The summer before freshmen year, I worked as a teacher’s assistance in a tutoring place. I didn’t join any clubs freshmen year, and went on vacation that summer so I didn’t get a job. Now I’m a sophomore and I’m only in 2 clubs, Red Cross and HOPE (both community service clubs). This summer, I’m planning to work at my mom’s bosses pharmacy. How much extracurricular activities do I need for a good college and do I have enough? Do some of things mentioned above even count?
This a question often asked, that even I myself wonder sometimes, and the simple answer is that there is no universal answer.
A “good college” is a broad metric, and there are many factors to consider. It is my opinion, however, that you shouldn’t worry so much about the quantity of extracurricular as the quality of them, especially in relation to your interests/major.
If your interests are language and politics, then winning a competitive scholarship to study language abroad for a summer would be a significant and unique asset, and the same for something along those lines for any other given interest. Pursue whatever it is that attracts your attention, rather than trying to seek a quota of clubs and places to volunteer at.
However, that is just my two cents, and I could very well be wrong.
@sawtalarab is correct. Clubs have no value unless they do something tangible.
Admissions officers are not stupid. They can tell if your leadership and club activitieswere done merely to impress. Your ECs should reflect your natural interest in something.
Working is a great extracurricular activity.
@sawtalarab
It’s quantity first, then quality. Having a million ECs on the same activity (like sports or business) is never as strong as a well-rounded application.
So getting well-rounded is the first and foremost goal. Achievements & Accomplishments are second; although they are necessary for highly-competitive schools.
@lalabob
Tutoring is one EC. Red Cross or HOPE is community service. So you have 2 angles covered. Common App gives you 10 ECs so you need 8 more representing different aspects of life.
Wow, I really disagree with that. You don’t have to have “quantity” or “cover angles”. That is one of the worst pieces of advice I have ever heard on CC, are you pulling the OP’s leg? OP, you should focus on a few areas that interest you and go into more depth on those ECs. Volunteering could be one, working another, and maybe pick another (activity like music, newspaper, debate, quiz bowl, math club, science fairs, etc). Try to build some depth in the activities you do – if you play a sport, then maybe also try to do some youth coaching or referee for youth games. If you are in debate, both participate in the debate season and attend debate camp in the summer for a couple of weeks if you can. If you are interested in science, maybe do some science competitions, volunteer in a lab, join the robotics team, etc. If you are shooting for truly top colleges (Ivy league, MIT, Stanford, etc), then you need to really excel in a couple of things, ideally placing at the state or national level at something. But for most colleges you don’t need that.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96XL8vBBB7o
She has a video where she evaluates a pointed STEM applicant.
American universities almost universally prefer well-rounded students. Which makes a more compiling applicant: a student has “few areas [of] interest” or a student who goes beyond a “a few areas that interest” them and really broadens their horizons.
Those are the absolute worst things someone can do as an applicant, paint themselves as a typical archetype. If someone plays a sport then best thing to do is break the jock stereotype by learning computer programming and volunteer at an animal shelter instead of as a lifeguard.
well-rounded > pointed
“A mile wide, and inch deep”. And… “the thicker the file, the thicker the student”. Quantity is no substitute for quality. Colleges don’t want students who are completely one note, one activity. But they are also striving for a well rounded class, not necessarily well rounded individuals. They’d rather take 3 students where one is a committed thespian with many theater activities on their application, one is a science buff with awards and competitions in that area, and one who is a creative writer with several publications than have 3 students who each had a part in one school play, one science fair entry that did well, and one published poem.
@intparent
Logical fallacy. Those two concepts are not mutually exclusive.
“It’s quantity first, then quality. Having a million ECs on the same activity (like sports or business) is never as strong as a well-rounded application. So getting well-rounded is the first and foremost goal. Achievements & Accomplishments are second; although they are necessary for highly-competitive schools.”
I agree with Intparent: This is awful advice. The kids accepted to the most competitive schools often have focused on one or two things at most and a high level of achievement in those areas. They did not ‘check all the boxes’ to create an impression of ‘well-roundedness.’ Its been pointed out, ad nauseum elsewhere, that schools want a well-rounded class but admit highly accomplished, focused individuals. Highly accomplished means excelling at something so you you stand out. So, don’t waste your time padding your resume with activities you don’t care much about. Do what you love and do it with all the passion, creativity, innovation, leadership, sense of adventure, compassion or whatever that you can. And by the way, holding a responsible job to contribute to your family or your own financial well-being, is a highly respected EC: See what you can learn about yourself as a result and if there is some way you can add value above and beyond what the average employee is expected to do.
