In the 2022-23 school year, an estimated 34% of high schoolers participated in a school athletic program according to LendingTree. Those who participate in athletic programs usually start playing or training from a young age, dedicating about 10 hours a week to their sport. High schools typically have JV teams and varsity teams, each having about eight or more games in a season.
Colleges take into consideration the dedication and professionalism of being on the high school team and offer scholarships for lower divisions to offer students the opportunity to go to college while having grades they wouldn’t have accepted from another applicant. Even if you don’t plan on participating on a collegiate level, having a high school sport on your college resume helps.
Colleges are interested in those who can balance the student-athlete lifestyle, more so than the school-work balance. When completing college apps through Common App, they give students a section to enter any extracurricular activities. However, the seemingly more valuable category is athletics, because they open up eligibility for athletic scholarships, allow for students to be scouted or recruited and are considered more well rounded than someone who doesn’t participate in a sport. They ask applicants to elaborate on the sports and even include a drop down menu of all the sports considered. Even if they aren’t recruiting, the title of “student-athlete” holds more weight only because they are able to provide more options relating to it.
Students who start in the workforce earlier learn important life skills like teamwork and communication in a work environment. It exposes students to working under pressure and management and ultimately opens up their options for deciding how they want to continue their future career. While many people associate college with “adulting,” work truly provides that experience and although it provides a boost for applications, it doesn’t seem to be appreciated enough by college admissions departments in comparison to school sports.
Both work and athletics take up a lot of students’ time and balancing both or even all, is a testament to how students can adapt under pressure. We’re still relatively young and these decisions are tough ones to make by ourselves. It’s better to get involved in activities you are passionate about; colleges love to see students who begin working on what they want to pursue early. WJ is lucky enough to have a career advisor and counselors who want the best for students so don’t be afraid to stop by and ask for advice.
