<p>I wanted to end up doing clubs this year and try to get some leadership (I'm a sophomore), but I haven't really had time to join anything. School is a lot of work this year, and I'm in marching band, which is very time consuming, and a main reason why I don't have time to join much else. I'm also in advanced orchestra, will be in another band this year, Latin Club, Latin Honors Society, and Model U.N. I'm pretty sure I'll be president of Latin Club, will go for a good position in Model U.N., can possibly get orchestra officer and marching band officer, but that's really all I have time for. Will these clubs (which take hours of work) look comparably good against someone else who is part of twice as many clubs, but clubs that meet just a few times a year? I want to join more (not just for college, but for fun), but I really don't have time for much more things, except for homework and relaxing at home, which I rarely do anymore. What should I do?</p>
<p>You've got to realize that it's not the amount of contributions that is important, but rather the depth of your contribution. I'd say it's better to have a significant role in just ONE club, than to spread yourself too thing. I spread myself too thing in junior year and it was horrible. I got a bit under 5 hrs of sleep each night and my marks suffered as well. </p>
<p>I'm trying to take it is easy senior year, by focusing on just three things that I find important.</p>
<p>its not quantity its quality. i know that sounds cliche but its true. its much more important to be REALLY devoted to a few clubs than scattered out in a few not having leadership positions in any. if you are very devoted to those few clubs u will get stellar recommendations and your number of hours devoted will present themselves. dont worry that you arent in that many clubs. being in too many can be detrimental sometimes</p>
<p>Good to see things haven't changed over the past four years. :rolleyes: We still get a "HOW DO I MAKE MY RESUME LOOK BETTER DO I HAVE ENOUGH ACTIVITIES" thread every week.</p>
<p>The number of activities you have is fine. Now just spend your next years sticking with them & making more and more contributions.</p>
<p>Resume padding: a viable strategy since 1998.</p>
<p>If you want real advice, try not joining everything humanely possible. The Common Application only gives you 7 spots for a reason; admissions officers like seeing quality, not quantity. Unless you are truly devoted and dedicated to/interested in those clubs and organizations, you are wasting your time by joining them. Doing something you care about and will actually accomplish something in, or something productive and unique, is a much more intelligent course of action than blindly attempting to participate in a bunch of clubs that exist in 75% of America's high schools in order to make your resume look good (primarily, because it won't).</p>
<p>This wasn't addressed at the OP in particular, since I think its relevant to many freshman/sophomores who might be reading it.</p>
<p>Passion > Quantity</p>
<p>My philosophy on ECs: Do what you want, and don't be lazy. If you want to do a club do it and commit. Don't join stupid dippy activities that you don't like because you think they look good, because they don't, especially if you don't commit, which you won't unless you enjoy being miserable.</p>
<p>Yea, some kid I know at school asked me when environmental club was so he could join, and when he came to the meeting, the whole time he was whispering to me "How long is the meeting? When is it over?". People who do that might as well not join at all.</p>
<p>LOL We were breaking into committees at one group I was a member of and a large group of people literally had to discuss which would look better on their college applications before joining one. Freaking committees!</p>
<p>Keep the activities you've got and get leadership positions that fit your talents. President isn't for everyone, and in most of my clubs, the President isn't the most talented or active member. Lots of times it's the kid with a knack for making flyers or talking to community leaders that really gets things done, and yes, colleges will recognize that if your contribution is important enough to write on your app. </p>
<p>Focus less on what you can label yourself as and more on making actual contributions. Believe it or not (and you can find approximately 29343908432048 other posts on this forum attesting to this), adcoms are HUMAN beings. They can smell BS as well as anyone else.</p>
<p>Oh, these forum noobs...totally. I have a feeling 99% of these people don't go on any other forums that actually represent the internetz much more.</p>
<p>Either way, date: 2004.</p>