I was wondering how many extracurriculars you would need to be considered “involved” in the community. Right now, as a sophomore, I’m in four clubs. I might have to drop out of one however, due to not having enough time to commit:
Robotics (3 years)
FCA/Younglife (5 years)
Service Club (2 years)
Science Olympiad (1st year, but may have to drop it due to time constraints)
The reason why I do not have a lot of time is because of the fact I have around 3-5 hours of required medical appointments I have to go to, depending on the week. Sometimes, it is even more than that. (I have a disability.)
I’ve always wondered if this kind of thing would put me at a huge disadvantage in comparison to other students.
How do they view this in college admissions? My dream school is to attend the University of Michigan as an engineering major.
This shouldn’t be a problem. You can choose to write about this in the other information section which is in the common app and most other apps or you may choose an essay prompt about a challenge in your life in which case they would understand. I would definitely keep the robotics club if you can since that shows your interest in engineering.
My son was diagnosed with a serious medical condition freshman year. He had a medically required modified school schedule and had frequent visits to his doctors. Sophomore year he had to give up two of his ECs, one of which he was competitive in on a national level. He is now a senior and did not want to include this in his app which I was not happy about but his college counsellor said she would include it in her recommendation. She said it would be more meaningful from her and she could include the perspective of his teachers – he is an independent student. He did agree to acknowledge this in the other info section. He was concise in his explanation of what his illness is and why he had to end his participation in those activities. Remember, it’s not the number of ECs, it’s the involvement. Do try to hold on to robotics.
You seem to be a sophomore. You should spend the bulk of your time on the highest priority – and that’s your coursework — not your clubs and ECs.
Your worrying about “not enough hours” to be in some additional club or two won’t matter to UM COE. What will matter most are your GPA, course choices and SAT/ACT. ECs are of a distant importance.
Between yourself and your GC, you want to frame this not as “I can’t be involved in enough ECs due to my disability,” but rather “here is what I have achieved despite my disability.” T26E4 is correct. Prioritize grades and test scores.
Thank you @acdchai@paveyourpath@T26E4@Lindagaf. Yes, I am focusing on my grades as well, of course. You are right @Lindagaf about being positive instead of negative. I will keep that in mind.