Hello,
I plan on attending college for global studies and international business. I am Vice President of Model UN. WIll this give me a boost over someone who has slightly better grades, but no global outreach clubs??
Thanks,
It totally depends on the school you are applying to.
If you can look at the Common Data Set for schools you are considering, section C7 lists various categories, like class rank, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, etc., and categorizes how important they are in first-time, first-year, degree-seeking freshman admission decision.
Also, it’s pretty common for students to change their mind about their major while in college, so showing high school activities consistent with an intended major might not be as important as just having activities that show you are an active and involved person. And many schools do not admit freshmen to a particular major.
Schools
University of Delaware
Valparaiso University
Loyola University Chicago
GPA (weighted): 3.628 (out of 5)
(Unweighted: 3.15)
PSAT scores: 1130, 570 RW, 560 Math
Location: Massachusetts
Desired major: Global Studies and International Business
Extracurriculars
Orchestra: I am in the honors orchestra at my school, and I have been a part of it since 5th grade.
Tri-M (Music National Honor Society): Started this year, provides numerous volunteer opportunities.
Model United Nations: (Vice President)- I have increased the club’s enrollment by 200% and have been in charge of registering the team for conferences.
Golf Team: I have been on the team every year so far and will continue to be on the team
Your ECs are not going to overcome a lower GPA and test scores. Your best “boost” is going to be rocking your grades this year and prepping hard for either the SAT or ACT.
While my gpa is low, I ave increased the difficulty of my classes by large amounts, considering I was taking all A-Level classes my freshman year. Also, my PSAT scores aren’t too bad and are well within the range of the averages at some schools. They should increase substantially due to the amount of prep I have been doing.
I think the fact you are involved in a club related to your major will be looked on favorably, but that is not to say it will give you any advantage. By that I mean colleges like to see a consistent application (they don’t want to read a bleeding heart essay about world hunger by an author who has never spent so much as an hour volunteering in any of his/her town’s three food banks), but that consistent application probably only keeps you in the game for a round or so; it may not necessarily push you ahead.
Your ECs are fine. Work on your GPA and test scores. You will be fine.