No extracurriculars freshman and sophomore year

Would acceptance to a top university be almost impossible if I have done 0 extracurriculars freshman and sophomore year? I’m aware that it is looked down upon by colleges, but would it be a quick rejection from a prestigious school, assuming that my academic stats will remain outstanding all throughout high school (high GPA, SAT, ACT, IB Tests)? Want to be an astronautical engineer and dream of going to MIT, however, I didn’t realize this dream till later.

Colleges do want to see that your not just hung up on academics and that you can add to the school community. I suggest using remaining summers and school years to do some activities (doesn’t need to be tons) - the activities also do not need to be at school - it can include music lessons, volunteer work, part time jobs etc.

Hey, SethHS!

No, acceptance to a top university would not be almost impossible. Like momtogirls2, I suggest that you make use of your remaining summers and time in high school, especially your junior year, to participate in some excellent extra curricular activities. Assuming your academic interests have remained consistent throughout high school, you may be able to show some academic growth by playing your freshman and sophomore years off as times you spent *prepping, for lack of a better word, for your ECs in the upcoming year. Did you do any independent studying? Even reading a book about your academic interest can be beneficial in showing that you are academically curious outside of school in your freshman and sophomore years.

^ For an MIT level college, yes, you should get active immediately. For engineering, include collaborative math-sci activities with peers. Then find the right rounding in other ECs. Maybe next summer you can find some work related to your interest in rocket science.

You can’t pretend you did nothing because you were “prepping” for later ECs or reading. Tippy tops want more. Community service, yes. But misc things like music lessons are extras and won’t replace the right energy and experiences for a stem path. You’ll need to “show, not just tell,” that you are indeed the right applicant.

You’ve got to remember how fierce the competition is for a tippy top admit. And that holistic colleges want kids who engaged in hs, which shows them you’re likely to engage in college, outside classes and homework. Read the MIT admissions blogs.

You did nothing? No music? no sports? no house of worship activities? no clubs at school? No job? no babysitting siblings?

If that is the case, do get involved in something of interest to you!

If you literally have zero ECs, outside talents or interests, volunteer positions or part time jobs for your first two years, I would expect your chances are extremely slim for T30 schools. Not impossible, but definitively less than the 5%-10% or so of most applicants. You would have to either do something extraordinary in the next 18 months, write a mind-blowing essay, or come up with a very sizeable and generous donation.

I highly encourage you to get involved somehow, not to look good for college, but for yourself. There is no downside (you just ease up or get help with your time management if your grades start to suffer), but the benefits to being part of activities outside of school can be tremendous.

^This. Unless you have a large hook…sizable donations/ building named for your family, remarkable published research paper. There are so so many applicants who will have the same or better academic stats PLUS outstanding ECs. As previously mentioned you should consider extracurricular involvement because it’s a benefit to you.

I am curious, though, how a kid with the ambition for MIT has done literally nothing except homework during the school year and hanging out (or doing test study?) over the summer.

This is still good advice, straight from the proverbial horses mouth:

https://mitadmissions.org/blogs/entry/applying_sideways/

Agree with previous respondents. Take a moment to really think about the past few years. It’s possible that some of the things you’ve done, during the school year or during vacations, are in fact ECs - and you simply aren’t seeing them that way. If you really have zippo then (college applicant or no) - it’s time to get busy with some outside interests/activities!

Even hooked candidates need ECs, the right balance of them. “Nothing” sends a message, the wrong one.

A great essay won’t make up for this, nor some extraordinary accomplishment. They want kids who “do.” And in the right ways, not just filler. A balance of things that reflect your interests, those with and for peers, and in the community, working toward others’ needs.

You can drop your sights down. A number of fine colleges care more about stats. Not the tippy top holistics.