I go to a really small school, where the majority of extracurriculars are related to athletics or music (neither of which I am interested in). I’m going into my junior year and I want to strengthen my extracurriculars, but I’m having to look outside of school to do so.
My in School ECs are:
French Club - 1 year so far
(I would have loved to be in a Spanish club, but we don’t have one at my school)
Model UN - Starting Now
Yearbook - Starting Now
Student Council - 1 year so far
Outside of School
Photography Business - since 8th grade
Volunteering with a cancer non-profit - since middle school
I really want activities related to diversity, but I live in a town (and go to a school) that is 90% white, so there isn’t much diversity to work with. Any ideas?
How can I strengthen my ECs?
If you want to be in spanish but you don’t have then start one! The large number of clubs you are joining/ starting may make an AO think you did it just for the college app. If you like culture and language, then maybe ditch yearbook and start a spanish club. This will streamline your application to demonstrate a specific passion.
by “starting now”, i really meant joining (as in starting my junior year) haha! those are ones we already have and I’m interested in =) I triedn to start a spanish club, but unfortunately there wasn’t interest in it
I see from some of your other posts that you are considering some very selective colleges. These schools are looking for achievement and/or leadership. Signing up for more clubs is not really going to help. There is a thread with several posts by Northstarmom, a Ivy alum interviewer, about what constitutes impressive ECs from the point of view of the most selective colleges. The post is at http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/210497-those-ecs-weak-so-what-s-good.html
You’d be surprised what ECs colleges find interesting. My D applied to many colleges…all top schools. Her summer job was chicken sitting. We live in a city where quite a few people have backyard chickens. My D took care of them when people traveled in the summer. 3 colleges mentioned this EC in her acceptance letters. I think interesting things like this catch the eye of admissions people. We laughed a lot about this! Maybe you already have something unusual you do in your wheelhouse you haven’t really considered to be an EC.
Do you attend a house of worship? If so, there are many leadership/service opportunities there.
There may not be racial diversity but there may be economic diversity…for example one of our HSs led a “backpack Program” through our church that provided backpacks of food to kids on the weekend…these kids would get free lunch during the week and this way they had food on the weekend too.
bopper… I’m not actively religious, so I don’t have that. My school does have a program very similar to that, but it is staff only Maybe I’ll see if I can volunteer anyway
More is not better. Colleges like a few things but for 3-4 years to show commitment. You are likely to continue these when going to college in their eyes. Don’t discount having your own business in photography and the work your doing with the cancer non profit. The ec’s don’t have to be school related. Both of these show who you are over the yearbook.
Maybe I’ll see if I can volunteer anyway