<p>I'll probably have around a 3.6 or 3.7 unweighted and about 4.5+ weighted GPA by the end of this year and I have a 2200+ on the SAT(will probably exceed 2250). But the problem is I don't really have any EC's or Volunteer hours aside from NHS. I'm wondering what would be the best way to make my application stand out. I know most people join five clubs and try to get leadership positions in them just to pad their resumes, but I figure that most college admission officers find the bs rather quickly. So I'm wondering what would be the best path to take; currently I'm a junior and halfway through the second marking period so I really need to pick up some EC's. FYI, its a big school so theres all the generic FBLA,MUN,FCCLA...etc clubs, but I think it might be too late in the year to join them. And my options for volunteering are probably the YMCA, Red Cross, or the hospital. I can probably tutor or find a job at some restaurant. There are other possibilities too that I probably haven't looked into. And I can help my parents with their work, not just paper work, but something that requires a bit of thinking. So if anyone can fill me in on the best route to take,please do; I'll be thankful.</p>
<p>A job is good, a lot of places you aren’t allowed to work until you’re older so it wouldn’t necessarily seem like resume padding, just make sure you can still keep your grades up. See if you can get an internship over the summer that has to do with your career path, or a volunteer position specific to that time like life-guarding. Do you care for any siblings/pets after school or play an instrument/do art/skateboard? There are a lot of miscellaneous activities that count as EC’s. Get started on finding things as soon as possible, and when you apply make sure to stress one you particularly like as a passion, because colleges often go for quality over quantity especially in a big school like yours where I’m sure everyone joins everything. Anyone else have input?</p>