No extracurriculars freshman year of high school???

Pre-College Topics High School Life
1

I feel like I have no talent and no life.

I really want to be in UCSD, but it’s getting harder and harder to get accepted to UCs each year. I want my college application to look strong and appealing, but how can I do that if I don’t have any extracurriculars freshman year? :frowning: it’s barely second semester and I’ve finally realized how important extracurriculars are.

I’ve been invited to an after school club called CodeQueens which is a computer science club for girls. Our goal is to create an app that encourages young kids to recycle (it’s run by this university student). I’m going to join it bc it seems interesting and I’m probably going to be an active member, but idk if this is going to be a big impact on my collage application because I’m not interested in taking computer science as my major.

I don’t just want to add that I was only in a Computer Science club freshman year, I want to add more.

About me: I am interested in science and in the medical field (but I can’t seem to find local volunteer opportunities), my only hobby is art but I barely draw I only do art in my art class, but my teacher thinks I’m very good compared to other students and she even wanted me to join advanced art and AP Studio Art in the future, I’m not into sports, and I don’t play an instrument, I really want to do community service but I am willing to do it with a friend bc I’m anti social.

And for summer? I heard that it’s a good idea not to waste your summer by signing up for summer school at local colleges (I feel like I’m too young), being in a summer program/camp (can’t find any local ones), internships (again, I think I’m too young to work), community service (can’t find a local club), etc.

To sum it up, I want a strong college application but only have one club to mention for my freshman section (and I’m sure I’m not going to join that club my other years bc it’s only this year that it is available). What extracurriculars can I do to improve my freshman section of my collage application? Am I worrying too much because I’m only a freshman? I feel like I have no talent and I feel like I’m going to go nowhere in life.

2

Don’t do ECS for a college application. Do them because something interests you or matters to you. Join the group that seems intriguing. If you like it, great. If you don’t, figure out why and move on. Colleges want to see that you get involved and engage, not that you fill every box on the application.

3

The fact that you say you can’t find community service opportunities and can’t find info about summer camps in your area suggests that you aren’t very aware of the world around you. Do you read the local paper? Watch local news? Javed you found the “Community Education” offerings in your school district, city, or county? Have you read the bulletin boards at local coffee shops or other gathering places? Some colleges don’t care about ECs but the ones that do want you to show evidence that you are involved in the world around you.

4

From what I’ve heard, UC acceptances depend largely upon your academic standing, EC play no or little role, unless you are recruitable.