Extracurricular Panic

I’m a junior in high school who’s looking to apply to schools like William and Mary (33% of applicants accepted) and UVA (29%). I’m a little terrified because my family’s moved twice since I entered high school and I haven’t managed to stick with anything consistently. I took voice freshman year, then dropped it because we moved. Would picking it up again over the summer through senior year be a good plan? I also was very involved in theatre the last half of freshman year and all of sophomore year, including writing a few scripts - that were performed! - for one of the groups I was a member of. Since moving back to Virginia, though, I haven’t been able to find a theatre group, although I’ve taken several trips to NYC to see shows on Broadway & caught a few shows on tour. Will that be enough to demonstrate considerable interest? My mom suggested writing a few plays for contests and I might do that, too.

I volunteer at the local hospital for four hours every Friday & I plan on working with the volunteer coordinator to see if I can head a project at the hospital. I also plan on getting a job this year.

Senior year, I intend to join my online school’s creative writing club and possibly speech & debate club or newspaper club. I also may volunteer to tutor some students in science and or math, depending on how my schedule pans out.

But I’m terrified that because I haven’t really /been/ in any clubs, I won’t have an opportunity to display my passions – even though I’ve been involved with writing and theatre throughout high school. Also, I’m concerned about lack of leadership opportunities – I’m taking a leadership summer camp (I’ve also taken their chemistry, anatomy, biology, psychology, and forensic psychology camps) but I don’t think that’s all that significant.

Basically, will my extracurriculars stack up, and what can I do to show leadership in my community?

Thanks!

It’s not about what ECs you do, it’s how you contribute within them. Think about the things that you naturally add value to and focus on those. It’s naturally easier to contribute more value in something that is a passion or genuine interest. Those are the kinds of details that need to be conveyed in your application.

Don’t worry about concrete EC’s like clubs and stuff. Anything you do can be considered an EC. Writing and theater, something you’ve been involved with for a long stretch of time, can fall in that category. Volunteering and tutoring also work out great. If you’re involved with church in any way, that can be a great EC as well.

Quality over quantity. Don’t load up with all these clubs and other activities that you might be overwhelmed with. It’s good to pick up some extra stuff but don’t weigh your burden too much. Good luck!

Your GC can explain any inconsistencies caused by you moving around. It should be apparent with your various school transcripts. Agreed about quality over quantity. Also, for William and Mary at least, I know you can send in an art supplement so you can display your talent that way