<p>Hi. I was wondering if anyone could give me some advice about my extracurriculars. I'm currently a junior and I have really good grades and SAT scores, but I'm kind of worried about my less-than-stellar activities. I'm not shooting for Harvard or anything, I'm mainly talking about Berkeley, UCLA, Northwestern but I'm probably going to apply to a few of the lower Ivies like Columbia or Cornell as reaches, just for the sake of it. What do you guys think of my chances activity-wise, and more importantly, does anyone have any ideas about how I can improve them? If anyone has suggestions, I live in Southern California and I'm sure there are plenty of opportunities here, but I honestly can't find/think of any.</p>
<p>I'm probably going to major in CS, or maybe econ or business. My activites are kind of centered around photography (a hobby of mine) and technology/cs (one of my possible majors, plus I don't know what I can do right now that would relate to econ if I choose to go that route). But I have a lot of other random things thrown in there too.</p>
<p>Here are my activities:
-CS related internship (throughout sophmore/junior year)
-CS related summer program (summer after sophmore year)
(plus I'm taking AP CS)
-newspaper 2 yrs, design editor + photographer
-I own my own website where I display/sell photographs
-I've sold my work at a couple of local art fairs too
(and I'm taking a photo class at a community college)
-Surf club photographer 4 yrs
-Academic Quiz Team 2 yrs
-Tolerance Club 4 yrs, secretary and vice president
-CSF 4 yrs
-Spanish Honor Society 2 yrs plus tutoring for this club (most possible yrs, because you can only join your junior year at my school)
-100+ hours of community service with Interact, majority with one particular local business and a childrens reading program at the library</p>
<p>So what do you guys think about my activites? Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can improve them? I'm kind of looking for something that might stand out, perhaps to give me a better chance at my reaches. (I'm especially trying to decide what to do for the summer after my junior year. I want to do something that interests me but will also benefit my college app. I can't really do anything expensive right now like study abroad or expensive summer programs.)</p>
<p>Any help is appreciated!</p>
<p>I got into a 30% selectivity school with way fewer EC’s. They look pretty good to me. Just do what you enjoy, and you’ll stay plenty busy.</p>
<p>They like to see commitment and leadership positions–both of which you have. More EC’s is not as important as sticking to a few EC’s and moving up within them to leadership positions. Take newspaper for example—you probably started out running simple errands and moved up to Design Editor & Photographer (shows Leadership). Tolerance Club–4 yrs–Leadership Position. They will also notice that your interest in Photography carries over from Newspaper as a photographer to Surf Club as a photographer to your website where you sell photographs. This shows true passion. Also, your tutoring Spanish ties in with your community service of helping out with the Children’s Reading Program------shows that you enjoy teaching (also implies patience and a willingness to step up and help others). </p>
<p>Continue with your EC’s. When it comes time to finalize your HS resume, be sure to organize it a way that groups EC’s by the similarities—put those that include photography together, Children’s Reading Program near Tutoring for the Spanish Club.</p>
<p>Your ECs actually look really nice to me…it doesn’t look like you’re trying to make the perfect college resume or anything. I wouldn’t be concerned.</p>
<p>try to find a passion and follow it. like say u like econ and business try to build a company. (small of course but a company none the less) colleges love commitment, leadership and passion.</p>
<p>thank you guys for the tips/reassurance. 
I’ve just been seeing all these people on this site with crazy ECs like traveling to other countries on missions, winning international awards etc. and it was starting to freak me out. So just thanks for giving me hope that I still have a chance lol.</p>
<p>I really like your ECs. Don’t be intimidated by some of the things you see on these boards because I sure know that I was. I think you’re set :)</p>
<p>The ECs like traveling to other countries tend to be less impressive to admissions officers than are ECs that are done at home and are accomplished by passionately, independently and creatively following your own interests (whether or not those interests relate to what you think you’ll major in. Adcoms know that most college students switch majors at least twice.)</p>
<p>Adcoms know that most students who do service abroad are doing so on packaged trips that were completely arranged and funded by their parents, relatives or church. That’s why adcoms would regard such experiences as being less impressive than, for instance, a high school student who loves photography who arranges for a local newspaper photographer to give a free workshop at the student’s high school. Doing something like this takes more hard work, creativity and initiative than participating in an experience that was arranged and paid for by others.</p>