<p>Hello :)
I'm a British, white female looking to apply to the US in 2012.
I've just done my gcses & I don't know if any of you understand our system, but if you do, I got 4<em>, 4A, 1B (although that may change due to remarks etc). (A</em> is the top grade, then A, B, C (anything lower than C is considered a fail)).
I'm going to be taking a pretty demanding course next year but my concern is my ECs.
Due to bullying & general unhappiness, I didn't really participate in anything other than house events (I go to a boarding school). I started (or tried to) to do more things last year but they all got either cancelled or never started but I'm ready to do a lot more this year.
My question is, how badly will only having done ECs for 2 years hurt my application to the top schools??
I write in my spare time & have done for many years.
I have won school prizes for Classical Civilisation & History.
I've played the flute for 5 years but don't play anymore due to the fact that it was getting too expensive.
I've been a RAF cadet for 2 years but have decided not to continue with that for the next two years of my schooling and instead opt for the Duke of Edinburgh award.
Next year, I will be helping to organise a charity dinner, joining the Literary, Politics & Debating societies and doing an Extended Project Qualification, which involves a presentation, essay & lots of research.
Also, I will be writing for the school magazine & doing volunteering.
Thank you for your input :)</p>
<p>To look judge how good an applicant’s extracurriculars are, you don’t look at the how many and how long he/she has been involved in clubs, but instead you look at the volume of awards and achievements he/she has received. </p>
<p>Though you may only be involved in one or two activities, what’s more important is succeeding extraordinarily, i.e. your writing awards and published literature.</p>
<p>Aw, that makes me feel better… I had a rough couple of years and well, if I could go back and change them then trust me, I would. Thanks for answering. Anybody else have an opinion on this?</p>