I am currently a freshmen in highschool and I’m having some problems with clubs. At first I was only a part of one club (Mayor’s Youth Leadership Counsil). So I joined more. Now I’m a part of MYLC, InterACT (volunteer type of club), Cardio Club, and the Book Club. This year I’m also planning on joining the lacrosse team in spring. So freshmen year these are my extracurriculars: MYLC, InterACT, Book Club, Lacrosse, and Cardio Club. I was on the swim team and another club in the beginning of the year but I left those. Next year (10th grade), I want to quit the book club and join cross country in the fall. Am I doing too little or too much? I’m just so confused. I want to get into good colleges like UCLA, Stanford, and CIT. Are these enough? Also is quitting so much a bad thing? Like I quit the swim team and a club, and I plan on quitting the book club next year. Also I don’t really enjoy InterACT but I have to stay because my school requires some type of volunteer work to graduate. Im just all over the place, someone please help.
I’m assuming you mean Calfornia Insitute of Technology. Its usually abbreviated as CalTech. Massacuettes Insitute of Technology is usually abbreviated as MIT. It doesn’t really matter; it just caught my eye.
The general rule for ECs is do what you love and strive to be the best at it. Adcomms want to see passion in what you are doing, especially at top schools. Do you enjoy those activities? If so continue on. If not drop them and find something else.
In terms of how much, what you want to convey to adcomms is dedication. Do what you can while still having plenty of time for homework and studying and some relaxation time built in. For most people this would amount to a sport, 1 if it’s year round or possibly 2 that have different seasons, and maybe a few clubs, depending on third time commitment. So what you are doing is good!
You are correct in that your intrests are a bit scattered, but that’s to be expected from a freshman. You’ll hear people around here to tell freshman to join a wide variety of activities and, then as the years progress, drop what you don’t like and keep what you do. Your intrests will refine as you get older and by the time you apply to apply to college you will have figured it out. Just keep doing what you are doing and you’ll be fine.
It’s good that you are doing volunteer work! If you don’t like the club, is there another way you could volunteer? Maybe look at your local hospital, museum, or library to start. There are some really cool places to volunteer if you look. I horseback ride and am going to volunteer at a therapeutic horseback riding center for kids with disabilities sometime soon (hopefully!) Also since CalTech is so STEM heavy, you probably want to have some research exeperience to be competitive. You don’t necessarily have to do that now, but it’s something to think about.
Honestly I’m not interested in everything I’m doing. Im in MYLC, InterACT, book club, and cardio club. I LOVE LOVE LOVE MYLC, and I like the cardio club alot too. I’m only doing interact so I can have volunteer hours but Im not enjoying it, I also feel like a fish out of water in the book club. I’m planning on quitting InterACT and book club. So I’ll only have MYLC and Cardio Club. Also I’m joining the Lacrosse team in the spring and hopefully cross country next fall. And these I truly care about. So that basically results to 2 clubs and 2 sports.
Cardio Club sounds a little bit fake to me… idk maybe it’s a really big deal at your school, but if you’re doing an exercise-type activity you might as well do a sport… it sounds like you’re doing cross country though. Make sure to run in the offseason if you want to really be competitive/make varsity.
I’m doing cardio club to prepare for lacrosse tryouts. And I haven’t done cross country yet. It already begun by the time I wanted to do it so I have to wait till fall. But again cardio club is to prepare me for the 2 sports. And ur right I don’t really think colleges will look too much into that cuz I don’t think there’s leadership or anything like that in the cardio club. I just havent found alot of things Im passionate about ig.