<p>Hi, i am a junior in high school and i have no extracurricular activities at all. I want to get involved in some clubs but it's too late now because it's almost end of the school year. I am a pretty good student with 3.8 unweighted g.p.a and i got 1850 on my SAT's. i am mostly in all honors classes. I really want to go to Penn State (University Park), Temple University or Rutgers University. I will try join alot of extracurricular activities as much as possible during my senior year. I am also thinking of volunteering at the library during the summer. Will that Help???</p>
<p>Go to the schools’ Common Data Sets and you’ll see how much (if at all) they weigh ECs. Frankly, I would advise you to take some SAT practice courses and try to boost that. It probably would have more relevance on your admissions chances at those schools than some measly resume-padding lines on your application.</p>
<p>ECAs are not just volunteering and community service. Just have outside interests, and follow them with some passion. I’m sure you have some passions or hobbies. I have seen people with 2 ECAs, one of which was recreational rock climbing, get into places like Brown. Just make sure you really like whatever it is that you do.</p>
<p>most colleges don’t take ECs into account at all, or if the do only to a tiny degree. Its only the most selective schools that care, and for those schools stuff you join senior year or spending some time volunteering at the library is not remotely competitive compared to what other applicants have done. You want to help the world, volunteer at the library. If your only motivation is college admissions, you’re wasting your time IMHO.</p>
<p>Ecs make you a more interesting, fun, enlightened,productive, and all around better person. If all you did in high school was homework,you will add nothing to a college environment.</p>
<p>Ecs will and do make a difference, take two applicants, with similar stats, the one who did something will get in while the other who did nada may not. </p>
<p>If you were working, taking care of family, etc, that is something to talk about.</p>
<p>But spending four years of high school sitting around is just lazy and boring.</p>
<p>And btw it’s never a waste of time to do something extra. If not for college then for yourself and for others.</p>
<p>“I will try join alot of extracurricular activities as much as possible during my senior year. I am also thinking of volunteering at the library during the summer. Will that Help??”</p>
<p>Why? For college? Not worth it. What have you been doing with your time after school for the last 3 years? Unless the answer is hanging out with friends and watching tv, you probably do have some ECs and don’t realize it. Hobbies count. Major family responsibilities count. Jobs count. Religious engagement counts. Assuming you have been doing nothing for the last 4 years, why not figure out what you really enjoy doing and then do that? Not for college, but for your own happiness and well-being. Like Seahorsesrock says, do it for yourself. </p>
<p>And yeah, the library is fine…but why not volunteer your time with an organization that’s doing something you care about? Or better yet, get a job. Nothing like scooping ice cream or waiting tables for 40 hrs/week to make you really appreciate the opportunities life is handing you and to remind you to be really, really nice to people who don’t have those opportunities and won’t be leaving those jobs at the end of the summer.</p>
<p>Honestly the schools you are applying almost certainly weigh SAT and GPA far above everything, so I would highly advise taking an SAT prep class and doing more studying to boost your score.</p>