productive member of society. French horn and volunteer work totally do this, so do writing, drawing and theater.
You don’t have to be on a team sport in order to be accepted into a prestigious school. Grades and test scores are the most important criteria.
Absolutely. As long as you have extracurricular activities, there is no particular preference given to sports over anything else.
I’ve NEVER heard of playing sports as being a requirement to getting into ANY college. And I think if it were something that would affect your chances of admission, it’d be listed on their website in the Admissions section. It isn’t.
sports are usually classed as an extracaricular activity you should be accepted
It would help, but it’s not needed. I think colleges like sports because it takes skill, unlike just joining a club, which any one can.
Playing a sport is not a requirement for getting into a good school. As long as you do something with your time other than study you should be ok. Volunteering a lot of hours or participating in theatre looks just as good on a college application as playing a sport does.
Sports are definitely not necessary. They are one way of many that you can distinguish yourself. Sports are only more important than other types of extracurricular activities if you’re a recruited athlete, in which case only minimal standard need be met for everything else. Showing commitment to band and sticking to one instrument the whole time you’re in school should be enough in the extracurricular department. Colleges want to see a few things from the extracurriculars: (1) evidence that you do not need to spend every waking moment studying to get good grades (2) evidence that you can commit to something (3) evidence of decent interpersonal skills, preferrably including some leadership skills. Beyond that, what it is that you choose to do is normally not very important.
Playing an organized sport is not required. If you make up for it with other activities and interests, it’s not a big deal at all. Some people play sports but not music, you know. Others play sports but don’t volunteer. You’ll be okay.