Are competitive clubs necessary to get into top colleges?

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

I don’t really like to call myself “college-obsessed,” but I definitely like to watch those videos on youtube of people explaining how they got into ivy leagues, uc’s, etc. Everyone that I have watched has won national awards for competitions like in debate, sci-o, and mun. My try-out for sci-o is tomorrow and I have not yet studied because I genuinely don’t want to since I am already taking 5 AP courses, which require an insane amount of studying, and now I have to study more! I am afraid that this gives off the impression that I am lazy or I dislike learning. However, I really love and am motivated to learn but I can’t find myself interested in joining those types of clubs because I want to spend more time doing things that aren’t just studying for hours and hours. I have tried joining debate for a year but the entire time I just felt like I was wasting my time.

I’d rather spend 10 hours a week coaching girls on the run at my elementary school or designing my own children book (not literally) than spend 10 extra hours on a chair studying more science and more politics in order to attend conferences and win awards. I struggle in figuring out what to do with my time because I always feel like I am not doing enough, especially since I am not participating in any sports.

I volunteer a lot and have leadership positions in clubs (most aren’t academically oriented), but I just feel like a let down because I am not in competitive, academic, and political clubs, which basically the majority of the students in my school are in. I have not won impressive national awards or anything like that but I have positively influenced my community by starting programs and clubs that are oriented in helping others.

I basically have everything planned out but I am just scared that because I am following my passions, my chances of getting into the top colleges are decreasing. I am probably going to just go and study for my try-out after this because I feel guilty if I don’t and I am not quite sure why. (btw, I am a female junior in high school)

Please be honest because I really need to get advice on what I should be doing with my time since I am in kind of a mess right now and am proceeding to overthink about the situation.

2

You believe those you-tubers know why they were accepted?
Or they found a way to make a little $ on youtube?

3

@lookingforward you do have a point, but many of the people from my school who also got into top colleges did do similar activities as the ones that I listed. I’m sure they have a lot of other factors that contributed to their acceptance but they still got state/regional awards

4

But you led with the idea this comes from watching videos.

If this is for top colleges, you don’t need competitive awards, you do need some stretch. Working with little kids is nice, but not stretch. Same for a lot of activities. Solitary activities don’t show them the peer engagement.

Nor is this about “passion,” if those don’t show the qualities they look for. It’s about feeling out what those colleges do want, what they say and show, not just looking at kids who did get in and trying to piece it together.

Sending you a pm.

5

Do the things you want to do and let your contributions to those activities shine through in your application. You never know what will catch the eye of an admission officer.

Not to be a downer but keep in mind that the top schools accept well under 10% of applicants so no matter what your activities are your chance of admission as an unhooked applicant is small. So IMO you are best off doing things you care about, things that make you happy, things that don’t stress you out etc.