@N’s Mom
I can think of a few instances where this is true. Specifically a famous actor or actress or an Olympic medal winner. But most people–even with good awards–do not have accomplishments so great as to outweigh being pointed.
It would be great if what someone naturally loves doing is being a well-rounded person. That would make them a very compelling applicant.
Colleges really want to see that students have committed themselves to some things they are interested in, and gained some depth and skill in those things. The colleges almost don’t care what that is, they want to see that a student has thrown their efforts into something they care about. Colleges do not care if a student doesn’t volunteer, isn’t athletic, isn’t musical, didn’t participate in paid summer programs, etc. They want signs of a spark, of interest. A laundry list of unrelated activities that “hit the angles” someone might think colleges want to see is going to be shallow. Colleges can spot people just checking a list pretty easily. They can also detect true deep interest. Colleges are aching to find genuine students who are uncynically pursuing the things they care about the most. It is almost an aphrodisiac to the college admissions officer to find that student… there are so many angle-chasing box-checking applicants faking things for the sake of admissions. They want nothing more than to find and admit the real thing.
@intparent
There is so much wrong in your words.
That is 100% NOT TRUE.
Colleges care greatly what a student does. For instance colleges love seeing students who help their community or school. In fact one of the most popular essay questions revolves around involvement [contributing] in some type of group.
Furthermore certain colleges make an effort to list what percentage of applicants had volunteer work, played a sport, were involved in theatre arts, etc.
You are just making this up. There is no way to separate someone ‘checking a laundry list’ of activities from an applicant broadening their horizons with different passions. Even Stanford-the most selective university-offers ONLY 1 question regarding ECs in their essay. So 9/10 ECs would easily be never mentioned elsewhere in the application.
and you know what is bug spray? the same archetypal college profiles. The jock who swims for his HS team and volunteers at the beach as a lifeguard. The nerd who has won every single science olympiad but never stepped foot on a basketball court. **A well-rounded application is an aphrodisiac. **
** THIS IS YOUR OWN LIMITING BELIEF THAT WELL-ROUNDED IS MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE WITH DEPTH**.
@bomerr
You countered with:
You’re not invalidating her point. Involvement can mean doing one thing at a high level. Also why do you think they ask about only one one contribution? Because they care about the depth more than breadth.
“You are making this up” is a pretty childish counter. Also, why do you think Stanford asks only one question regard ECs in their essay? Because they know how incredibly hard it is to actually do 10 things at a high level. And by asking this, they can weed out people who don’t have much more to say than “I joined Community Service Club because I really love giving back to the community. Every day I feel joy that I am making the world a better place by raking leaves and collect trash at the park.”
Not necessarily. If that applicant is truly great at all they do (say they are jack andraka: an intel finalist, an lgbt activist, a tedex speaker, and a member of a national kayaking team…) then yeah, they are an aphrodisiac. But the kid who is treasurer of nhs, volunteered 50 hours at the school library, run cross country, played the flute, been a member of spanish club, art club, gsa, feminist club, and book club probably not.
After all, what is the likelihood that they actually read the book?
@slights32
Intparent said colleges don’t care about what activities a student does. I say that is 100% false and they care greatly.
You missed my point and you are furthering my point.
Up to your first 5 or 6 points that is exactly what a colleges are looking for in student. The last few items which consist of being a member of 4 different clubs is not well-rounded. If that person had had 2 or 3 unique ECs or some good awards then they would be highly competitive.
BTW it’s important to view ECs in context of the application. Essays make or break an applicant at the top-tier level. ECs are closer to grades or test scores. Basically they are more about meeting a minimum standard rather than a maximum accomplishment.
You really have no idea about this, and I don’t know how to help you see. I wouldn’t say the well rounded applicant always gets rejected at top schools, but they better be doing at least one of those things darned well or they aren’t going to make it through the process. You should read Cal Newport’s book “How to be a High School Superstar”.
Firstly, unless you’re targeting very selective colleges, ECs really don’t matter. Your transcript and test scores will be the most important criteria.
For selective colleges, teacher recs and personal statement are super important. ECs figure into it but the colleges themselves repeatedly state Quality over Quantity. The HS resume padder has risen to become a pop culture meme. Don’t be just another Justin (the following is SATIRE, with some salty language):
http://www.theonion.com/articles/soupkitchen-volunteers-hate-collegeapplicationpadd,1422/