How are my extracurriculars?

Applying to College
1

I’m going to be a sophomore next year, so I know that this could be a little premature, but I was wondering how my extracurricular activities were in terms of getting into a strong school - I feel like so many of the people that go to Ivys and schools like Stanford have a very detailed, prestigious list of extracurriculars, and mine pale in comparison to theirs. I realize that this shouldn’t be all about competition and doing things for the sake of getting into a strong school, which it isn’t, but I did want to know whether I’m doing enough/too little.

I’m a

  • Junior volunteer at my hospital
  • Member of the junior branch of my town’s GEMs program (I am training to become an EMR and then an EMT)
  • Spending summer volunteering/“interning” at a pediatrician’s office (I’m too young to officially intern, but I know the person who runs the private practice, and they’re letting me “shadow” them a few days a week)
  • Member of the debate team
  • Member of the Tri-M music honors society (they do volunteer things)
  • Possible club president (my friend and I are trying to start up a club focused on educating students about medical careers)
  • Also I play tennis at school

I don’t feel like I’ve done anything prestigious or honorable, and most of what I’m taking part in is typical. I have a very strong passion for biology, and I’ve thought about entering a science competition of some sort or something like that. Does anybody have any suggestions on as to what I could do to further pursue that passion, as well as any feedback on what I’m currently doing?

Thanks!!

2

It is way too early to think about specific colleges (especially the hyper-competitive ones). You just have one full year’s GPA and you have no standardized testing. You also need to recognize that HS should be an experience in and of itself – a time of learning and growth and not just a 4 year college application prep experience.

It is good to take school seriously and know that college will be on your horizon, but it is too early to start planning for a specific group of colleges. I would highly recommend that you get off of CC until your junior year.

For now you should focus on:
–Working hard, learning, and doing as well as you can in the most challenging curriculum you can manage.
–When the time comes study for standardized tests.
–Continue your involvement in activities you care about and work towards making meaningful contributions to those activities.
–Enjoying spending time with your family and friends.

When the time comes asses your academic stats (including GPA, standardized tests, course rigor) as well as your financial needs and apply to a wide range of reach, match, and safety schools that appear affordable (you will have to run a net price calculator for each school you consider) and that you would be happy to attend. You need to expand your horizons and recognize that there are many wonderful schools out there where you can have a great 4 year experience and get where you want to go in life.