I have no EC's

I currently have a 4.1 GPA, only one regular level class, and 1 AP. I will be taking the ACT this year. However I have no EC’'s. Absolutely none. I go to a Catholic school and almost all the clubs in my school are religious (I am not religious so they are not for me). Theoretically if I get a 32-36 on the ACT and maintain by GPA, how much will not have any EC’s hurt? (I do things over the summer but not during the school year).

Things over the summer are still ECs. What do you do outside of school? I think you are incorrectly narrowing the definition of ECs. Anything that you spend significant time on outside of your coursework can be considered an EC (as long as it’s productive). For example, taking care of siblings, having a job, and volunteering at church are all ECs.

Do you work? Help out with CCD?
Girl or Boy Scouts?
Food bank?
Homeless shelter work?
Book club?
Athletics?
Mountain climb?

Not liking the ECs in your school is no reason not to have activities outside of academics. ECs can be done in your community as well – volunteering anywhere in your community (ex. library, soup kitchen, local hospital…the list is endless), , working part-time etc., studying music, dance etc. If you are a senior there is not much time to do anything meaningful but if you are a junior/sophomore then I’d start looking into things to do.

Yes find things you’re interested in, learn an instrument, do a sport. Help in your community, animal shelter, nursing home, tutor someone who needs help.

How do you spend your time? Walk me through a day in your life.

Sorry this reply is a little late. During the school year I usually go to school, come home and that’s it. Before April of 2015 I couldn’t drive and both my parents worked, so I couldn’t do anything outside of school. During the summer I did a law program at the University of Toronto. At home I usually watch open university courses or read history books but that’s not an EC. Now I can drive so I might volunteer somewhere, but I don’t excel in anything like writing, dance, etc. I play the electric guitar but not competitively.

watching open university courses can be considered an EC. So can reading history books. Playing an instrument is an EC even if it isn’t competitive.

You’ve got great grades, you must be able to tutor - most schools have a list of free and fee. Either will work.

You can also get a job - perhaps at a music store.

Think about ways to incorporate your personal assets/interests into any volunteer work - maybe you could teach guitar at your local library or a summer day camp - or, play music or work the sound board for a local show. I am sure there are local historical societies that could also use your help - maybe just moving boxes or taking tickets but, it all counts.

Volunteer to be a tutor in your best subject. Volunteer at a place near your school.
Overall, how is that going to hurt you depends on where you’re applying. It’s going to be tough for any school ranked between 30 and 50 for universities, and up to 75-85 for national LACs (since they’re small, they really depend on students being involved… and the fact you didn’t find a way to do something outside of school is going to be a problem for them). If your public university has automatic admission criteria, like UIowa or FIU, then you’re good, because those usually depend on GPA + ACT/SAT. Same thing for some honors college/scholarships, such as UAlabama Tuscaloosa’s or Howard’s.
If you’re a junior though you still have time to find thingyou like. Why not create a History club at your school and volunteer at a local museum, for instance? It’d mesh well with your other interests and would create a coherent narrative :slight_smile:

Will no ECs hurt? Well, there are two ways to answer that question. From an ‘applying to schools’ perspective, the answer is ‘only if you are apply to selective schools.’ Most schools aren’t selective and don’t care about your ECs. Those that are selective will expect to see engagement of some kind.

The other way to answer it is to that not having ECs is already hurting you because you are missing opportunities to develop skills other than those taught at school or at home, to meet people outside of your usual circles, and to explore new interests and the larger world around you. There are many ECs you can do that don’t require you to drive. But you have to have some intellectual curiosity and initiative to pursue them. Of course, you may not have these qualities and that’s fine too. No one said they were required for a happy or fulfilling life. However, if you do have these qualities, it’s time to think a bit about what you’d like to learn more about and how to get that exposure.