<p>Do you want many extracurriculars or just one time consuming one?</p>
<p>Top universities want both, actually. (Demanding, I know.) You should have a bunch of ECs that show leadership and excellence, but also you should have a strong focus on a certain area (and it doesn't always have to very specific). So quality over quantity tends not to work -- top U's want both quality and quantity, but more so the former than the latter.</p>
<p>There is a common mantra: Colleges want a well-rounded student body, not overly rounded students.</p>
<p>Show your passion in a select number of areas while showing overall leadership. I don't have a sport for every season at my school, but while the schools I like may have 200 students apply with three sports per school year, they won't have even twenty who have played competitive equestrian polo for four years. While they will have tons of students who apply with jobs, they will have almost none who apply with work experience in my two employment areas. They will have far more people apply who list writing as a hobby than people who have as much published as I do.</p>
<p>Set yourself apart.</p>
<p>Yes - set yourself apart. Just make sure you are always busy. If you're not always busy and have time to go to the club every Friday/Saturday night you're not busy enough.</p>
<p>I am wondering because I have friends who play 3 school sports (1 each season). However, I swim competitively 11 months out of the year. 6 practices a week (5-7 AM) plus meets. I don't have time for much else. However, I do manage to get community service in.</p>
<p>Are your friends actually GOOD at those activities, or do they just * ** do * ** them?</p>
<p>they are good enough to get on the school teams, however, i don't know how competitive they are. they are on jv.</p>