Hi CCers,
Long time lurker here. I am currently a sophomore in the following ECs:
Notable (?):
Managing Editor of School Paper
Founder of FBLA (Competitive business club)
Debate (Lincoln-Douglass, novice)-often place in JV, (doesn’t mean anything though)
President of Spanish Club
Service:
Hospital Volunteer, Front Desk-every Saturday 4hrs
JCC (We meet with teenagers who have committed mild crimes and warn them off)
School Library Volunteer
Standarized test scores so far: 720 SAT2 Bio, 199 PSAT, 5 in AP Chinese
(anti-)Hook: Asian-American born in China
What else can I do!!! I don’t do anything outside of school for ECs and I don’t do a sport/play instrument. My top schools are Columbia and UChicago (I’m a city girl). Looking at my current ECs, I really feel like I’m lacking in comparison to other CC applicants. I don’t have any major awards or full scores…Can any CCers recommend some ECs I should join? Or any way that I can improve my current ECs?
My FBLA club was founded this spring, and we missed all the big competitions. I’m looking for an FBLA mentor because no one at my school has any experience with FBLA compeitions. Any LD advice for a novice is also greatly appreciated!
I actually go into University of Chicago. I think you’re doing fine! My only recommendation is to really pad that community service. I personally, and I know a lot of colleges agree, believe that front desk work and stuff like that isn’t really volunteering. Get in the community and make a difference. Be an active volunteer at the soup kitchen or something.
I would also advise you to start something. Whether you start a club that benefits the community, or you start a service project, whatever, just show that you’re a self-starter and a leader. I actually did both of those. I started a club that provided 70 tutors to a low-income elementary school once a week. And I did the ladder as well. Just keep going. Keep looking for ways that you can grow as a person. Start something that matters:) (sports and band aren’t going to get you into columbia, so don’t worry about that).
@RKD89023 No you don’t. You can’t go around saying you got to Miami of Ohio, UNC Chapel Hill, and UChicago all in the same day. You don’t get into UChicago with a 1900 SAT.
Not to be snarky, but sports DID get several students from my school into Columbia from past years - they were all recruited athletes.
@TheMochi, I know that sports/instruments aren’t the only way to get into those schools. You should definitely work on that business club of yours, that’s a unique EC
Actually, what kind of stuff are you into, anyways? It’s hard to suggest ECs if they don’t know what you’re into. for example: people who are into programming may design apps or even create an app making company.
Yes, sorry. I misread it after I saw you said you go to Miami and UNC. I recommend speech, which you already have, and then just some others you enjoy and would stick with. Debate is the one that stands out, so just does some work in the community , internships, and take care of academics.
Yes, I’m going to be varsity next year and I hope to attend nsd camp this summer to improve my LD skills. @noemii Thanks for your response! I’m interested in languages (taking French and Spanish) but I’m good at math, and I enjoy economics and debate. I applied to the Girls Who Code summer program, but I probably won’t get in because I have no experience in code (It’s definitely a valuable skill I’d like to learn, but my school’s AP CompSci curriculum is lacking…) Other Summer programs I applied to: Jcamp (journalism), marie curie academy (math@cornell), and nsd debate camp. Do you have any recommendations off of that?
@mrnephew Thank you for the suggestion. I will be debating Varsity next year, do you have any tips/reading materials you could point me to? thanks!
Nice. That’s the type I do as well. You just want to keep researching, looking for cards and continue improving throughout the two month period. At the competition, wear a nice suit, thick tie knot (look at my avatar ), it makes you look better at debating than you perhaps are and makes the judge automatically think higher of you. Simple psychological thing to give you a step up.
I think that’s cool that you’re into foreign languages!! Unfortunately, I don’t know how you would put that on your resume, unless you took an official proficiency test.
Another poster on CC that I saw a while back was able to incorporate their dedication to learning Russian via community service. They volunteered at a senior home (I think) where most people only spoke Russian. I did the same, except with Japanese. If you do something like this, when you describe your activity, you can mention that you assist people in both English and Spanish/French.
How did you get into the JCC thing? That seems really interesting and is something I’d like to start as well. What state do you live in? I’m not sure if my area has that type of program as well.
Considering you like debate and business oriented things you might want to start a JSA chapter at your school. It’s a national political science club that has some pretty cool features and I think it would look nice on your application to be a leader of something like that, if that’s what you’re into.
@awesomepolyglot I’ve tried googling it already but have yet to find a program where minors can participate. @TheMochi do you mind telling me what program it is/how to join?
