Extra-curricular activities for college recruiting

Our experience was that it didn't matter.

Ability, grades and what his previous coaches thought about him and his competitiveness were all I remember ever being discussed.

Agreed. Doesn't really matter as far as the recruiting process. But that shouldn't be taken to mean that SAs are somehow exempt. 30 hours a year is pretty good for a kid that plays a lot of ball. EAs such as you mentioned should be pursued. They often lead to tremendous learning opportunities, and the experience usually adds to a kid's overall character make-up. They just won't help you get on the field.

While the EC's might not be meaningful to coaches, they will be meaningful to admissions departments who generally have the final say on a recruited athlete at most schools.

Community service was never mentioned when my son was recruited. Grades were never discussed because they already knew he was academically eligible because they had his clearing house information. Academic eligibility was all that was necessary for admittance. With my son it was all baseball related. I doubt that the admissions department ever got the chance to approve or decline my son’s application and to my knowledge my son never went to the admissions office. The athletic department probably had a director of athletic/academic admissions and he probably checked the requirements and made sure the “i”s were dotted and the ‘t”s were crossed and made sure it was approved. You don’t think student/athletes at the large D-1s walk around campus asking for directions to the admissions office. On the subject of community service, it did become part of their “routine” but that community service was arranged and mandated by the baseball staff. Part of their PR I’m sure.

I can only speak from our experience... to some schools it mattered a lot, to others not at all. If you play to apply to a school that prides itself on having a "social conscience" (their words, not mine) they will expect to see CS on the application. My son, with high GPA/scores, was a two sport four year varsity athlete, took all honors and AP classes, but had no CS and it did work against him in a few cases. IF, however, as some has said, student is a highly recruited athlete, it may not be part of the equation at all.

I have never been asked about it either for my own sons or any of our players

They are more concerned with his ability to gain admission to the school and ability to remain there as well as his baseball talent

I'd be interested to know how your sons found time for community service. My son plays almost year round baseball with practices or games until 7pm six days a week. Then there's homework. During his few weeks "off", he conditions. He would have loved to have spent a week or even a day with Habitat for Humanity, for example. But there was a minimum commitment which he couldn't do because of baseball.

Thanks everyone for your responses.

Newcomer-my son will be a junior so his schedule hasn't been as busy as it will be this year. He is required to complete 10 hrs community service for school and during vacation in Jan. helped @ our local LL baseball camp for comm. service hours instead of cash. He also does peer tutoring @ school. Hopefully this will be enough if his college app does go through admissions.

Let me put it another way...same way as a very wise coach put it to us.

Baseball IS your son's extracurricular activity! That IS good enough if HE's good enough.

Make sense?

Don't discount the value of extra-curricular activities of baseball players in the admissions office of 'Ivy-type' schools. Could be a tie breaker for admissions up/down decision for borderline candidates.

The school my son attends is actually more interested in students with a passion for one or two activities (baseball!) than those who have 10 different clubs or community charities competing for applicant's interest. Admissions officers will recognize community service 'resume padding', if you know what I mean.

I agree with most of the responses here. In most case it is a non-issue for recruited athletes.