<p>hi! im new here. :) i wanted to know how important sports are to colleges, and about how many extracurriculars would impress the big schools. im a freshman right now and i dont have too many extracurriculars under my belt yet. but this years almost over, and i want to know what my game plan should be from here on out. thanks!</p>
<p>Ahhh, a freshie! First of all, I applaud you for taking the initiative and looking at colleges and universities and what you’ll need to get into said universities. Anyway, are you looking at Top 20 colleges? Or are you thinking a little lower on the list?</p>
<p>Extracurriculars are definitely important to the application. Colleges want to see that you are involved in your school and community, not that you were some hermit who sat in the corner and studied all day. 
But, this doesn’t mean that you should go join every sport and every club and organization you can! I recommend joining a couple of clubs that you are genuinely interested in. Pursue your interests! Show colleges that you are dedicated to something! If you are good at a sport and genuinely enjoy it, stick with it. (Getting a leadership position also helps!)</p>
<p>The scholars who necessitate extracurriculars on their college application for HYPMS often fall into two categories: the scholars who falsify and those who do not.</p>
<p>The scholars who falsify range from individuals who exaggerate their accomplishments (i.e., say they volunteered for 9001 hours instead of 9000) to individuals who audaciously inscribe non-existant clubs on their application. Many falsifying Ivy League scholars fall into the first situation of falsification, while very very few fall into the latter (even though checking clubs is not a quotidian habit of admission officers). If you want to enact the first situation, simply commit to a extracurricular activity and then change to another quickly, while exaggerating achievements (play a sport for some time, then quit and do another, exaggerate years/semesters). If you are bold enough to perpetrate the latter, well, you should know (see Adam Wheeler’s application for details)…</p>
<p>If you follow a self-dillusioned, noble, moral code, then instead of exaggeration or outright falsification, you will actually go perpetrate the activities you describe on your application. Play the sport you love, hone your skills, and hope that the colleges will recognize your true passion, unlike many spurious brats out there who exaggerate/falsify. While it is true you will not have much an advantage when competing against prevaricators, you will have the satisfaction of following a path of honesty and nobility… But one may be inquisitive while doing so. Afterall, what is nobility? What is morality? A self-contrived notion that prevents all from doing what is “wrong”? What is wrong? What is right? The answer you must seek yourself.</p>
<p>Don’t cheat.</p>
<p>Do what you want to do
Don’t volunteer to anything that your heart is not in it.</p>
<p>Dont do ANYTHING you dont wanna do</p>
<p>It’s better to have 100 community hours you really have passion in
Than 1,000 hours you honestly couldnt care less about.</p>
<p>Do what you love.</p>
<p>If you’re going to do something, do it well. Don’t try to be a member of 10 different clubs - get a leadership position in several and be truly involved. On that note, leadership positions are important because they show that you’ve committed to being more than just a member.</p>
<p>What would you recommend for someone who isn’t really sure what they’re interested in? Also, what if one’s school doesn’t have many clubs?</p>
<p>
Go to meetings, see what interests you.</p>
<p>
Start some.</p>
<p>I didn’t think I had any interest until I found sports journalism- a friend on a seattle sports forum got me into it and I have been hooked ever since. It’s gonna be a pretty big part of my application, also combined with dominating DECA in sports marketing. Start with things you like and build off of it.
If you put yourself out there and try new things, I guarantee you will find something you enjoy.</p>