<p>This isn't really a chance, but how important are extracurriculars for ivies?
I go to a top high school and am a rising junior, but my Governor cut around 80% of the school budget so we lost about 3/4 of all of our clubs and a lot of teachers/administrators.</p>
<p>The sports teams are still there because our school places more emphasis on sports than on clubs.</p>
<p>I was going to be an officer in several clubs, but they all got cut. On my college app, should I write down that I was an avid participant until the clubs got cut? Or will that somehow negatively affect my app?</p>
<p>Furthermore, how much more important is a school club compared to a community club you started by yourself? I would like to start a community club, but I am afraid colleges will not hold it to a high regard : (</p>
<p>Honestly dude, don’t start clubs because it will look good on your application. Start clubs because you really feel passionate about that cause. Also, if you were really passionate about an extracurricular, you should find some way to pursue it outside of school instead of moping about how your budget got cut.</p>
<p>Dedication to an activity and true interest is what admission people look for, not sheer numbers of clubs.</p>
<p>I say go ahead and start that community club. It’ll “look” better than having done nothing at all.</p>
<p>You should definitely convey to colleges that school budget crisis cut your school clubs. Also, this is a prime opportunity for you to distinguish yourself from the horde of qualified ivy applicants. You should try to continue a few of those clubs on your own, outside of school. When i say “on your own” i mean you become president or organizer of the club and still have members of your club. Hold meetings at local public places near your school (after school) and organize fundraisers to raise money if you need it. Take iniative and make the most of a bad situation. Other viable options-----a) get a job b) join a sport c) develop a hobby outside of school (i love b-ball so i play it all the time at local parks or at my house, i plan on using this as an ec on my app to which i devote a significant time to, you can do something similar that you are passionate about) Good Luck :)</p>