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Riddle me this . . . Does playing on an intramural soccer team (We got 2nd place!) help in the least as an EC for a transfer student? I know it sounds weird but I need all the help I can get, seriously.

By Lucifersam (Lucifersam) on Thursday, October 07, 2004 - 12:48 am: Edit

Bump

By Voronwe (Voronwe) on Thursday, October 07, 2004 - 11:22 am: Edit

No, sorry.

By Lucifersam (Lucifersam) on Thursday, October 07, 2004 - 11:27 am: Edit

You sound pretty sure of yourself. Are you an adcom perhaps, or perhaps a former one? In any case, could you elaborate on your answer? I mean, would this not help regardless of what college it was (even though I'm applying to two of the most selective in the country)? I was on an intramural soccer team here (as I said, we got 2nd place in the tournament . . . haha), and while it was going on I devoted a good deal of time to it, so I was hoping it would count for something.

By Voronwe (Voronwe) on Thursday, October 07, 2004 - 11:43 am: Edit

I was an Ivy interviewer for many, many years and am still in contact not only with my own department, but friends and colleagues/acquaintances at other top colleges.

Lower-level sports can help show "well-roundedness," which may be prized at a local or regional school but is not a priority for Ivies. One boy from our school who got into an Ivy this year was a top-ranked (nationally) equestrian; sailing champions are big; naturally all the "ball" sports, especially if All-American or All-State or recruited. Intramurals are basically looked at as "fun." My kids got into top ten schools and never even mentioned their intramurals.

I would concentrate on your other achievements. Top schools like to see a real commitment to 2 or 3 activities in which you truly excelled. Of course, I also know people who were Val or Sal with awesome SAT scores but who were deficient in ECs and activities---they got in by legacy and URM status...

hth

By Lucifersam (Lucifersam) on Thursday, October 07, 2004 - 12:52 pm: Edit

Well, additionally, will my playing varsity soccer for 2 years in high school still matter at all when it comes to transfer admission?

(I would have joined our soccer team, but we're D1, and apparently we're one of the best in the country. I mean, I had no idea UK's soccer team would have former international youth league players from Canada on it. I missed the tryouts for the club team, because nobody was able to tell me when they were till about an hour after the last tryout session on the last day of tryouts.)

By Gxing (Gxing) on Thursday, October 07, 2004 - 05:40 pm: Edit

>

Voronwe, I'm nationally ranked in table tennis for my age. Would that significantly increase my chances for an ivy??

By Boxmaker1917 (Boxmaker1917) on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 12:45 pm: Edit

Voronwe, I would appreciate your comments on my dd's situation. (Not trying to hijack this thread -- just get a different angle on the original poster's question.)

My dd is doing very well at the pre-elite level of her non-Olympic, non-NCAA sport. She would like to continue training during college, move to elite and earn a spot on the US National Team.

I spoke with an admissions guy from a Top 25 LAC who sat next to me on the plane. My dd is a good student (B+/A- type) but not incredible. She would fall mid-pack in terms of the stats at this school and has several friends there. The adcom guy told me that most colleges (including his!) would be concerned about a student with a major focus (15-20 hours of training a week) that is not centered on the college.

Would not the original poster's (or my daughter's) involvement in a sport count in their favor as an in-depth EC? Does the sport "count" only if a particular college has a team (varsity or intramural?) Does a passion for sports score fewer points than other "passions" -- for example, dance, music, rock climbing? Does the passion have to be really obscure or unusual to improve a student's chances? Like the original poster, mine could use any boost she can get!

By the way, my dd would have applied to the college whose adcom guy I met. His response turned her off completely.

By Voronwe (Voronwe) on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 01:38 pm: Edit

Boxmaker1917, I am not the expert on this, but you asked for my 2 cents. It's a bit hard without knowing what the sport is. Do any schools have it, or was it just that one LAC that didn't? Because yes, if it's a sport that has nothing to do with college, I really, really doubt that it will help. However, I once interviewed a kid who was a wicked good sailor - big boats, navigation, the works, who a lot of schools without sailing teams ADORED because he combined his love of sailing with environmental science/marine biology plus did Scout work with inner city kids who had never sailed.

See the difference?

By Boxmaker1917 (Boxmaker1917) on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 05:00 pm: Edit

Voronwe, thank you for your comments. Yep, my kid's sport has NOTHING to do with anything happening on the college scene. She'll probably end up at our state U and pursue her sport. I suspect that competing for the U.S. in international competitions will provide a BETTER liberal arts education than she probably would get at some of the "top" schools (which come across to me as quite provincial in their thinking).

By Crazyandy (Crazyandy) on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 09:30 pm: Edit

What do colleges look for besides college and high school academic records and high school activities for transfer kids?

By Somemom (Somemom) on Friday, October 08, 2004 - 10:17 pm: Edit

This is an interesting question, Boxmaker. My kid has a sport that has been pursued to a national level, but is more a club sport than a varsity sport, at least at the schools we like.

Though it is only a club sport, I have been contacted by coaches and they are interested.

Grades and ranking are excellent, though test scores are on the lower side of the 25-50 range for those top 25 schools (ivy types.)

I am being told that the national level of sport achievement plus the overall profile may allow admissions at places that would likely not have been interested without the sport.

The test scores being on the lower end of the range may be overcome by the actual classroom achievement in a very competitive school.

Has any one else had any experience with club sports being the deciding factor?