I am a twenty-one year old who is planning on applying to college in the fall of next year. I was homeschooled and I graduated with a 3.8 GPA unweighted (no AP classes) and I scored a 32 on the ACT. My grades and scores are good but I never had any extracurriculars. I play guitar on occasion in my free time and I have a job at a hardware store. Are my chances at any top non Ivy League schools in jeopardy due to me not having any extracurriculars? Could I start an extracurricular before I apply next year? I’ve got several safety schools I’m thinking about applying to but my reaches are Rice, Vanderbilt, Duke and Northwestern. Thank you for any answers.
Working and playing the guitar as a hobby are your extra curricular activities. There will be other applicants who are more involved in their community than you appear to be, but you don’t need to suddenly pretend to have other interests just to impress colleges. Many schools will not care about your activities but the ones you have listed probably will.
you can look at the Common Data Set for the schools you are interested in to see what they say in the “Basis for Selection” section. Duke, for example, checks the “very important” box for ECs so what you’ve done may not be competitive with other applicants. You are a bit of a non-traditional applicant, though, so colleges will be interested in what you say in your essays and what you’ve done with your time since HS graduation.
Working is a plus for many schools. I’m guessing that if you’re homeschooled you also did other things, but you just don’t realize it. I have found that sitting down and talking with a parent or another trusted advisor and talking about what you’ve done over the years can help you remember things. Oh I worked on the community garden or Oh I took that one trip to X place because I got interested in horticulture one year–or whatever it was. Doing a one-page resume that groups your interests can help compile your various interests. Some colleges do not allow you to attach extra materials like resumes. Some do. Most have admissions officers’ email addresses listed. A short, businesslike email attaching your resume can supplement your application.
That being said, 3.8 and a 32 while excellent in many respects, by themselves they may not be high enough for some Ivies. Although this year, with COVID all bets are off. I’d carefully look at other smaller LACs, especially ones that appreciate interesting people such as yourself as part of their student body. You might like what you see. Maybe consider WesleyanU in CT, Bates, Vassar, Dickinson, Muhlenberg, St. Olaf, Earlham, Tufts, etc.
“I have a job at a hardware store”
As others have said, this is an extracurricular activity. All universities, even the top ones, know that some students either need to work to earn money or choose to work. Working is a valuable experience.
Definitely make sure that you are happy with your safeties, and that they really are safeties (including being affordable). Good luck with this!