Most common extracurriculars

Pre-College Issues High School Life
1

<p>What are some typical extracurriculars of high school students that apply to top colleges? (Math club, NHS, swimming, journalism/yearbook, violin, etc.)</p>

<p>I go to a relatively small school with a very narrow selection of extracurriculars available, so I've always wondered what other students did. </p>

<p>After browsing CC threads, I've realized there are so many options to students--things I had never known of! Before CC, I had never even heard of Academic Decathlon, NHS, MUN, or JSA.</p>

2

<p>Don’t join stuff for the sake of joining, do stuff you like etc. etc. (someone handle this one for me)</p>

3

<p>^Just clarifying…I didn’t mean to ask for activities I could join. </p>

<p>Just curious about what types of things most (normal) high school students do, since I go to a super tiny school.</p>

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<p>Music, I imagine, is the most common EC</p>

5

<p>MUN, Youth & Gov, violin, tennis, swimming, track, Science Olympiad, Math League, Mock trial, etc.</p>

6

<p>tennis is a big one, especially for Asians</p>

7

<p>volunteering for hospitals, shelters, etc. way too common.

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<p>I must totally agree with you. And even if you have the stats for something, why take the spot of someone who has a deeper passion than you?</p>

8

<p>What about going to an impoverished third world country to build schools or dig wells? I hear that sarcastically sometimes on CC, but is that just an exaggeration?</p>

<p>It feels weird/suspicious to think that well-off high school students would have a deep “passion” for digging wells.</p>

9

<p>@heartist</p>

<p>I doubt anyone has a passion for “digging wells”. I think people have a passion for helping others though…</p>

<p>Like… a doctor for example. I doubt anyone has a passion for “seeing sick people every day” or “listening to other people’s problems” </p>

<p>Being able to help a person heal or live more comfortably gives a sense of self-worth and makes a person happy that they can make a difference and that their care can help improve lives.</p>

10

<p>well said :)</p>

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<p>Those trips are for fun, and don’t really count as a solid EC. Everyone goes on those trips and everyone has a ‘life changing experience’, so the trips are quite cliche.</p>

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<p>^ Since when is going to a third world country, or on any service trip for that matter, considered “fun”? Fulfilling and rewarding, I’m sure – but I just don’t see “volunteering in a third world country” and “going to Disney World” in the same category. I’d say that those trips do count for something; you’re making a difference instead of doing something just for pleasure.</p>

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<p>Everyone who does it at my school goes with 10 of their other friends, comes back, and talks about how fun it was. Yes, you are helping those in need, but the vibe I got is that there is a lot of ‘hanging out with friends time’ too. In the end, no college is going to want to hear about how your life changed after going to Somalia for a week, I can’t think of a more cliche topic.</p>

14

<p>Ehh, I didn’t really participate in my ECs for the purpose of satisfying colleges. I played piano and swam because I liked doing those activities. I do think the most common is music and sports. Personally, I loved exercising (a good way of getting off all that high school stress).</p>

15

<p>I’ve seen a lot of math, science, and debate in the Chances forum.</p>

16

<p>National Honor Society, Key Club, Journalism, Yearbook, Piano, Violin, and Band are all horribly generic ECs. Especially NHS and Key Club - GAG.</p>

17

<p>getting a noble prize is pretty common among users on this forum. Most don’t even mention it when applying</p>

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<p>^ :)</p>

<p>tenchar</p>