CAS in university applications

[MariusIBDP]

So, my class of IB is very lucky to have a very undemanding CAS coordinator. A lot of activities that did not count for the last generation of IB(different coordinator) counts for us, so I believe I will easily collect minimum(150) hours needed and much more. I was just wondering, does it really adds any weight to university applications e.g. do they really care if you have 100 or 250 hours after year 1? I most probably will send my application after Year 1, so is it worth trying to collect a lot of hours (250)? What do you think?

[Sammie Backman]

Some Universities put a lot of emphasis on extracurricular activities, so it could well be worth it, depending on where you apply.

However, they will probably not care about service activities of the "I walk my neighbors dog"-type. If you have meaningful activities such as school orchestra, football team or volunteering at an elderly care home universities might count it towards accepting you. It will not be what makes or breaks your application though.

[Arrowhead]

What the OP said ^

Also, the number of hours you've racked up in each year is insignificant. No university will ask you what was your total number of CAS hours accumulated thus far in the IB. The only way that CAS can help you insofar as UNiversity applications are concerned, is if you do something interesting with your activities: Debates, MUN, Theatre, Orchestra, Band, Music, Sports Teams, Student Council, other leadership positions, NGO aide, social organisations, School Newspaper, Environmental drives, helping out in the local orphanage, going to a third world country and building houses, that sort of stuff.

...Even then, these extracurriculars are only ancillary at best and mostly relevant when applying to a top University in the US. If your looking at the UK for further education, all that matter are your marks and PS and recommendation, nothing else. Extracurricular activities do make a difference to an extent, but a UK University would just go "meh," while a US Uni might be interested.

[MariusIBDP]

I'm not sure where I'm going to study, but I'm pretty sure it's going to be in Europe(too expensive to go somewhere else and too less information about it). So basically, it is more important that you do some important long-lasting activities and CAS hours doesn't really matter, right? Any other opinions? So, I should probably collect as many hours as I can during Year 1, get those 30 hours during the summer, then just collect remaining hours ASAP and just forget CAS, it's forms, etc. and just concentrate on my grades, right?

[Summer Glau]

Basically it depends on where you apply and the program which you apply to.

Most unversities in Canada will only look at your marks, so they don't really matter for admission. But they are very good to have if you apply for scholarships.

[atsuhi]

At my school, we were told that the asessment had changed, and that the 150 hours weren't as important as fulfilling the 8 objectives. Also, that it would depend on our CAS Diaries, and how well were they written, that they would assess us, and judge whether we has achieved or not those objectives.

A friend of mine (who is also taking IB with me) told me that CAS activities wouldn't count as extra-curricular at universities, because there are school activies (Festivals, sports competitions) which count as CAS activities. I wasn't very convinced, though, because activities such as school newspaper or forums organized by other schools, are done with permission and during class hours outside.