Chess on College Applications

Hey fellow Chess lovers!

I am currently a Junior at a top high school in Austin, Texas. As the year is halfway over, Im really looking at which colleges I should be applying to senior year and their requirements. One question that I've had for a while is: How much does playing professional chess benefit your college application? Im rated about 1950 USCF and 1700 FIDE. 

Thanks guys!

How is that professional? If you are truly surviving from what you make playing chess, I think we'd all be impressed.

I looked you up and think it was great that you made the top 100 list for age 14. Listing that as an achievement will look good.

However, I don't think that qualifies you to call yourself a professional chess player.

I see you also had a very good World Open in 2015, finishing in a 14 way tie for 6th place in the Under 2000 section. I imagine you won a nice prize. Is that why you called yourself a professional?

Regarding your question though, it's definitely a positive, but probably not a huge one. Do put it on your application where it asks about extracurricular activities.

^yes. just make sure you state you a professional at the sport of chess.

that'll really wow 'em. 

You really expect a board game to advance your academic career?

Put any Parcheesi and Monopoly experience you have on there, as well.

By stating myself as a professional chess player, I am simply stating that I play the game seriously and compete actively. When I tell people that I play chess, almost everyone implies that I play just for fun and do not compete. Obviously, chess is not my full-time job.

Living in TX you may already know, but e.g. I think UTD gives chess scholarships.

You have to be one of the best in your age group though. 1950 USCF is really good compared to most, but some of the best kids your age are GMs (or close to it) unfortunately.

sports have a small effect on your app but not as much as your test scores and classwork for most real colleges.  Colleges are looking for the best of the best at a few specific sports (hint, chess isn't one of them) but the typical student is accepted on academic ability.  If you are one of those 8 year old GM players, you might get something.   You would be better off to hang up your chess board for a football helmet if you want to get a free ride to college, and even then youll need to be good at it.  

And even then you don't really get an education, you play sports and have aids do classwork for you while you're at unofficial after hours practices 

i would say,if you tell them your rating and that your above average,they will respect that and even give you a chess scholarship,just remind them that you are ready to study,study,study,and i'm sure they will ACCEPT A BRIGHT STUDENT LIKE YOU.

oh, this is in texas? 

well, hell, chess probably won't mean sh*t. it's all football (and that includes the academics and politics).

I'm only half joking (unfortunately only half).

But truthfully, some Texas universities give chess scholarships. Their chess teams (at least the members who play in events) are GMs (or IMs) though, so I don't think the OP at 1950 will make it that way.

i don't think it is a good idea because then they will know you are smart

and because of afirmative action you will not get accepted

I say yes. For example, my current manager noticed I had a chess book at my workplace, which led to him challenging me to some games, which led to him handpicking me to transfer to his new site when our company lost its contract at the site where we originally met. I've also encountered a number of supervisors and managers who were interested in my chess research, and asked me about that, during job interviews for various programming jobs. Like any small community--gamers, Christians, racial minorities, gun enthusiasts, etc.--people with minority status like to stick together. Although the public may consider chess just a "game," it's a sign of intellect, sign of appreciation of depth, love of challenges, and some focus in life other than watching TV and smoking dope as most job applicants do today. It's good to put such things on a resume, job application, or school application as general background, but don't expect someone to hire you or promote you based on that hobby alone.

I think the term you mean is "competitive chess," not "professional chess," in the same way that almost all high school athletes are not "professional athletes."

You may have a different impression of what it means to be professional, but there is a fairly widely accepted definition for that.

A professional, by definition, is someone who does something as a profession. If chess isn't your profession, then you're not a professional at it. You play chess competitively, not professionally. 

Usually college apps give you room to list whatever ECs you're into, like sports/ musical instruments/ etc. You could list chess there if you want.

people think that if you play then you are smart

so why not just say you play chess so that you can get college admissions?

sometimes you got to "game" the system

I am WAY more generous than the other comments here.  Chess teaches you a great deal about life.  It should be offered in college as class.  God knows there's a lot of worthless crap credits in the liberal arts department.  I believe, in fact, that one should be a 1,500 level chess player and know openings and how to perform necessary checkmate closings, and know the vocabulary and nomenclature before starting college.  I'm BIG on chess.