hey,
So I need some extracurriculars that helped you guys get into colleges like I feel like that I don’t have any special extracurriculars. I applied for a leadership position for this club. I was really active in, and they gave it to a freshman, smh.
So ya can u guys help me with this. Thank you so much!!!
Read “How to be a High School Superstar” by Cal Newport, it has some good thoughts on how colleges look at ECs. In school, look at robotics, math clubs or competitions, quiz bowl, science olympiads, academic decathlon. Try hackathons.
What are you interested in? If you’re looking for specific recommendations those would help.
Keep in mind that no EC is better than another. It is what you with the opportunity, and where you take it that matters. Sometimes this means getting awards/recognitions, but simply getting increasing responsibilities, kicking things up a notch, or diversifying your experiences (with a common thread) is just as good. Of course you have to be able to express in an interesting and well-written fashion what you learned and how you grew from the experience.
I suggest at least one related to your future major (if you know what that is) and at least one not related/done purely for fun.
Also keep in mind that leadership doesn’t have to mean being an officer/having a title in a club. It can be anything from holding a position of responsibility to merely setting a good example for the younger and newer students in your group.
What do you like to do?
I liked sports and marching band.
Some people like Model UN or Debate.
SOme people volunteer at their house of worship.
You are right, you need to look at leadership opportunities (generally this would happen as a junior/senior), but it doesn’t have to be Prez of a club.
So for your club…can you organize an activity? Run a recruitment effort? Lead a fundraising effort?
Leadership
When I was a senior in HS, I was a 4 yr Varsity soccer goalie. The coach picked captains, and it wasn’t me. I was mildly disappointed.But In College, they started a Women’s varsity soccer team (this was way back). I helped recruit players, I showed players kicking techniques. Not because I was trying to get anything out of it for myself, but because I wanted our team to succeed. I was named Captain. Then I was ready…I was showing leadership.
Leadership can be President of a club or Captain of the Team or Section Leader in Band. But it can also be:
-Student involved in ethnic community center for years and then is asked to teach little kids
-Actual officer in a club
-Watched his little brother after school and encouraged parents to sign up brother for sports team and took him to practice and helped him with his homework
-Within a club, organized an activity for that club
-Led a community service activity
-Lead singer of a band - sings, chooses set list, organizes transportation for other members
-Summer Camp counselor
-Boy Scout Eagle Award/Girl Scout Gold Award
-EMT Cadet
-Boys State/Girls State
-Tutors others
I agree…Check out “How to be a High School Superstar” by Cal Newport.
“The basic message of the book is this: Don’t wear yourself out taking as many classes as you can and being involved in every club and sport. Instead, leave yourself enough free time to explore your interests. Cultivate one interest and make it into something special that will make you stand out among the other applicants and get you into the toughest schools, even if your grades and scores aren’t stellar. Newport calls this the “relaxed superstar approach,” and he shows you how to really do this, breaking the process down into three principles, explained and illustrated with real life examples of students who got into top schools: (1) underscheduling—making sure you have copious amounts of free time to pursue interesting things, (2) focusing on one or two pursuits instead of trying to be a “jack of all trades,” and (3) innovation—developing an interesting and important activity or project in your area of interest. This fruit yielded by this strategy, an interesting life and real, meaningful achievements, is sure to help not only with college admissions, but getting a job, starting a business, or whatever your goals.”
http://www.examiner.com/review/be-a-relaxed-high-school-superstar
The best ideas for ECs will come from you, not from a blog filled with people who never met you. Seek out things in your school or community that YOU are passionate about, that YOU want to invest time and energy into, that YOU feel you can make a difference doing.