<p>hi, i need some good advice here.</p>
<p>i read some threads, and it seems crazy how dedicated people are to their extracurriculars. i know they're important but how involved should someone be to the extent that EC's wont hurt academics?</p>
<p>i'm about to face a tough junior year (AP English, AP US history, AP Biology, Physics H, Spanish 4H, Precalc H w/ Limits, Orchestra H)</p>
<p>and i'm really concerned if my EC's are not up to par.
my EC's are:
Math Club (VP)
Debate (Varsity judge)
Spanish Club (Treasurer)
Winter Track (JV)</p>
<p>and outside of school, i regularly practice in a string ensemble that also does performances for the community. AM I NOT TRYING ENOUGH?</p>
<p>Do what you can handle. Don't worry about anyone else on here because there are some people are just born to handle a lot at an early age. Just play it safe at first if you think you can take on more than join some other ECs. </p>
<p>My best advice is to ask friends who have already been through that at your particular school. They can probably give you the best advice.</p>
<p>It really depends which colleges you are applying to, but I'm going to take a reach and say that by your heavy course load and the fact that you are here, on CollegeConfidential, you want to go to a selective school. </p>
<p>You should really focus on two-three activities and be very committed to them. Therefore, the conflict for you is not the breadth, but the depth. I think if you continue to pursue debate and orchestra seriously, you might have a shot.</p>
<p>Most people here exaggerate the extent to which they do their extracurricular activities, as well as overstating the difficulty of their classes.</p>
<p>Here's the deal with extracurriculars:</p>
<p>You need to find activities that really reward you for the time you devote to them. If you're not getting something back (in terms of merit), whether it is a new idea from research, an award, or a significant impact on the community, then the activity isn't worth it. </p>
<p>In terms of how much time you should be devoting, though it is certainly fine to have a social life, you really should be sufficiently busy so you don't have large chunks of time unoccupied. The other end is equally as damaging (as I unfortunately found out first hand): spending too much time on extracurriculars often results in getting too little sleep to perform during the day. Remember, there are very few cases that ever excuse less than stellar academics (those being a great scientific discovery, or a national championship in something 'prestigious'), and even multiple state titles and other awards will not excuse a lack of great academic achievement. </p>
<p>Bottom line - school ALWAYS comes first.</p>
<p>junior year is a tough year...you have to take the SAT I and II's as well as the PSAT. Also, people typically get recommendations from 3 of their teachers from their junior year classes, so it's not just grades that are important. You want to stand out in class above and beyond the "A" if you can. Also, your SATII Subject tests and your AP scores will reflect the extent you study for your classes. My advice for you is to concentrate on school--go all out.</p>
<p>Just maintain your current activities. If you want to be ambitious, start thinking about something interesting to do for the summer after your junior year. How about going somewhere like New Orleans and participating in Habitat for Humanity over winter or spring break? </p>
<p>Plan it out so it doesn't interfere with school.</p>