Am I lacking in extracurriculars? Also, how to compensate for no leadership?

Applying to College
1

<p>I am a sophomore. These are the extracurriculars I joined this year:
Academic Quiz Leage
Computer Science Club (also in class)
Engineering Club
FBLA (future business leaders of america)
Key Club (volunteering club)
Debate (also in class)
German Club (in German 3 class)</p>

<p>My freshman extracurricular:
Tennis team</p>

<p>I shotgunned my extracurriculars on purpose because I didn't do it in freshman year like I should have. Here are the extracurriculars I plan on pursuing for all of high school:
Tennis team
Debate
Key Club
NHS (probably can't join until senior year)
German Club
FBLA</p>

<p>I have only been honored once since I began HS, which was National German Honor Society.</p>

<p>I see pretty significant lists of ECs in the profiles of those accepted to top universities. Here is what my school offers to give you all an idea of what I can select from:</p>

<p>Academic Decathlon<br>
Academic Quiz League
Academic UIL<br>
Band<br>
Cheerleaders
Choir
Computer Science
DECA
Engineering Club
French Club &
French National Honor Society
Future Business Leaders of America [FBLA]
Future Farmers of America [FFA]
German Club &
German National Honor Society<br>
Hispanic Students Association
H.O.P.E.
Interact Club (Rotary International)
Key Club
Knights Chess Club
Latin Club And Latin National Honor Society
Literary Club
Muslim Student Association
Players [Drama]
Multicultural Alliance Club<br>
National Honor Society
Orchestra<br>
Student Council<br>
The Coup [Literary Magazine]<br>
Visual Arts Club
Junior World Affairs Counsel<br>
Warrior Post [Newspaper]<br>
World Geography Club<br>
Yearbook [Phoenix]<br>
Young Americans for Political Awareness [YAPA]</p>

<p>Am I lacking in EC's and, if so, any suggestions?</p>

<p>By the way, I am in a class of over 1,000 in a large public school of over 4,000 and I am not popular so it is pretty much impossible for me to acquire any leadership positions. Is there any way for me to compensate for that lack of leadership?</p>

<p>Thanks.</p>

2

<p>You can find ECs outside your school environment too, you know…</p>

<p>Don’t bother “shotgunning” your ECs profile. Stick to the ones you like and try to make them important backgrounds to describe you.</p>

3

<p>

</p>

<p>Yeah, I shotgunned on purpose to find what interested me and I ended up only liking debate and the business club (which is very weak). The only EC that I participated a lot in this year was debate, I am in a lower tennis team so I don’t go to any tournaments, so I think that may be a problem as usually people participate seriously in a lot more than just one or two ECs. I will say that a trend shows between debate and tennis team in that they are both very competitive and they both rely on the dedication of the individual, I don’t think there is much else to fit that trend, however.</p>

4

<p>As long as you can talk about our ECs and write essays with passion and detail, you’ll be ok. Quality over quantity my friend.</p>

5

<p>The question about impressive ECs comes up regularly on the forum. There is a thread with comments by Northstarmom, a Ivy alum interviewer, about what constitutes impressive ECs from the point of view of the most selective colleges. The post is at <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/210497-those-ecs-weak-so-what-s-good.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/210497-those-ecs-weak-so-what-s-good.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>2 very interesting articles about ECs that stand out and how to get them (same author, different examples) are at [How</a> to Be Impressive](<a href=“http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/05/28/the-art-of-activity-innovation-how-to-be-impressive-without-an-impressive-amount-of-work/]How”>The Art of Activity Innovation: How to Be Impressive Without an Impressive Amount of Work - Cal Newport) and [Save</a> This Grind?](<a href=“http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/09/12/case-study-how-could-we-save-this-ridiculously-overloaded-grind/]Save”>Case Study: How Could We Save This Ridiculously Overloaded Grind? - Cal Newport) While I don’t agree with everything in them, take a look at these 2 articles and I think you’ll get some original ideas.</p>