I need advice about EC's

Colleges and Universities A-Z Stanford University
1

<p>Next year I will be a senior. Up until now, i have not done any unique and outstanding EC activity. For example, my EC experience is just as good as the “I’m a member” status. Now, I have two main concerns. </p>

<li><p>If I achieve some great EC activities this summer and into 12th grade, could that make up for my weak EC record…or is it too late? I hope college applications do not ask about how long I was involved with each of my EC’s!!!</p></li>
<li><p>Could any of you describe some unique EC possibilities for me. I have considered volunteering for the Big Brother Big Sister Program and by starting a Youth Safety Corps Program at my school. Are these too commonplace for elite colleges? Please help me brainstorm some ideas. I have exhausted my mind and the Google search engine. </p></li>
</ol>

<p>PS: Is it true that an outstanding essay can make up for rather weak EC’s?</p>

2

<p>Just do what you like dude and have fun doing it! lol i wouldn't do BS ecs that i don't care about. The point of EC is having fun and doing what you care about, doing them to get into college isn't really the point. Thats why i'm not working at soup kitchens or anything like that...</p>

3

<p>But do you think it is too late to make up for weak EC's which show no leadership?</p>

4

<p>College applications do ask you, very specifically, to indicate how long you have been doing a particular EC for and how many hours a week/month you dedicate to that EC. </p>

<p>If you load up on ECs for your senior year, I think it will be very obvious to an admissions officer. Try to dedicate more time towards the ECs that you are already doing.</p>

5

<p>yup.... spend more time in ur current ecs...try to do something unique even if u are a juz a member.....
do some volunteer work n u can explain in ur essay how u saw something and it moved u so much and u decided to help n all.....</p>

6

<p>I can attest to the fact that you do not have to have outstanding extracurricular activities to get into Stanford.I was accepted to Stanford without doing any significant activites.Nor did I have any hook.I just focused on my essay,emphasizing my true love in learning particular subjects.</p>

7

<p>thanks for the advice. I will probably do what you guys said, if possible, as well as doing some EC stuff/volunteer work over the summer. I guess college admission officials won't be as annoyed if I start to show commitment and leadership during the summer before senior year instead of DURING senior year, right?</p>

8

<p>Either way, I think they will work out that you were an applicant that did not have any significant ECs and now are trying to build up a resum</p>

9

<p>why don't people start trying this new thing call doing things because they're fun.</p>

10

<p>Whatever, there is no use brooding over it. The most I can do now is at least accomplish some extraordinary task that "can't be done for four years" and make up for the EC part of my application with a good essay.</p>