<p>i'm finishing up my junior year in high school and recently i've found myself stressing more and more about my lackluster amount of extracurriculars. i did cross country freshman year and didn't even finish the season, i decided to play basketball sophomore year (it was JV however). this year i decided to not go out for basketball again and i joined a rowing team and competed in the fall season but did not continue on to the current spring season. i'm regretting that decision now that it's dawned on me how unbelievably bad my extracurriculars are. these activities i've listed are literally all the ones i could possibly think of besides maybe mentoring a doctor for 20 hrs for a class i took last year and going on a mission trip to mexico way back in my freshman year. i know i could probably muster up some more ideas but this is basically it as far as my extracurriculars go. the basketball coach for my school wants me to start playing again senior year and i really didn't want to but considering how lacking my extracurriculars are, i'm seriously considering it now. i guess what i want to know is how important extra curriculars REALLY are? i'm going to have an insane work load next year with 5 ap courses and i just dont know if being able to write "i played varsity basketball" on my applications is going to be worth having to sacrifice all of my precious time for basketball practice/games every single day</p>
<p>It depends.</p>
<p>The type of schools that value ECs want super-duper ones that set you apart from the pile of high GPA/test score applicants i.e. very top tier selective schools. If you’re not planning on applying to those, then you really don’t have to worry much. Just do what fits your schedule and preferences.</p>
<p>“Mission trip to Mexico” - does this mean that you are active in your church? That’s an EC. Have a hobby that you spend time on with your family or alone? That’s an EC. It doesn’t have to be organized, or school-based, or have ‘performance metrics’ associated with it. Some of my most interesting interviews have been with kids whose ECs were: gardening, photography, cooking, biking (not on a team), really cruddy jobs that taught them a lot, working in the family business…</p>
<p>Of course, if you’ve sat around after school most days watching t.v., then no, you probably aren’t going to get into a highly selective school where the kids are tops academically and have done amazing things for their ECs - but they are a tiny fraction of the population (just over-represented on CC). Most good schools just want to know that you participate in something - and a general enjoyment of and participation in sports fulfills that condition nicely.</p>
<p>How important is one’s senior schedule? </p>
<p>I’m a little worried that my rigorous senior schedule is going to be all in vain if colleges are only going to be viewing my prior courses/grades from junior year and below and not seeing my extremely difficult senior year courses/grades.</p>
<p>It’s important but you can’t expect colleges to discount your transcript if indeed, you’ve taken a less than rigorous schedule previously. For the tippy top schools, you’ll be competing against kids who have taken a full 3.5 years of rigorous coursework.</p>
<p>Remember, top colleges are looking at everything. One of those is: are you a naturally hungry and accomplished scholar/learner.</p>
<p>What are the types of colleges you’re considering?</p>
<p>I recd. some good advice on the EC’s for my son. Consider taking something you are already doing/enjoying to the next level. Dont try to add 3 or 4 EC’s to your current list, just dial up existing EC up a notch to show passion and sincere interest.</p>
<p>Well both of my parents went to wake forest so I guess I kind of have to consider wake but I’d love to go to a school in California like ucla, Berkeley, or USC(not even considering Stanford). I know that basically everyone says they want to go to a school in Cali so I feel kind if ******y hopping on the band wagon but I really liked the campuses I visited there and they just seemed like a really good fit. I feel like my chances are literally impossible thought considering the incredible amount of applications those colleges receive and I also heard its really hard for out of state applicants</p>
<p>Actually the UCs are more open to OOS students because they need the $ (full pay). Can your family afford that? If so it puts you in a good position.</p>