<p>I'm going to be a freshman in high school soon and I was planning on not doing any extracurricualars this year, because im gonna have to get used to the school and focus on school work (which I'm especially woried about because my middle school grades werent so good). I would start joining them sophomore year. Is this a bad Idea? would it effect my college applications? and the school I'm focusing on getting into is New York University.</p>
<p>Yes, it would probably affect them. Colleges want to see continued involvement in extracurriculars throughout all 4 years.</p>
<p>uhhhh, but what if I do like 2 clubs this year, then like 4 next year and the rest of high school?</p>
<p>Honestly, 4 clubs isn't going to make that much difference.</p>
<p>AND, since colleges don't even look at freshman year grades, I would think that would be the year to really load yourself down with EC's.</p>
<p>Lastly...if you don't learn time management freshman year, which many would say is the easiest year, you're pretty much screwed the rest of HS.</p>
<p>I think that doing one or two clubs freshman year is a good idea...you want to show commitment/continual involvement, but not loading yourself down is also wise, especially if you know that you'll need to adjust your study habits in high school, and don't want to be too distracted.</p>
<p>And most colleges DO look at freshman year grades...I see HGFM is from California, and I believe the UCs (and Stanford?) ignore them, so I can understand thinking most don't use them, but most other colleges do take them into account for overall GPA.</p>
<p>However, it's likely that as a freshman, your involvement in clubs would be somewhat superficial. It might be ok to go ahead and try out a variety of clubs, so that you can see what you really want to do, and thus will have more time to work up to leadership positions.</p>
<p>Ultimately, you need to do what you think will work best for you. I wouldn't recommend doing NOTHING, but only you know how many ECs you can take on while still having time/energy for your school work. And while many colleges do count freshman year, they tend to like upward trends, are are willing to be somewhat forgiving about it, if you improve.</p>
<p>Yup. The UC/CSU system pretty much looks at the Freshman year as an "adjustment" period, so they don't really bother with it.</p>
<p>I think freshman year is the time to join all the clubs you can. That way, in sophomore year, you can decide which ones to pursue more seriously. By junoir year, you'll have awards. Then during senior year, you should be after those precious leadership positions.</p>
<p>But don't feel like you need to overload yourself.</p>
<p>thanks guys! My plan is to do two easy clubs this year like Spanish club and then work my way up and two of my friends are starting like a religous club, so maybe I could have a leadership position in that too. but my main focus is going to be grades.</p>
<p>You should try and do as many EC's as you can while keeping up your grades and adjusting to high school. Anyway, good luck!</p>
<p>I was thinking the same thing last year when I was going to be a freshman, like "i need to get used to the school" and stuff but really, it will take about one-two weeks tops to get comfortable and then you'll feel like you could have/should have/would have gotten more involved. Plus, getting involved will help you get even more used to the school so in my opinion, joining clubs or sports or whatever you want to do is a good idea freshman year but you don't have to push it. Don't feel like you have to fill every second of every day on your schedule. Just do what you're comfortable with or maybe one more than your comfort zone and have fun with it. If you don't like it, stop going.</p>
<p>Hope this helps, have fun at high school!</p>
<p>Frankly beginning in freshman year doesnt matter if you blow them away by doing something amazing when you join later on. Like if you started to do an EC in 11th grade but then became regional director or something, a adcom would have to be insane to even care you didnt do anything before then when compared with the outstanding achievment. Of course, its harder to get to that position when you start late.</p>
<p>I recommend starting early</p>
<p>I'd say join a bunch now, see what they're like, and then narrow them down your sophomore year. You're probably not going to be in any leadership positions, so it shouldn't be a big deal if you decide that you don't want to be in a certain club any more and quit.</p>
<p>I love how some people speak as if they're college admissions officers</p>
<p>
[quote]
Lastly...if you don't learn time management freshman year, which many would say is the easiest year, you're pretty much screwed the rest of HS.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Big assumption, not true.</p>
<p>If you feel like not doing any extracurriculars, then by all means, go for it. You don't have to make up your mind right away.</p>
<p>How is that speaking like an admissions officer? That was my experience.</p>
<p>i recommend starting freshman year, not only because of the college apps, but because your going to a new school, and it's a lot easier to make friends with shared interests.</p>
<p>NYU is so easy to get int. stop worrying.</p>
<p>Freshman year is a good time to engage in whatever piques your interest with regards to school activities, and then pare down as necessary in later years while taking those interests outside school.</p>