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Extra-curricular activities

Find advice on the best extra curricular activities in secondary schools and primary schools here.

Original poster

Can fomal gymnastic levels such as BG add ucas points for HE / Uni application?

36 replies

phonemum · 04/06/2015 12:12

Just want to know. I ve heard people talking about dance and music exams will add points when applying for unis. I don't hear about sports adding ucas points.

My 12 yr o dd s very flexible, small and strong also a fast runner. She loves gymnastics and now doing two hrs a week may increase to 4hrs. Although I knew she was the right material for the sport the gymnastic group she joined in in her early years is not a very competitive one so she missed out on the opportunity to achieve better. Anyway I think by now it s unlikely that she will ever compete in high level completions.

Still I want to know if gymnastics or other sports achievements can add ucas points?

BTW what career options are there for gymnasts apart from completions?

Constructive comments please. Smile

OP posts:
JulieMichelleRobinson · 05/06/2015 11:56

When I applied to university at KCL, there were at least ten applicants for each place on my course (in reality I'd guess more than ten per place). Assuming that you don't apply unless you're fairly likely to get the grades required... How do you choose from amongst all the applicants? You look at their personal statement and their extra-curriculars. A good personal statement will stress how the extra-curriculars are relevant to the course - which may be by means of transferrable skills, such as leadership, teamwork, dedication, organisation etc.

Original poster
phonemum · 05/06/2015 11:54

Thanks mumoftwo as I said I doubt she would be selected for any high level training but that's not an issue for dd. She enjoys the sport that's all it matters. I can see pro and cons for serious training anyway. Dd just wishes to be able to have fun with gymnastics everyday. Medals and prizes are not important.

OP posts:
MomOfTwoGirls2 · 05/06/2015 11:24

2 or 4 hours a weeks is actually very little for serious gymnastics. In our club the competition teams train 4 days per week, and up to 6 days prior to competitions.

At our club a lot of the talented teenages get into coaching. I think min age is 16. While still in secondary school, many of them spend the summer coaching in American summer camps. Which is a fabulous opportunity and experience. But it doesn't become a career for most of them. Most of the senior coaches have other full time jobs, and coaching earns them extra money on the side.

The two careers that come to mind for me are PE teacher, or career in Recretional Management (working in gyms, leisure centres, etc...)

BertrandRussell · 05/06/2015 09:41

It would be obviously discriminatory for universities to be influenced by extra curricular activities. They aren't. Unless they are directly related to the course.

Sigma33 · 05/06/2015 09:38

Then why do UCAS bother with a personal statement?

Sure, it won't help if you fail your exams and then say "but hey, I do gymnastics". But uni's know their ability to attract students depends on more than the academics they can offer. So they need students that will contribute to a range of clubs and activities AS WELL as passing their course (because drop out rates also affect recruitment, so evidence of self-discipline matters). Or so friends who are part of the selection process at Exeter Uni tell me.

Which is also the opinion of a friend who went to Cambridge - only a handful of candidates are accepted because they are potential Nobel prizewinners, and their extra-curricular activities are irrelevant and they can have the social skills of a slug. The other few thousand each year are selected because they are adequate academically, but offer more than academic ability, because that sets them apart from all the others who are 'merely' adequate academically (which, of course, is a high standard when it comes to Cambridge - but they are vastly over-subscribed, and cannot offer places to every candidate who achieves their academic standard).

Ishouldbeweaving · 04/06/2015 18:15

This is the link to the UCAS tariff table and you can see what awards give you what points. If the university admission requirement is in grades rather than points then nothing other than grades counts towards the entry requirement.

www.ucas.com/ucas/undergraduate/getting-started/entry-requirements/tariff/tariff-tables

BertrandRussell · 04/06/2015 13:07

No. Only if they are relevant to the course. Obviously they give you something to talk about in your personal statement- but what UCAS want is grades, grades and more grades,

Original poster
phonemum · 04/06/2015 13:03

Are such music, dance and drama types ex-curriculums more relevant to ucas?

OP posts:
BertrandRussell · 04/06/2015 12:51

"It would make her a far more attractive candidate than someone with equal grades who spent their teen years hanging out with their friends. Probably more attractive than someone with higher grades but no evidence of staying power or the ability to work at what they do.

Sorrh, this just isn't true. Extra curricular activities only count if they are relevant to the course being applied to. Do gymnastics because she enjoys it, it will keep her fit and busy- but it won't add UCAS points.

Original poster
phonemum · 04/06/2015 12:47

Thanks Sigma, A while ago my dd wished she could do gymnastic completions notionally. I think that her chance is rather very slim. Although she wishes to be able to do gymnastic everyday for hours I doubt she would ever be selected. I would say she has the right body for the sport.

OP posts:
Sigma33 · 04/06/2015 12:23

I think any extra-curricular activity that has been done in a way that shows commitment and self-discipline will be a great selling point for UCAS/HE. There would be various sports science options, but if she wanted to do something completely unrelated to gymnastics, it would not be time wasted. It would make her a far more attractive candidate than someone with equal grades who spent their teen years hanging out with their friends. Probably more attractive than someone with higher grades but no evidence of staying power or the ability to work at what they do.

If she enjoys it and wants to take it seriously, go for it. I wouldn't worry too much at 12 about career options, unless she is passionate about a particular direction that needs commitment this early - but it sounds as if you know that gymnastics itself will not be a career.