<p>I'm a freshman and my dream schools are (in this order): Cornell, Stanford, UCLA, and CalTech.</p>
<p>I have straight A's in these classes (my school offers nearly 20 APs):
1. Student Government
2. Art (graduation requirement)
3. PE (graduation requirement)
4. AP Biology
5. Honors English
6. Honors Algebra 2/Trigonometry
7. Spanish</p>
<p>Unweighted GPA: 4.0
Weighted: 4.428
I am 27th in my class of 863 because Student Government lowers my weighted.</p>
<p>I'm pretty sure I'm on track grade and class wise, but please let me know if I am wrong.
However, my extracurriculars are lacking.</p>
<p>I am part of my school's student government, which takes up most of my time (10 or so hours a week). In addition, I am part of a chapter of the United Synagogue Youth (Vice President). Next year, I plan on joining CSF, NHS, and Key Club.</p>
<p>How can I better my ECs? I would appreciate community service ideas, club ideas, etc.</p>
<p>Keep in mind that Cornell and especially Stanford are unpredictable in admissions, and at least Caltech is more objective in judging who to offer admission to. But so far you’re doing well.</p>
<p>Look around in your community for something non-school related to do. A lot of college is making connections and initiating conversations with high-profile professors / people to get your name. For adolescents and young adults, this strategy works well because you are simply looking for experience and are willing to help, and you wouldn’t be seen as selling yourself short or possessing some deficiency. If you talk to people and express your interest in helping, the worst you’ll get is a polite “no”. Mind you, as a high schooler you’ll probably be doing grunt work, but getting your name out there is a benefit of it own. It could lead to internships or a paid position down the line. </p>
<p>You could go to your local representative’s office and see what could be done there. Another thing you could try is learning web design or object-oriented computer science. Both are very marketable skills. My friend got a job at a start-up web company that does work for insurance businesses. He is making much more than someone his age would ever make at McDonalds or Home Depot. Maybe in a couple years, sign up for classes at a community college. The key isn’t exactly what you’re doing (I didn’t suggest anything radical because obviously its dependent on your location), but showing that you’re looking to contribute to your community with a marketable good or service. School functions aren’t bad, but they are accessible to nearly everyone, so it doesn’t set you apart at the schools you listed.</p>
<p>If need be, sacrifice NHS + Key Club for your own individual pursuits. In my personal experience and opinion, they are a verification of character for admissions rather than offering a tangible benefit. I didn’t participate in either and looking back on my decisions it wouldn’t have been a deciding factor in my case. Most likely it wouldn’t for yours either, especially with EC’s that show personal initiative (not the initiative of your parents though).</p>