<p>The main ECs I have listed right now on the Common App are:
Varsity Cross-Country (9th-10th grade, co-captain (9th), captain (10th); 30 hours a week, 28 weeks a year)
Family Responsibilities: Babysitting and cooking for my siblings (9th-12th grades; ~12 hours a week, 50 weeks a year)
Volunteer in a Gubernatorial Campaign (11-12 grades; ~4 hours a week, 20 weeks a year)
Researching and self-studying AP US & European History (9th-12th grades; ~5 hours a week, ~40 weeks a year)
Volunteering at church & food pantry, (9th-12th grades, ~3 hours a week, 40 weeks a year)
Peer Tutoring, especially in English, History, and Math (9th-12th grades; 5 hours a week, 36 weeks a year)
Assistant Archivist for my school's archives (9th-12th grades; 1 hour a week, 40 weeks a year)
Founding member, Physics Club (12th grade; 2 hours a week, 30 weeks a year)
Creative Writing: I am writing a screenplay that satirizes the militarization of police forces.
Are these good enough to make me competitive for HYP and other top schools with my test scores (35 ACT; 2270 SAT: 800 CR, 750 M, 720; 800 US History SAT II, 740 Literature SAT II) and my grades and "very rigorous" curriculum (3.95 unweighted GPA, 8 AP Courses and 3 college courses)? I also have "excellent essays," according to all who have read them.
I really just want to know if these ECs, which I think are weak, will negatively affect my application. </p>
<p>Anyone?</p>
<p>Bump…</p>
<p>Your EC’s don’t show much “passion”, and the top tier schools tend to look for depth rather than breadth. Apply, but be sure to apply to other schools as well. There are never guarantees for admissions to the Ivy Leagues unless you have famous or very generous legacy parents.</p>
<p>Yes, I know. I had a really bad health issue during freshman and sophomore year, which I wrote about in an essay, so I hope that helps.</p>
<p>Bumping this again…</p>
<p>I’d appreciate any opinions…</p>
<p>Well, I don’t really think that self-studying constitutes an actual activity. It’s okay. Will it get you automatically get you in? No. Will it get you automatically rejected? No.</p>
<p>Your activities are okay but like the other poster, they don’t show a passion.</p>
<p>Do you think that top colleges would take my situation into account? I attended a small private school from 9th-10th grade that only offered cross-country and basketball and was far away from my house, so the commute took a long time. Then I had a medical issue and was hospitalized for four months and switched to a large, underfunded, public high school. Since I am only starting to meet people at this new school now in my senior year, it has been hard to join clubs and I haven’t ever really had the time to delve into one activity…</p>
<p>Do you think I should explain the above situation in the “Additional Information” section of the Common App? </p>
<p>Anyone?</p>
<p>Bump…</p>
<p>Bumping this again…for the last time</p>
<p>Here’s what I think HYP will see:</p>
<p>“Hmm… this person is really involved! … with a lot of very DIFFERENT stuff! It’s a shame that this person didn’t devote their apparently ample amount of time into fewer activities, and extend the depth of involvement further into a clear family of EC’s”</p>
<p>That’s not to say that any one of these activities is something that HYP doesn’t want on campus. You may fill one of their slots in creating a “full” class with any/multiple activities. It’s just hard to tell</p>
<p>Well, I can’t see how I could have really done anything in more depth. My passions are in politics and history, and I contacted countless state and local politicians, trying to get an internship or a volunteer opportunity. Only one responded, the gubernatorial campaign. And there wasn’t anything I could do with history…
Oh, well…</p>