<p>I haven't participated in really any extra-curriculars so far, and I'll be a senior this year. I did participate in Leo Club, which is a volunteer organization. The only clubs I can join at my school are student council, NHS, and a few other volunteer clubs. I did some tutoring in math to three kids back in middle school and junior high; during the summer and after school.
My top colleges are Ohio State and Miami (OH). GPA is around 3.6, ACT-25, SAT- 1090, rank is top 15%, took 2 AP's last year, taking 3 more this year, with 6-7 enriched classes.</p>
<p>State schools are more of a numbers game for admissions. Clubs are ECs.</p>
<p>Students tend to think too narrowly about what constitutes an EC. Do you work? Babysit for siblings while parents are working? Participate in your church? Care for a sick or handicapped family member? Help out in a family business? Have a passion for something that you have pursued independently? It doesn’t have to be club-based or school-based or organized: It just needs to be something where you can show increased mastery over time, progressively increased commitment or engagement, and ideally highlight qualities like leadership or creativity or initiative. Examples: cooking, any art, gaining physical mastery, acquiring some new skill, studying intensively some area of family history, learning a new language, etc…</p>
<p>MD Mom is also correct that for state schools, ECs are much less critical.</p>
<p>most colleges in this country, outside the top 100 or so in most demand, admit the great majority of their applicants. So if you’re not targeting one of the same schools everyone else is, you will have plenty of choices.</p>
<p>Read the free chapter from the book “Admission Matters” (which I highly recommend, BTW, for understanding the admission process and figuring out where to apply) at [Admission</a> Matters](<a href=“http://www.admissionmatters.com/]Admission”>http://www.admissionmatters.com/) – click on “Sample Chapter”</p>
<p>My mom wanted me to apply for U of Illinois because it was the in-state school, even though I didn’t really want to go there. Anyway, they had an elaborate EC page, asking for contact info of the sponsors/etc. Well, I got lazy and left the whole thing blank. Still was accepted…</p>
<p>Most colleges except for the very top colleges – places like Ivies – admit students exclusively based on the students’ stats and – in the case of public universities – state of residence</p>
<p>At most, the majority of colleges factor ECs into merit aid consideration.</p>
<p>Unless you’re applying to the very top colleges, your not having ECs won’t hurt your college applications. What lack of Ecs and similar activities does is prevents your from developing a variety of skills – including leadership and organizational ones – that would help you the rest of your life. Lack of ECs, etc. also would prevent your learning about your own strengths and talents and hobbies/careers/majors that would be good fits for you.</p>
<p>I babysit my 3 year-old sister at least 2 hours a week, would it still count as an EC?
I’ve been learning to play classical guitar with a teacher in my country for 4 years before I moved here. I still play guitar and love it. So it’s 6 years for me now. Would you count it as an EC as well? Do I need to specify hours for babysitting and years for playing guitar if they are considered to be ECs?</p>
<p>Yes those would count, and yes do put how long you’ve been doing them.</p>
<p>thank you, I would’ve never thought about that without this forum, thanks everyone again ;)</p>
<p>“I babysit my 3 year-old sister at least 2 hours a week, would it still count as an EC?”</p>
<p>No. It’s no more an EC than would be doing chores around the house.</p>
<p>However, if you babysit your sister every weekday afternoon for several hours while your parents are at work, that could go in the additional information section of your app. It would reflect your having a considerable amount of responsibility.</p>
<p>"I’ve been learning to play classical guitar with a teacher in my country for 4 years before I moved here. I still play guitar and love it. So it’s 6 years for me now. Would you count it as an EC as well? "</p>
<p>Yes, it would count as an EC. </p>
<p>Few colleges, though, care about ECs, and the ones that do aren’t going to be impressed by your playing guitar for 6 years. Your competition for spaces at such colleges are people who are child prodigies or other professional performers, or are in adult musical groups, are in state All State bands, choirs, and orchestras or compose music that others perform.</p>
<p>thank you, Northstarmom!</p>
<p>I believe the valedictorian of my neighboring (my best friend’s school) school had NO ECs. But he had a 4.8 GPA and a 2390 SAT.
He got rejected from all Ivies, Duke, Stanford, and JHU.</p>
<p>But he got into Berkeley and all UCs. So yes?</p>
<p>Also, one of my best friends didn’t do much with himself. His only “ECs” after school was to come back home, eat, play video games, go to the park, and sleep.
In senior year, he joined the debate team for the heck of it because his girlfriend was in debate.
He went to a terribly competitive school in our area and he had a 3.7 GPA with a 2250 SAT.
Got rejected by Berkeley, UCLA, and Stanford.</p>
<p>He got into Cornell.</p>
<p>Just to play it safe, it’s best to have an EC. whether or not if its small like babysitting or doing something that it is worth international recognition will be better than sitting on a couch watching T.V all day.</p>
<p>It’s impossible NOT to have any ECs. What do you do with your time when you’re not at school/in class? Browse the internet? Cultural research. Play video games? Reflex training. Clean the house? Work experience. Et cetera.</p>
<p>^ Those are not ECs. Read post #10 again.</p>
<p>Getting into OSU or Miami is not hard. You’ll be fine.</p>