<p>I heard that colleges like to see you be involved in the school and in the community. On the other hand, I heard that colleges would like it if you focused on certain clubs, but become really active in it.</p>
<p>Should you only join clubs that have to do with your major?
Also, I am currently in about 10 clubs. Each of these clubs are kind of random, such as art and CSF. I do go to all of the meetings and is considered an "active" member, but is it a bad thing? How do colleges know whether you are dedicated to all of these clubs or not if you are in too many?</p>
<p>Each of the clubs that I am in takes place on different dates and times.</p>
<p>If I were to put stuff on my application, do I only list a few clubs or the ones that I would be the most active in?</p>
<p>I’ve never heard of a college punishing you for having “too many” clubs (whatever that means) and I doubt they actually care if every single club you join matches a major that, for many people, will probably change and isn’t set in stone. They have no way of knowing how dedicated you are to a club unless you tell them; the only indicator apart from you is if you are an officer or something like that in the club. </p>
<p>Anyway, ECs tend not to be too important unless you’re applying to really selective colleges that use them to distinguish between the swarms of kids that apply with amazing grades and SATs.</p>
<p>The idea that joining too many clubs is bad only works in response to the question “what should I do to get into a good college?” It’s much better to put 5 hours a week into 2 clubs than put 1 hour a week into 10, yes. But both of those options are still better than putting 1 hour a week into 2.</p>
<p>As long as you have some kind of clear passion (or few passions) that shines through the seemingly random clubs that you’ve joined, then you’re fine. When you have pretty equal and standard involvement in each club you’re in a little bit of trouble.</p>
<p>If clubs are for college, do only that you deem worthy of putting in your app because you wouldn’t even be filling in those random clubs on your application</p>
<p>Somewhere on this site I read that most Harvard applicants (and so, I imagine most applicants to any competitive school) were intensely involved in three interests during high school. These may or may not have been school clubs.</p>
<p>However, simply being a member of a club is not particularly impressive. Anyone can pay a membership fee or show up to the first meeting to get on the roster. What makes a difference in clubs is leadership. But also remember that there are a hundred thousand other ways to be express your interest outside of clubs–entering writing/science/math/language/etc contests, debate competitions, internships, community service…the list goes on. </p>
<p>At the end of the day, ECs only matter in helping to assemble a composite picture of your personality. If you are passionate about art, this should be reflected in more ways than just an arbitrary art club membership. Have you taken AP art classes? Entered contests like Scholastics? Taken AP Art History? Etc. Colleges want to see ambition, passion, and achievement in your ECs (and in the rest of your application), and the latter is hard to procure if your time is spread thin between ten club memberships.</p>
<p>If you’re worried that your EC involvement looks like a laundry list, then pick the clubs you care least about and don’t worry about publishing them on your resume/application. After all, you’re only given seven slots on the Common App for a reason – focus on those ECs that are most important to you.</p>