Am I falling behind - 10th grade

Hello, I am a sophomore in high school currently(I go to high school in Fulton County Georgia). I feel like I am falling behind on building a high school resume, and was wondering around what stats I should have in sophomore year of high school. I have been coding for about 3 years now and I have nothing to show for it(no competitions or anything, but I just figured out about USACO and have started studying for the competition this month), and don’t have any other achievements or awards I have won. I do run on my high school’s cross country team, but I am not amazing and I’m on the JV team. My weighted numeric average is a 97 and unweighted it is a 92(at my high school they do not do a 4.0 GPA scale but rather a numeric average) and my unweighted is a 92. I have no club leaderships at this point and was considering making my own club so I could get a leadership position. I am really worried that I am falling behind on building a resume for college looking at my 0 achievements or leaderships, and my GPA not being amazing either. I was just wondering what level are most other 10th graders at right now, and if anyone knows any good ECs I can do(I’m interested in things to do with computers, nature, and business) and ways to improve my resume? Thanks

I think you’re fine. Try not to worry too much, even if things get tough at times. I know that at my school, it’s typically only the juniors and seniors that get leadership positions (the clubs have some restrictions about who can run and such). Most people at my school gain their most important awards and other things during junior and senior year. Not having awards or leadership positions currently isn’t something I’d stress out about too much. Since you’re a sophomore, this would be a good time to start branching out and exploring your interests. Try to do it for the sake of your enjoyment. Don’t do a club just for the college applications. Since you like computers, try attending a meeting for a tech-related club to see how you like it. If there isn’t one, feel free to start one. Maybe you could code a website dedicated to information on nature. There’s a variety things that can be put on a resume—it doesn’t have to just be clubs and awards. Don’t feel like you have to move at a specific pace or achieve milestones at a certain time. Remember that it’s quality over quantity. Since you mentioned enjoying nature, maybe you could start one dedicated to the environment and do volunteer work to save it and such. Try something like organizing an electronic drive so people could donate old wires, phones, etc that no longer work. You can definitely start aiming for leadership positions but don’t feel like you have to rush. Keep your grades up, perhaps try improving at cross country if you enjoy it (maybe you’ll make varsity next year), and actually enjoy yourself in high school. And good luck on the USACO!

You’re on the right track. Keep up the grades, and deepen and expand your ECs a bit more. It’s quality over quantity, so you don’t have to pick up something new (unless you want to) so much as continuing to find ways to grow and challenge yourself (USACO is a nice start).

Don’t start a club to get a title, but do start one if there is an unmet and ongoing need in your school, and you are absolutely committed to filling that void - and you expect the club will be sustainable after you graduate. Lots you can do with coding.

Even XC shows colleges your social skills in a way that your coding has not, and you’ll probably make varsity as an upper classman.

It isn’t always about who has the most titles and awards. Consider how you are stretching via each activity and what actively participating in them says about you as a person (and is that person the one you want to present to colleges?). How will bringing those qualities to the table make a positive contribution to the college community where you land? Will that match what the colleges are looking for?

Sophomore year is a great time to make a plan, and it isn’t unchangeable. Expect to revise it as necessary in light of new information and opportunities.

You are pretty much in a decent place for a sophomore. At that end of her first semester of sophomore year, my kid’s GPA was about the same as yours, her ECs were her dance and co-leadership of a failing club. No awards or honors to speak of.

By the first semester of Senior year, the club was thriving enough to require a third official leader, she was an unofficial leader in her dance company, had a good set of awards and honors, and was competing for a major merit/leadership scholarship for which she had been nominated by her high school. Oh, and her GPA was higher, too.

She is now a first year at an excellent college on a full tuition scholarship.

You have a very good GPA, and have a solid EC record for a first semester sophomore. As others have written - sophomores rarely have leadership positions, nor are they expected to have such.

If you feel that you have the time and energy to add a third EC onto your activity list, do so by all means.

Something important to know is that, when colleges ask for “leadership”, they do not mean “leadership positions”. Leadership positions are no more than titles. Being a leader means investing in the club, taking on tasks and missions without being asked, helping others work towards common goals, etc. Being a leader takes time, and, at the end of the first semester of sophomore year, you aren’t expected to already be at that stage.

Invest energy and emotion in activities which interest you, and you will become a leader. Establishing a club so that you will have the title of “president” will not demonstrate leadership. In your resume, you need to also summarize what you did, and “president and founder of Stamp Club. met once a week and discussed stamps with other members” is not something that demonstrates leadership to anybody. However joining a club and becoming one of the most active members. who brings positive change to the club does demonstrate leadership, whether have the title of president or not.

The only reason to establish a club, as @Groundwork2022 wrote, is if you believe that it is needed, and one doesn’t exist. Otherwise, join a club which interests you and make yourself the best member of the club that you can. If you do, you will become a leader, whether you have a leadership position, or not.

Falling behind in what? Who do think you are racing against? What are you racing to?

Honestly your gpa and ec’s sound on par with many sophomores. It sounds similar to my kids. One thing to keep in mind is colleges don’t simply view leadership as a school club title. EC’s can be 100% outside of school and titles are not needed to show leadership. For example years ago I was talking to some admissions reps. They all told me even though my oldest daughter didn’t have a single leadership title she had leadership examples. For instance she did registration for a free summer soccer camp and was a volunteer at a learn to skate program (in addition to her own skating).

If you have a local senior center perhaps you can volunteer to help teach people how to download and use apps. Sounds simple but some people who didn’t grow up with cell phones may benefit from that. For business I suggest seeing if your area has a Junior Achievement program - ours had a free summer camp - it wasn’t school based but in a nearby area open to anyone who could get there. Perhaps see if there is a school or local environment program, a community garden you could help out at etc. However be careful not to over commit yourself since quantity isn’t important.

You have good grades and a couple of extracurriculars- this is an excellent place to be in as a sophomore. I’m assuming you’ve been looking at the stats seniors like to post concerning college admissions. While it’s good to have some idea of what colleges like to look for, you can’t assume you should be at the level of a high school senior when you’re only a sophomore. You still have a few years to deepen your extracurriculars, try for leadership positions, or win awards. Just chase things your passionate about and try to have a concrete result by December of your senior year.