I didn’t have many ECs my freshman and sophomore years, but my junior year I joined Science Olympiad, created my own club, and joined STEM Club. I got first in state for one of my events and some sort of medal in all my other events for Science Olympiad and likely will be a captain this year, and I have leadership in STEM Club. Will colleges still think I just joined a bunch of extracurriculars for my resume or will they see my accomplishments as signs of commitment. I’m worried that my late joining will undermine my strong commitment to these clubs
If you have leadership and awards/recognitions in these ec’s then they’ll probably be seen as more “real” than someone who joined in senior year and did nothing notable.
No worries. Explore what interests you and make an impact in it.
My son had some activities he began before ninth grade and continued through twelfth, but he also added two new interests. One he added junior year, and it may have helped determine his future career. Another he added senior year, and it made his senior year very enjoyable. If he had not added those two activities, perhaps out of some misguided worry about how colleges would react, he would have missed out on doing some things that made his high school years very enjoyable and have had a lasting impact in his life.
You are a kid. You are allowed to grow and change and develop new interests. That is a healthy part of high school.
When you write your brief explanations of each activity for the activities section of your application, just show why the activity was important/ what you contributed to it. It sounds like you have had some great accomplishments with your activities!
That makes me feel a lot better, thanks!