<p>I've been playing the violin since I was 4, but I quit when I was 13 because I didn't like it. I have the chance to do Orchestra in high school, though. Should I start playing the violin again just so I can have that as an EC, even if I don't enjoy it? I joined the school band randomly this summer, but quit the next day because I didn't like it. The music ECs at my school are very time-consuming. Summer band is from 9 am to 6 pm every day >_< Even though my best skill is probably music, I got sick of it after doing it for so long.</p>
<p>I really want to try to join Science Olympiad, but I didn't do Science Olympiad in middle school. I was also thinking about DECA. Are these ECs too common at most schools? I want to stand out from everyone else while still doing things I enjoy. I don't want to spend all of high school doing things just to impress others/colleges.</p>
<p>It sounds like you think you would enjoy Science Olympiad, so go for that. You don’t have to be a star as a freshman, but work at it and build your way up to being a key part of the team by junior year. If you don’t like music, don’t do it just to impress colleges (honestly, that is just about the most common EC). But mostly you should do what you enjoy.</p>
<p>You might want to read the book “How to Be a High School Superstar: A Revolutionary Plan to Get Into College By Standing Out (Without Burning Out)” by Cal Newport. That book can help you think about ECs, grades, test scores, etc, and how to balance them and be ready for college applications. I think he would tell you (1) do what interests you most, which sounds like Science Olympiad, and (2) try to find an unusual way to build on what you are interested in (find a science research opportunity that is unusual, etc.). You are at a great age to read this book, going into high school is a good time to think about how you want to spend your time over the next four years.</p>
<p>If you want to stand out, pick up a fun hobby such as electronics, programming, or whatever research projects there are out there… There’s a lot of time to figure this out, but I really do not even know where someone would begin to make good use out of this, but I have been baffled by what some students have turned out!</p>
<p>Science Olympiad, while it can be a common EC, you can take it to unique extents. Maybe you can gain leadership skills by working your way up to captain. If you do some of the competitions, there are some really good projects such as a Rube Goldberg machine that you can show off your talents with. I highly recommend it as it has many events in which you can explore your interests for a future Math/Science/Engineering career and the experience can be really fun if you put enough effort into it!</p>