Hey, so I’m working on my college list and such. Looking at competitive schools like Yale, Brown, Amherst, Wesleyan, and Pomona. (I do have targets and safeties, but as is human nature, most of my top choices are in the reach category). I’ve done well academically, 4.0 in rigorous full IB schedule, blah blah. As for extracurriculars, i thought i was going a good job until I saw some of the prodigies on this site. LOL. (They do actually exist at my school too just not ib the same proportions).
Anyway, throughout HS I’ve been pretty involved in debate, theater, writing, political activism, and community Service. captain of debate, president of a political activism club (currently working on some serious advocacy there). Write for school Newspaper and an outside political publication. Also write creatively and have gotten a Scholastic award. I could go on.
Despite having been interested in writing and theater for most of my life, I can only say that I fully immersed myself in these things starting in 9th grade. I’m not like those people who have been playing cello since they were 2 or something and thus can make a compelling case for why they’ll contribute that to the college. But, that said, i really really really love my ecs and do want to continue my extracurriculars in college, if not theater then at least the 3 others.
I will be marking this on the common app. I’m wondering if colleges actually pay any attention to this? Or is this just another thing that students use to game the system? (I wouldn’t be surprised). All the successful applicants I know to top schools planned on continuing ec’s, and genuinely cared about their EC’s. I want to be one of those people and to convey that to colleges, even in the absence of some crazy unique activity or national award. Thoughts?