My ECs . . will they ruin me? please be honest.

Applying to College
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<p>Basically, I've done a couple of random things here and there, such as varsity soccer in 9th grade but I quit (even though I wasn't bad) because it was time consuming and my parents refused to support me by not giving me a ride home after practices/games, constantly bashing it, etc. I probably won't even mention it since it's so out of place </p>

<p>I've joined a couple of clubs really for the hell of it, I wasn't active, didn't hold positions or anything. Plus I go to a rural small school, total enrolled about 500, so the clubs offered were nothing to brag about anyway.</p>

<p>But I have a passion to go to medical school, and I'm working hard now so I can take the MCAT maybe a year after I graduate high school.</p>

<p>This summer I'm taking chemistry classes, going to do organic chemistry at a college nearby hopefully during my senior year, and I've already covered the basic biology class with ap biology. I'm doing ap physics this summer online, and taking ap english my senior year, along with AP calculus. These are the 4 core classes you need to do well in to score well on the mcat, math isn't even on the test, although it's supposed to be covered.</p>

<p>So along with all of these courses I"m doing over the summer, I shadowed a doctor and I volunteered, both overseas and here, in a hospital. I've also taken anatomy & physiology as a class, and I did a summer camp where I performed several dissections. </p>

<p>During the school year, the only real ec's i have is the math club, will probably be captain senior year, language lessons several times every week, babysitting since forever (like as a job), and volunteering here and there. parents wouldn't let me get a job as it will "interfere with studies".</p>

<p>no sports, no real club committment, no yearbook editor, no instrument played for 10+ years, or anything that people usually do.</p>

<p>....
what do you think? =&lt;/p>

<p>other info i guess, valedictorian, fluent in 2 languages, 2200 on SAT (plan to retake), and i'm still yet to take SAT IIs, hopefully 750+ on math 2c, chemistry, and biology. good recommendations from bio and chem teacher, possibly another from the doctor i shadowed. parents are doctors so not sure if that helps, but i'm 1st out of 6 kids . .</p>

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<p>I thought the ECs weren't that bad because they are focused on one thing, which is eventually the medical path, but maybe that means I'm not well rounded? </p>

<p>and essays, i dont know really what to do, i still need to find something that happened in my life that "defines me", something distinguishing. i was thinking about writing how volunteering in africa, giving shots to the poor kids really made me sure of why i want to go to med school, but I guess I'll use that fo the EC essay, so . . . still need to find something for the other essays ...</p>

<p>Oh yeah, and I tutored, mainly in math, 11th and will continue .. this was a paid job, and i had to fight my parents to allow me to continue ..</p>

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<p>so all of your ECs are focused around academics and volunteering.</p>

<p>I don't know, I mean you have a passion technically, everything is focused, even down to the subject tests you plan to take . . . some schools require volunteering though . . </p>

<p>I'm not sure how colleges will view it, I mean you can't say that it was your parents fault for not pursuing other things, and med school eventually needs someone who can be motivated to take difficult classes and score well and be good with people, and you are (babysitting, tutoring, volunteering)...but before you get to med school you have to be accepted to the undergrad college.</p>

<p>Hmm, I'm not sure what to really say, you took what you really liked to do a step farther (like volunteering overseas and taking college classes), which is the ultimate goal right? to focus on a passion</p>

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<p>Yeah thats what I was thinking sarorah, but I mean, it's too late to do anything else significant. I'm applying to college in about 2 months.</p>

<p>...so will colleges reject me for not being 'well-rounded'? I'm applying to a normal range of schools, a few ivies, some state schools including one in-state, colleges with a good pre-med program basically.</p>

<p>anyone else? sorry it was kind of long.</p>

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<p>ivies are unlikely without meaningful ECs.</p>

<p>You'll likely be able to get into an excellent school regardless, and your state school may offer you quite a bit of money, which you should seriously consider if you actually want to attend med school.</p>

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<p>Heh, I'm even worse. I have absolutely nothing, nada, except about 200+ hours of library volunteering. So don't feel too bad.</p>

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<p>I'm not sure what schools you're looking at, but you're ECs look fine to me. </p>

<p>Remember that colleges don't necessarily want all rounded students, but rather that they want a rounded student body. You certainly could be a person some of the top 25 schools are looking for to fill a specific role. As long as you don't feel like that you have to get into HYPS or else you've failed, you'll be fine with passionate essays. </p>

<p>Also, being at a rural school (if it's in a rural state), will help you out as schools understand you don't necessarily have the same opportunities as other schools.</p>

<p>Oh and you might as well mention varsity soccer - I don't see how it will hurt you.</p>

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<p>That Africa thing is really unique. I mean, lots of people are terrified of shots to begin with, never mind administering them! Ha.</p>

<p>Seriously, though, don't worry. Concentrate on the things you've done that others probably haven't (i.e., Africa, etc.), and go from there.</p>

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<p>Thanks guys for the advice :)</p>

<p>Ray, maybe you can make that into something meaningful by saying you helped little kids learn to read or it helped your office skills, helped others who might have came for tutoring?</p>

<p>I'm perfectly fine with my state school also, see the plan is, it's not the prestigiousness. I'm looking at things long-term, so whatever can offer me exactly what I need for my eventual profession, whichever school can prepare me the best you know?</p>

<p>I don't live in a rural state unfortunately, it's virginia . . definently a rural town though; <10 AP classes offered in total. Some of the AP tests I plan to take (such as physics) don't even have a corresponding AP class in my school.</p>

<p>I dont think I should mention soccer on the main EC page because it doesn't "flow" with the other stuff . . maybe under hobbies I might mention it casually, if there is a Hobby section. It's soccer & running, the cross country coach invited me after she saw me in track in 8th grade, but I just couldn't for a variety of reasons. =\
I guess that's my own fault though, oh well . . .</p>

<p>thank you all again for your input =)</p>