HALP! My school has no clubs!

<p>Hey guys,</p>

<p>Well, everybody says that you need ECs to get to the top colleges. Well, my school has 0 clubs/organizations. Honestly, I thought it was going to be one of the best in the middle east region, turned out to be very good in the sciences and math, but okay in everything else. But get this: No clubs/organizations. I tried to start an afterschool homework help group that meets everyday for half an hour after school to help other students with homework...the principal blocked my move (the school has a $3000/semester program where students come almost everynight for help, so I guess its a business-related decision). For almost $30,000 in tuition, this place should have common things like organizations/clubs!</p>

<p>How can I start a club/organization at my school? </p>

<p>How can I start a chapter of an american organization (i.e. NHS...looks way better than just joining it) internationally ?</p>

<p>And to be honest, Im slightly confused, what do people who are in 10 different clubs do? do they attend meetings and thats it? do you really do anything?</p>

<p>For example, in a physics or chemistry club, what would you do? Im just trying to get ideas/inspiration for some clubs I want to start, I just dont want them to be so boring.</p>

<p>Colleges do know that extracurricular clubs aren’t commonplace in all countries, so that shouldn’t hurt you. Perhaps pursuing interests outside of school could help, but don’t just do something because it will look good on your college application.</p>

<p>Just contact your guidance counselor, gather a group of friends, and create the club. That’s what I did.</p>

<p>One word - Volunteer.</p>

<p>Dude, I have it worse: no AP’s at my school.</p>

<p>Wow, $30000 tuition and there’s no clubs? Where’s all that money going?</p>

<p>Anyway, start a fun, simple club. Don’t even try for an international type organization like National Honor Society right away, since those require lots of support and monetary aid from the administration - something you don’t have. Start a special interest group for students that also includes community service. You want to start a chemistry club, so try to twist that into an Ecology club. That way, it won’t feel so “sciency” and people won’t feel like joining is just work. My school’s Ecology club holds paper drives (whichever class collects the most amount of paper wins a pizza party) and then recycles their finds or distributes the reusable paper throughout the district. To raise funds, they ordered water bottles (the reusable metal kinds) and sold them. You don’t just sit around, you actually do something and feel good about it (with an ecology club, you can do a lot of good for the environment). Usually you need a teacher to sponsor it and run the club with you. Starting a club is a great way for colleges to notice you, too!</p>

<p>You can always devote yourself to learning how to play an instrument and play in public performances. </p>

<p>Or, like nunya said, volunteer.</p>

<p>Just letting you know… if you manage to start your own club and start a club-starting trend, you will have something wayyy more significant to put on your apps than just starting a club in the first place in a school that’s already full of clubs.</p>

<p>Well, THAT was a coherent sentence =/</p>

<p>Good luck!</p>

<p>^haha yeah</p>

<p>Well, replying to a poster up there, we dont have APs either. I really dont know why its $30,000 USD. My classmates and I (I dont want to sound pompous nor am I trying to show off) belong to families that pretty much run the country (business tycoons, princes, governors, etc.). Is this why its worth 30k? I really dont think its worth it. Its the best private in the city though (other privates have APs or are on the IGCSE system, but the facilities arent very good)</p>

<p>The only thing thats keeping my hope in this school is that our alum have gone to top tier schools in the US (MIT, Harvard, Yale, etc.), on the old curriculum (everything in arabic!!) !! Only problem is trying to look like you deserve getting into a top 5 school compared to that kid who went to a school taht had every AP imaginable!</p>

<p>bump! any ideas for what to do in a physics club?</p>