<p>I'm a junior and I used to think my extra curriculars were good but now I'm starting to wonder if they have no focus. I either want to major in economics or biology at Harvard or any of the top schools. Here's what I have done.
Soccer (Junior Varsity) 9th and 10th grade
Soccer (Varsity) 11th and 12th grade
Varsity Track
Speech Team
Science Olympiad
Scholastic bowl
Editor of the school newspaper
Founder and President of Law Club (Mock elections)
President of Drama Club
Spotlight Choir ( Afterschool Choir)
Reverb Choir (Afterschool Choir)
Featured Dancer in Singin' In the Rain (Spring 9th Grade Musical)
Mark in Rent: School Edition (Spring 10th Grade Musical)
Applied and was choosen to study abroad in Spain through a program in my school
60+ hours of community service in my community
Are these too ordinary??
All feedback is appreciated!</p>
<p>To be frank, your ECs probably aren’t going to pull you over the top, although you have a resume comparable to that of many applicants, so if the other parts of your application hold up, you certainly have a good shot.
There’s nothing that demonstrates special aptitude or achievement in a particular area (relative to other Harvard applicants), but you may be one of the well rounded kids who gets in.</p>
<p>O.O
Is there even that many slots on the common application?</p>
<p>Seems like your ECs are fine. Just out of curiosity, are you a girl?</p>
<p>Also, having standard extra curriculars isn’t a bad thing. You don’t have to make yourself seem queer.</p>
<p>No I’m a boy haha</p>
<p>“You don’t have to make yourself seem queer.”</p>
<p>That’s a really silly comment to make. Putting aside the fact that being involved with drama or choir hardly means one is queer, stereotypes not withstanding, is there something wrong with coming across as queer on one’s college app?</p>
<p>Is there something particularly wrong with homosexuality? Considering the fact it’s illegal for universities and colleges to discriminate against applicants based on sexuality and gender, as well as the fact being in chorus and a musical is not indicative of one’s sexuality, your comment has absolutely no grounds in this forum.</p>
<p>I have to agree that your comment is in extremely poor taste, and frankly, disturbs me a little. </p>
<p>I’m not sure that it’s illegal for colleges to discriminate based on sexuality, though. Sexuality is not considered a suspect class (though I believe it should be), and single-sex colleges are of course available for those who identify as male or female. Additionally, the USMAs could conceivably have rejected homosexual applicants prior to the very recent repeal of DADT. That said, I think bias against homosexuals in the US, including the admissions process, is simply wrong.</p>
<p>Plenty of famous male singers, actors, and musicians. Really poor extrapolation</p>
<p>Do we have ppl here in a sexual idenity crisis?:(:eek:</p>
<p>The dude’s comment was in poor taste but he was probably using “queer” in the “weird” sense, as opposed to the "homosexual’ sense.</p>
<p>Your question was “Are these too ordinary??”, and to be fair, the extracurriculars you have listed are very impressive compared to an average high school student, and you should be proud (and happy) with what you do.</p>
<p>In terms of “top schools” and Harvard, every student here has great extracurriculars. Some of them, like me, and like you, are very well-rounded in what they did for extracurriculars in high school. Some of them are intensely focused on certain things (I have a friend who was one of the top skiers in Minnesota in high school, an international friend who is country’s representative to the UN for certain topics, a friend who won Teen Jeopardy, and know of many more extraordinary people). And then some of them are known for things other than their extracurriculars (the Jordanian prime minister’s son, the Turkish president’s son, and the Asian girl from Degrassi).</p>
<p>In the end, you’re in the same league (even though the examples of the extraordinary people may not make it seem so) as the majority of the applicants and students here in terms of extracurriculars. It’s not so much what you do as how you represent yourself in your essay(s). It is especially IMPORTANT in the case of well-rounded applicants that you show the admissions committees in some way that you are passionate about what you do, and that they’re not just r</p>
<p>Your extracurriculars seem good. While they don’t show a complete interest in one subject, Harvard admits well-rounded applicants as well as those who have “focused” extracurriculars. However, due to the fact that you don’t necessarily demonstrate a defined interest, you have to showcase this in other parts of your application. Also, remember that while extracurriculars are important, academics are of equal or even greater significance.</p>
<p>It just so happens that we’re in the same boat 
My ECs are okay, but not special at all compared to the rest of the applicant pool.</p>
<p>Student Council President, VP, Recording Secretary (First Asian president lolz)
Model UN Head Delegate
Marching Band USSBA New Jersey State Champions, Northern States 3rd place
NJJCL Certamen (Latin) 2nd Place
National Latin Exam (numerous awards)
Varsity Choir (International competition thingy)
Freshman Transition Team (Student ambassadors)
Chinese Club President and Founder
Latin Club Corresponding Secretary
Multicultural Task Force
Work in a Japanese restaurant (waiter)
Play keys and guitar for my indie/alternative band, lots of $ and community service
200+ Volunteer hours as a Chinese School teaching assistant
200+ other volunteer hours (homeless in NYC, children in the YMCA, nursing homes, children with cancer)
Oh yeah, and NHS. Who cares about NHS haha.</p>
<p>Don’t worry OP, you’re not alone =D
Can we make it? Let’s wait till April and find out ;)</p>
<p>I meant queer as in “unusual,” not gay…</p>
<p>I think your extracurriculars are great, but for the top schools
from what people have said about mine you may need to emphasis
the focus when applying rather than just listing everything.
You have done a lot of great things but i think its a matter of
correctly wording it and using it to your advantage.</p>