My friend told me and i just wanted confirmation
Put another way, having no ECs doesn’t usually help your app. ECs matter more at highly selective colleges, and there are plenty of non-selective or high-acceptance rate colleges where they factor in very little. I would say that the majority of colleges fall somewhere in the spectrum of the two. If you are applying to colleges with, I am guessing, anything below an acceptance rate of 75%, they are going to matter at least a little. (Anyone feel free to correct me if I am wrong, please.)
I agree with @Lindagaf .
At selective schools they are hoping to fill their class with people who don’t sit in their dorm rooms constantly. They want students who are the ones who will go out and start an activity of some sort, and they will also, if natural leaders, perhaps go on to become leaders in their communities or occupations after graduation. That may bring in some alumni donations and prestige to the school. The strong alumni will also reach back to the school as mentors and bring the next group of leaders into their occupations and nurture their careers. It’s a bet on the student’s future as the school’s future. Yes, the schools do start nurturing those alumni this early. Indeed they do.
The ECs are also a way to help divvy merit aid if you are seeking that. A school may want X talent for whatever reason and they may lure your child with aid for that talent. Maybe the school has an alumnus/a who donated funds specifically to nurture that talent. Maybe the school has always had a strong, I don’t know, crew team and they need strong rowers. That sort of thing. For whatever reason, listing your interests is helpful. ECs are a way of putting umph behind your assertions that you are interested in something.
It is important to understand that ECs are not just after school clubs and the like. A job is an EC. Taking care of younger siblings is an EC. Preparing family meals and doing housework, and expected and necessary tasks, are EC’s. Volunteering is an EC. Going to the gym is an EC. Anything you spend regular, committed time doing is an EC.
I think that it is best to be involved in things you are genuinely interested in, and not to get into college. Many colleges can tell the difference anyway. Use your high school years to explore what you are interested in and grow as a person and things will work out in terms of college.
Thank you for your info and insight
Agree with all of the above. I would add that the importance of ECs also could depend on the type of school you are looking at. Many huge schools get such a high volume of applications that their acceptances become more driven by academic stats. Smaller universities and LACs can have time to look more closely at ECs etc.
I would suggest that involvement in ECs is a good thing to do in HS regardless of its impact on college applications. It helps with personal growth, gives a chance explore an area of interest in-depth, helps develop new friendships etc.