Lack of extraurriculars

Do I have i bad chance of getting into great colleges with a lack of extracurriculars? I just started my junior year getting involved in school. My sophomore year i did ASB for one semester. This year i started getting involved in CSF, Link Crew (a program where upperclassmen mentor the freshmen), environmental club, random acts of kindness, and a lunch buddies program (upperclassmen talk to and have lunch with the special ed students/ students with mental and physical disabilities) . I really want to start volunteer work outside of school, but I don’t know where I can in my city; most places have deadlines that I have missed or there’s age restrictions. I know colleges like to see involvement over a period of years, but that’s obviously not possible for me now. Any advice on how I can get involved in school and outside of school to boost my chances of getting into good schools?

it will definitely hurt for top private schools, but less for public schools (at least in CA)
and it depends on your major. volunteer at local hospital, try for some internships or local clinics if you’re interested in medicine?
join nationally recognized clubs/competitions like Science Olympiad

and definitely apply for internships/programs in the summer

ECs are mildly important for average schools, but top schools will definitely consider them.
You’ve just began your junior year, you’ll be able to earn several hours.
Soup kitchens or holiday groups (such as Toys for Tots) are an option. Pet shelters may require you to be 18, in case you’re bitten. There’s always community service club.
Volunteermatch.com is great, they even have online options!

Like others have said above me, extracurriculars are pretty essential for top schools. They’re considered for UCs (but GPA matters more in the UC application), and other CSUs don’t really consider them.
If you are shooting for top private colleges, I would suggest staying dedicated to a select group of extracurricular activites rather than doing a little bit of this and that. Colleges would like to see quality (ex: led a fundraiser to raise awareness for so-and-so) rather than quantity (ex: volunteering at this food place a few times, going to a nursing home once or twice, etc).
I would also suggest participating in extracurriculars that pertain to your major. It looks great to colleges if they see you are really dedicated to what you want to pursue! :slight_smile:

Having extracurriculars matters. But what about extracurriculars that make them so interesting? If you can communicate them effectively in supplements/essays you should also be good to go. Not saying you should have a fewer ecs but do more than just volunteering type ec’s. Try contacting professors or companies for teen internships.