Can My Black Belt Help Get Me Into Higher?

Martial Arts Taekwondo Black Belt College Southlake TX 76092.jpg

From The Kids' Karate Workbook:

Every bit a martial arts teacher, I've heard many students say they hope having a black chugalug volition expect good on their higher applications. (As often, I've heard kids or parents say a student can't come to class because of all the other activities they're pursuing for their college applications!) Of form, "putting information technology on the resume" is a poor reason to train for black belt. At the same time, the personal qualities forged in the process of earning that belt can be good indicators of higher success.

And then, can your black belt really help become you into the college of your choice? Nosotros at Kids' Karate Workbook decided to inquire an proficient. The outcome is some splendid communication for college applicants on how to present themselves and their martial arts achievements in the higher admissions process. Stephanie Bertagnole is an Admissions Officer and Freshman Advisor at the Academy of California, Berkeley, ane of the nation's top universities. She has also trained in Cuong Nhu karate, along with her husband and son. Here's what she had to say in answer to our questions:

How mutual is it for a college applicant to list "black belt" as an achievement?

Nosotros see numerous higher applicants list "blackness belt" as an accomplishment. All the same, what sets 1 bidder apart from the others is the level of detail they provide regarding their accomplishment.

Is martial arts training considered a good extracurricular activity to have on one's application? Do some admissions officers look downward on it as "violent"?

The UC Berkeley admissions role views the martial arts as an excellent extracurricular activity. Martial arts training is not regarded every bit violent by our admissions officers and nosotros are aware that martial arts training is both an excellent physical activity and that training tin can ameliorate academic performance. There are several martial arts clubs on campus including Judo, Tae Kwon Do, and Wushu. Additionally, martial arts preparation offered equally a recreational activity for students, kinesthesia and staff. For more information about our martial arts programs, please visit http://recsports.berkeley.edu/sports/martial-arts/.

Black Belt College University Martial Arts Taekwondo Southlake TX 76092.jpg

How much do admissions officers know or find out nigh unlike martial arts, or different degrees of black belt?

As with many extracurricular activities, clubs, and competitions, nosotros learn almost martial arts training and achievements from the applicant. The applicant should assume that the awarding reader knows goose egg most their martial arts grooming. Information technology is their responsibility to impart detailed data about their training and the level of their achievements. Only as academics will vary from applicant to applicant, individual extracurricular activities such as martial arts training will vary as well. The level of item one provides about their martial arts training and achievements will help make their instance for admission.

Does information technology count for more than if I'm in a martial art that emphasizes sport contest? Does it help if I've won a lot of championships?

Non necessarily—many applicants may not have admission to competitions or just choose non to compete for a diversity of reasons. Competing can add together value to an application but and so tin leadership roles such as instructing, serving every bit a role model in your community, or service to others.

I've heard I should have lots of unlike extracurricular activities on my application to make it look better. I have then many different activities, I can't practise martial arts as often as I want – simply I desire my awarding to look adept. Am I doing the right thing, piling on activities?

We come across a multifariousness of applicants including those who are involved in many dissimilar activities to those who are dedicated to one activity. For UC Berkeley, the quality of the program or activity is a fundamental cistron in the admission process and volition significantly influence the application review. A student who piles on activities or simply participates in a multifariousness of activities radically differs from one who dedicates a significant amount of time to their activeness and has earned a high level of achievement inside their sport, lodge, or volunteer work. If an applicant dedicates themselves solely to one activeness, information technology is important that they understand how to convey their dedication to the application reader.

I often meet martial arts applicants break down their martial arts training into several components. If they are an teacher at their dojo, they list these hours equally a volunteer activeness or work (if paid for their education). Their martial arts training is listed as the chief activeness and the hours dedicated to their grooming should be listed here—applicants should remember to include the time spent outside the dojo conditioning and practicing. Achieving the rank of black chugalug is an honor; this and other related achievements could be listed as honors or awards. Martial arts training camps a student has attended could be listed under special program participation. Applicants should employ the college application to their advantage—especially the essays or personal statements to provide in-depth information virtually their training.

At that place are so many immature people doing martial arts and earning blackness belts as kids or teens. How can I make my achievement stand out from the crowd?

Every applicant is unique and so are their individual life experiences. Applicants can make their achievements stand out from the oversupply through their essays or personal statements. I observe it especially helpful when an applicant talks about challenges they take faced in their training or opportunities that accept arisen as a effect of their grooming. What is their response to these challenges and/or opportunities? How does the applicant employ their martial arts grooming off the mat and outside the dojo?

Tin can you give some examples of what an admissions officer likes to see/doesn't like to run into?

Teen Black Belt College Martial Arts Southlake TX 76092.jpg

The higher applicant pool is as diverse equally the criteria past which a schoolhouse reviews and selects students. I advise students contact individual colleges and universities to learn about their review and option procedure. For UC Berkeley, each bidder starts from a neutral standpoint and our admissions officers wait for items within the awarding that add together value to one's application. We like to see students who go in a higher place and beyond minimum requirements in bookish or personal accomplishment. We do non penalize an applicant if critical data is missing or if they missed an opportunity to convey information in their personal statements. These applications simply remain at a neutral standpoint. We make the all-time possible case for admission to our school based on the information an applicant provides in their application.

Without revealing anything confidential, are at that place any good "martial arts applicant stories" you lot can tell?

There are so many who come to heed simply the following 2 examples did a fine job presenting crucial information in their awarding and personal statements.

There starting time was an applicant who was competing at an international level in Tae Kwon Exercise. Their application stood out considering of the level of detail provided regarding their achievements, preparation, and competitions. The pupil used the extra-curricular page of the UC application to their advantage by using key words or phrases to depict an honor, award, or contest. Furthermore, the applicant informed united states that they frequently completed school assignments and papers on the airplane or in a hotel room. We learned that they were an contained student, cocky-sufficient, and demonstrated impeccable fourth dimension management skills required to succeed in both their martial art and in schoolhouse.

Another applicant that stood out was tertiary degree black belt who achieved this rank past the historic period of 17. This applicant was an assistant teacher who helped manage the dojo but never competed for personal reasons. This young person took on a loftier level of responsibleness for the students within the dojo and community as well every bit maintaining a high level of academic achievement within the school. Their application provided details regarding time spent training, instructing, managing the dojo, besides as time spent conditioning and practicing outside the dojo.

Thanks, Stephanie Bertagnole, for sharing your advice and expertise with the Kids' Karate Workbook web log. And good luck to this year's young martial artists applying to U.C.!

Parenting, Self-Defense, Youth Sports, College, Southlake, Kids Martial Arts

cocky-defense, southlake tx, spicar's martial arts, youth sports, texas, taekwondo, martial arts, karate, parenting, college, academy, higher education, black belt

Annotate