<p>every since i started high school I've been bombarded with college rumors, facts and everything that has to do with education. I've started to rethink if my schooling is going down the right road to get accepted into a good school. </p>
<p>As of right now I'm a sophomore and the only thing i have going for me is my academics.</p>
<p>fresh year i had a 4.25 weighted gpa both semesters and this semester i ended with a 4.2 weighted gpa. </p>
<p>other than my gpa, some national tests i got to take for high marks in french and being a year ahead in math, i havn't really been active in high School. </p>
<p>Next year i plan on joining some clubs and doing community service to brighten up my chances but im thinking its not going to be enough. </p>
<p>will some clubs and my academics be enough to be accepted into known schools or will i end up having a hard time applying?</p>
<p>Well, two years of no ECs may not look all that appealing, but showing that you do indeed have interest in socializing and leadership and of course, community service of any kind will help you out on applying.</p>
<p>Just go for it. There’s really no telling how they’ll react exactly. Every EC/Summer Program/Community Service Project helps.</p>
<p>I really guess it all depends on WHERE you are applying.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend just joining every EC/volunteering event possible; join the ones you’re interested in, ones that may pertain to a future major, ones where you can see yourself in a leadership in senior year. Don’t start volunteering at hospitals if you’re squeamish and are gonna run away crying every day
If Hopkins is your top choice, I know they have a summer program… if you’re serious about attending, you should try going to one on campus and then you’d have a great start for a potential “Why Hopkins?” essay. You’re on par academically, I think, just get involved in things you love. And if they don’t have a club, make it on your own! Your opportunities are endless.
Good luck!</p>
<p>Read Lauren Pope’s “Looking Beyond the Ivy League.” Really – it is an excellent resource for someone at your stage of the process. Not a list of schools, but an overview of what to look for in a school for a very different perspective than usual. It’ll make you question your assumptions.
Regarding EC’s-- follow your heart; develop your passions. It shows come app time. And it’s just the best way to live.</p>
<p>Lots of kids say ‘I have no ECs’ because they don’t belong to school clubs and sports teams. But ECs include a job you do part-time, active participation in your church, a privately pursued passion (someone on here was an Egyptologist), or helping out at home because of unusual circumstances. Don’t short-change yourself. Of course, if none of the above apply, then yes, you should find one or two things to invest some time in next year. Not because it will get you into a better college (although that is a benefit) but because you will learn more about yourself, make new friends, and discover a world outside of academics to offset that analytical part of your life.</p>
<p>I definitely agree. The point that people often miss about extracurriculars is that colleges aren’t looking for a long list of things you did halfheartedly just to puff up your r</p>
