I took the old SAT and scored a 2150 (710 reading, 740 math, 700 writing), and I have a pretty strong transcript with courses greatly increasing in difficulty each year and pretty strong grades (I will probably graduate with a 3.55, but it would be higher if it weren’t for family difficulties in my sophomore year that my GC will talk about in his letter of recommendation, plus my high school is known for being very difficult and Im told that will factor into how my GPA is viewed)
I took the AP comp sci A AP exam and am confident I scored at least a 3 or a 4. I am getting letters of recommendation from my German teacher and Comp sci teacher and I am very confident they will be good.
My problem is, I am lacking ECs. I have been playing guitar since 4th grade but I have never won any awards because I would be very uncomfortable playing on stage. I also take up bass this year (im a junior) and have been putting a lot of time into both. Earlier this year I volunteered at a political campaign to get a local business owner elected into the state assembly for a few months, and i put around 30-40 hours into that. I am in a few clubs but am not actively involved in any of them. This summer I plan to do a lot of volunteer work at my local library
My question is, how much is my lack of ECs likely to weigh me down? Im planning on applying to Boston University, Northeastern, and a couple of the UC schools ranked in the 30s-60s range. My GC told me I’m competitive for all of these schools but I’m not so sure.
Any input as to the range of schools I should be applying to/how my ECs will affect my application would be greatly appreciated.
At the schools you listed, you don’t need to have AMAZING extracurriculars; as long as you show commitment and dedication to what you are doing, you should be fine. Unless you are applying to the tippy top, your ECs seem average. Personally, my ECs were only volunteering at a tennis academy, volunteering at a rehab center, a few clubs, and a youth orchestra. I was admitted to Northeastern and every UC I applied to except for UCLA and other institutions as well.
Your ECs should be perfectly fine for the schools on your radar.
Are you a CA resident? I’m thinking not, since the UCs only accept letters of rec if they ask you to submit them. And you should have a chat with your parents about cost, since there is not one dime of financial aid available for OOS students.