How Strong are My Extracurriculars?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

Hi, I would like some input as to how strong my extracurriculars are.

Volunteer: LGBTQ Resource center Formerly 2-3 hours a week (just recently, like 2 weeks ago I stopped because the office had too many volunteers)

I also write a Bi-Weekly column in the organization’s newsletter on LGBTQ history and current events, that takes about 4-5 hours a week

President and Founder of Bernie Sanders Club (2 hours a week)

President and Co-founder of Public Policy Discussion Club (I put 2.5 hours on my common app for my EA school but it has evolved to more like 5)

Head Tutor and Founder of Peer Tutoring Program, most students come from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds (I used to spend like 7 hours a week. The program has attracted more tutors so it has come down to 3 hours a week. I averaged and put 5 on my common app).

private tutoring for ten hours a week- during summer of 2015

summer reading- I spent about 5-6 hours a day or 28 hours in a week reading for the first 5 weeks of summer of 2015
I read Animal Liberation, 3 books by/about Nietzsche, The Souls of Black Folk, Dusk of Dawn, the Idea of Race, and Reasons and Persons

Tennis- I played tennis from 10th to the beginning of 12th grade- I played year round and played close to 25 hours a week. I was attempting to get good enough to play division III and was playing a lot because I was a late starter.

Now here is the kicker. My 9th and Tenth Grade years have no extracurriculars because I went to a small private school of about 80 students. There were no extracurricular opportunities. I spent part of my tenth grade playing a lot of tennis, and I spent 11th grade playing a ton of tennis and a ton of tutoring. But my lgbtq and political involvement did not start till this summer. My counselor and I both explain the situation that occurred because of my original high school not having extracurricular opportunities. However, upon arriving at my new school, I started the tutoring and got really involved. At this point, it has been a year and 3 months since I started at my new school and in that time, I have started 3 successful clubs.
Also, these clubs tie into academic interests and college classes at take at my local CSU.

2

They seem fine for most colleges. I have to say that I don’t see the summer reading as an EC. My kids are big readers, but really wouldn’t list it as a formal activity. What schools are you applying to?

3

Your extracurricular activities are great! Just remember to couple them with great essays when applying.

4

My EA was Princeton and I am applying to mostly liberal arts colleges with USC, UMich, and the UC’s thrown in there.

5

I put a ton of time into my essays. My cowas about my relationship with my mother, my identity as a first generation american, and how my mother’s emphasis of our culture first estranged our relationship but then led to greater emotional intimacy. My common app essay was about diversity and how being at a diverse public high school sparked my passion for the humanities and intellectual inquiry.

6

bump