Does this count as an EC?

Applying to College
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<p>Ok, so I'm running out of time in high school to have EC's. Right now I only have 2 years of JV soccer (I hear JV doesn't even count), what will be 2 years of NHS at the end of my senior year, and 4 years of Historic Battles Club.
I know, pathetic right?
So if i take a language over summer would that count as an EC?
Any other ideas on possible EC's? Volunteer work? Does that count???</p>

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<p>There is no concrete definition for EC’s except that they are things that you do outside of your academic classes</p>

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<p>I would be more specific, jgraider. It has to be legal (so all those hours you spend smoking pot and throwing bottles into windows doesn’t count), and it has to be something relatively organized. It doesn’t have to have a name like National Honor Society, but you can’t put “sleeping” or “watching TV” as ECs. Volunteering definitely counts. </p>

<p>Honestly, I don’t see what’s wrong with your extracurricular activities. The vast (vast) majority of schools don’t even give a damn about ECs except for maybe a couple of merit scholarships. The only colleges that really use it significantly are places like Harvard, where they get so many applicants with good grades and SAT scores that they use activities, essays, and other supplemental materials to decide between highly-qualified applicants.</p>

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<p>^Ehhh take this with a grain of salt… most top 40 Unis and top 30 LAC’s factor in extracurriculars significantly…</p>

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<p>I figured this went without saying haha</p>

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<p>Those aren’t the vast majority of schools, though. It’s hard to look beyond the “CC Bubble”, but most schools aren’t the top 40 universities in the United States. Most schools look at two things; GPA and SAT scores. They care about the other stuff, but they aren’t anywhere heavily weighted as grades and scores and “only” having three major ECs isn’t something to be having ulcers over. State schools also obviously take into account state residence, and that’s about it.</p>

<p>Now, Drought is correct if you’re talking about those high-ranked schools, ECs become a factor because they are deluged by highly-qualified applicants.</p>

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<p>I imagine that the OP is looking at those top schools, given that s/he’s worried enough to post on a college forum in his/her spare time. </p>

<p>Getting a job during the summer is a perfectly viable option as well.</p>