It’s no secret that colleges look at extracurricular activities as part of the admissions process. But, you may wonder whether taking Taekwondo will give you an advantage when applying for college? These types of extracurricular questions are essential for students and parents to answer by the Senior year of high school.
Generally, Taekwondo can help give an advantage in college admissions. Besides any impressive achievements, taekwondo is a skillful physical activity, which can also help develop areas of academic excellence. The daily training and commitment necessary to accomplish a black belt in Taekwondo is not unparallel to the dedication and drive required to tackle college.
As a student or parent, think about what you can do now to help ensure admission into the college of your dreams. Keep reading to learn how Taekwondo can help influence the college admissions board to accept you into the university of your choice.
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What Activities Help You Get Into College?
You will learn critical skills while pursuing a black belt in Taekwondo. Obviously, your training will be athletic in nature, learning forms, and sparing techniques, but there’s more to it than increasing athletic ability.
In doing so, you are encouraged to work with your peers to help one another, and in working with others, you will learn to problem-solve in creative ways. Again, all critical components of the college admissions process, so you will have plenty to write about and demonstrate.
Many activities will help you get into the college of your choice. The most well-received activities include pursuits such as athletic participation, work experience, and creative pursuits.
Can You Get a College Scholarship for Taekwondo?
You can earn college scholarship money starting your freshman year in high school for being in Taekwondo. According to Raise Me, an organization dedicated to leveling the playing field in pursuing post-secondary education, you can start earning micro-scholarships with more than 360 colleges and universities as early as your 9th-grade year in areas such as martial arts.
Taekwondo is not sponsored by any of the three collegiate sports associations, but that does not mean there is a shortage of scholarships offered each year. Here are a few options for scholarship money.
In addition, you should also check with your local martial arts schools to see about potential scholarship opportunities.
How Does Taekwondo Help in the Admissions Process?
As mentioned before, there are numerous parallels between Taekwondo and college, which can help you stand out as an applicant. Taekwondo’s five tenets help foster a foundation for strategies and methods to help you become successful both inside the dojo and the classroom.
- Courtesy – refers to showing courtesy to all others in the dojang (training area or school) as well as people you may meet outside of formal Taekwondo training. Included in this tenet is observing correct etiquette and manners at all times.
- Integrity – includes the general definition of integrity where one is not only able to determine the difference between right and wrong but also stand up for what is ethically correct. Being honest and having strong moral principles is paramount. Working hard to be beyond corruption is an essential aspect of the tenet of integrity.
- Perseverance – simply refers to the willingness of the Taekwondo student to continue to struggle against all odds to reach their goal. This applies to their Taekwondo training as well as other aspects of their lives.
- Self-Control – means having control over your thoughts as well as your actions. Maintaining a pure mind and a pure body by keeping your emotions in check, particularly in complex or trying circumstances.
- Indomitable Spirit – is difficult to define but generally refers to having the courage to stand up for your beliefs and stay strong in those beliefs and convictions no matter what the odds against you may be. It also refers to consistently exhibiting 100% effort in all you do inside the dojang (training area) and in life.
Think about how these qualities and characteristics define you as an individual and can be seamlessly incorporated into an admissions essay, which can really wow the readers and help you stand out amongst the masses.
Internal Benefits Towards Your Academics
Your martial arts journey isn’t just for looking good on an admissions essay. Practicing martial arts can make you smarter and gives you many more internal benefits.
It Teaches Discipline
College life is full of temptations. Between the convenience of skipping classes without consequences and spending hours socializing with your friends, it can be easy to lose track of time without realizing you need to study for that big test tomorrow.
Taekwondo is a great way to combat this because it’s all about discipline. You have an instructor telling you what to do, and you have a particular way of doing it. And if you don’t follow the rules? You could be kicked out or worse – your grades may suffer because of it.
It Enhances Focus and Concentration
With all that said about how difficult college can be, one thing remains true: having an extracurricular activity like taekwondo can help you stay focused and concentrated on your studies. As a result, you’ll be more likely to get work done, which will lead to better grades.
Source: Way of Martial Arts
It Builds Self-Esteem
While college is an excellent time for learning new things and growing as an adult, sometimes the process might feel like it’s way too much to handle. It may even make you feel like quitting. And sometimes, it may affect your self-esteem.
This is where taekwondo comes in. It helps you build your self-esteem and keep going strong through the tough times. You see, when you’re training for a new belt, it’s easy to get discouraged if things aren’t working out right away. However, this feeling will push you and make you work harder to achieve your goals.
The result is a much stronger sense of self which will trickle down to other areas of your life.
It Promotes Physical Fitness
Another good reason to consider learning taekwondo is that it will improve your physical fitness. Taekwondo requires a lot of flexibility and strength to execute the moves correctly, which helps you build lean muscle mass that is crucial to increasing your overall fitness.
Working towards increased endurance and strength will also make you feel better about yourself. And when you start feeling good, everything else seems to fall into place. Colleges love promising athletes.
It’s an Excellent Stress Reliever
College can be stressful at times. It helps to have a hobby that you can turn to when these stressful times arise.
Taekwondo classes are perfect for relieving stress. They include exercises where students hit different punching bags, jump up and down on mats, and many other things that give you a positive outlet.
It Opens Up New Career Opportunities
Taekwondo is one of the martial arts performed in the Olympics. It’s also one of the most popular martial arts in the world.
Studying taekwondo will help you achieve your black belt, which is a significant accomplishment that can open up all kinds of new opportunities for you. It could even lead to an exciting career as a professional athlete, which scouts love!
Think about how these qualities and characteristics define you as an individual and can be seamlessly incorporated into an admissions essay, which can really wow the readers and help you stand out amongst the masses.
Maybe you are not up to competing at a high level. That’s fine. You can look to open a Taekwondo club at the college or community around your college. Student-run organizations on campus are huge and could lead to networking opportunities.
Takeaway
The bottom line is, that Taekwondo is a worthwhile endeavor that will help empower you to be fearless in your pursuit of all that is excellent in your life.
The college admissions process can prove intimidating unless you have the skill to help sell yourself. Taekwondo offers you an advantage in developing tools essential to be successful in the quest for higher education.