I just finished junior year of high school and just got my act score back (35). up until now i had always thought ivy league and other high ranking colleges to be ridiculously improbable to get into. With my act and my gpa also (3.93 uw, 4.4 w) in the probable range I was wondering if the extra-curricular activities that I have been participating in during high school would help or hurt my chances. Specifically, i have focused on sports (as i am very competitive) and I ask for some opinion to whether or not my extracurricular activities are up to par for what is generally expected for ivy league schools. thanks.
List:
Freshman baseball (freshman year)
Jv baseball (sophomore year)
Indoor track (sophomore year, junior year, senior year)
Outdoor track (junior year, senior year, senior year)
cross country (senior year… will be doing so just to condition for track)
NHS
Stock club
SGA
Extraordinary minister (catholic stuff)
worked at a resturant during the summer of 2014/2015.
Also, my intended major is economics.
thanks again.
I would try to get a little more internship/work experience if you still have time. As far as your ECs helping, they look very good to me!
@thinkingtoohard , any inside tips on how to get internships. i looked at the Fed’s website, state senators and house of representatives and they all only accept college aged kids.
thanks.
Yes, but state senators and representatives sometimes take HS students. But if you’re majoring in economics, you would probably want to do something related to that. I know companies like Fidelity do internships for HS students. It’s all about consistence and depth in the application, so choose something that’s going to fit with the overall theme of your app.
I agree there are state level possibilities for internships. Also, don’t overlook local possibilities. Sometimes no one has even thought to have an intern in some offices but you can call and say you are interested in working for them and then get some experience,
Also, start thinking about your Common App essay. What qualities do you want to convey about yourself? Harry Bauld’s book and a website called Essay Hall are good resources.
Your ECs look good. Good enough? It depends on what you contribute to your current ECs - the bare minimum or something more?
Internships aren’t hard to find: They are just volunteering raised to another level - a level where someone values what you do enough to invest some time and effort in training and supervising you. Contact the non-profits in your area that have a mission you care about and offer your services. There is almost always a dir of volunteer services. Once you get to know what the organizations does and how they do it, you can convert an ordinary volunteer stint into something more meaningful by offering to raise your engagement to another level. Figure out what the organization needs - more information on their clients or services, more information about programs they are doing or considering, more information about other organizations that provide similar or complementary services, analysis of data related to their stakeholder populations, documentation of their work practices for volunteers, formalization of the training for future volunteers, enhancements to their computers or web sites…If there is something you want to learn more about - finance, marketing, fund-raising, public relations - most organizations have someone who does that job (at least some of the time) and they may value an intern whom they can coach and you can, in return, provide valuable assistance.
There is no end to the important work that a volunteer/intern can do if they go in with the mindset that they aren’t just collecting hours or doing the minimum expected.
@momfromme @thinkingtoohard @N’s Mom Thanks for your input and advice