Do my extracurriculars seem all over the place?
I will definitely be applying to some selective universities (Ivy Leagues), and I’m in particular interested in Stanford. However, I do know my chances are slim and I’m prepared to go to the University of Michigan instead of Stanford (my chances are high there as my Dad went there and I have spoken to several Professors there who are willing to write me a letter of recommendation). I feel that my extracurriculars are the weakest part of my application, as I have good grades, I’ve been looking at some SAT things and I was able to achieve above a 700 on a practice math test (Reading remained in the 600s but I’m not worried about it), and I believe I will have good essays as I’m really into creative writing. I really want to know if my extracurriculars are all over the place. I want to be a Biology major and a creative writing minor, and I plan to go to medical school. I’m a sophomore, and I started all my extracurriculars this year due to my Mom’s knee replacement. I’m considering dropping Robotics because it’s not very relevant, but it will be my only three-year commitment other than Biology Club if I keep it. Plus, I enjoy it a lot, even though I don’t plan to pursue programming. What should I do?
Here they are:
Note for the “starting next years”: I would’ve started this year but my teachers from freshman year were too busy/not interested in advising it. However, I was able to find advisors this year.
Another note: The only reason why I created so many clubs was not just for the sake of leadership but because they simply don’t exist in my school. My school has a plethora of extracurriculars, but only Astronomy Club and Science Olympiad are science related. We do have a Michigan Science Bowl, but I didn’t have time to participate this year and probably won’t have time next year. And then the Cancer Awareness Group was something I’ve been interested in since middle school.
Creative Writing Club, President and Founder-starting next year
Book Club- 1 year
Cancer Awareness Group-President and Founder-starting next year
Robotics-1 year
Biology Club-1 year President and Founder, started this year
Science Olympiad-1 year
Summer:
Starting a Biology YouTube Channel (similar to Crash Course, took me awhile to raise money to get equipment)
Biomedical Camp @ Lake Superior State University
VA Hospital Volunteering
Edit: I’m also going to a leadership camp at Albion.
Please don’t say that my extracurriculars aren’t “special.” Not everyone has the resources to create a cure for cancer and then win Intel Science Fair.
Thanks,
Hannah
Those are not good extracurriculars, sorry… Just Kidding!, the only ones who can tell whether they are good for getting in or not are the members of Adcom. (adding standardized tests, GPA, recs, and essays)
Keep in mind that if you are asking in reference to highly competitive schools, it isn’t the “belonging” but the achievement that is important. So, it is what you’ve achieved while being involved with a club or organization that is important. Your EC’s read as a list, which is probably only a function of how you wrote it-what did you accomplish in Robotic or in SO, for instance? Did your team go to States, Nationals? Did you get any individual medals or awards? . I"d also not recommend starting clubs with the idea of looking like a leader by doing so. If you’d start two clubs even if you were never going to let colleges know, because you are really driven to have that kind of club at your school, then by all means go for it. But if you are doing it to impress colleges for admissions, I’d skip it. Be fully involved in what you are already doing and be able to report what you were able to achieve by doing so (i.e. medals for individual events at SO, for example. It would certainly be better to show that your Biology Club accomplished something than it would be to show you’ve started a bunch of new clubs that have nothing much to show for themselves. As an aside, the issue isn’t about “being special” but about involving yourself in activities that you find valuable, and showing that you have contributed and achieved while involved-- then finding colleges that select you because they are a good fit to what you’ve been achieving. Also, achieving does not necessarily take any resources at all. You could always submit a paper to a student oriented journal, for instance.
@lostaccount
Thanks so much!
I really didn’t mean for it to be a leadership thing, I just really wanted to have those clubs at our school. My old school really promoted math and science and had those clubs at the middle school level, so I was surprised that bigger (and wealthier) high school didn’t have one.
I was thinking for Biology Club, it could be a feeder into Science Olympiad, as this year there were only TWO participants in Science Olympiad. And I was looking into a Biology Quiz Bowl thing.
As for Creative Writing, I was thinking about creating an anthology. Although I’m running low on ideas for my Creative Writing Club. It has to be fun because almost everyone I know hates writing.
As for Cancer Awareness, I have this elaborate plan of how we’ll have a different theme each month (as every month is dedicated to a different cancer) and we could get money through dances, Spirit Days, and class competitions.
I’m not in these multiple clubs for the sake of being competitive, they are things I truly enjoy. Which is one thing that is REALLY annoying about my new high school. I swear they have activities for all other interests EXCEPT mine.
Also, although I haven’t critically looked at any college applications, where do you include extracurricular achievements?