<p>So I've recently perused the common app, and I'm having difficulty deciding which extracurriculars to include and evaluating whether or not my extracurriculars as a whole are solid. Any input would be greatly appreciated.</p>
<p>Don’t mention Toastmasters since you only did it in tenth grade, despite the leadership position.</p>
<p>I generally discourage NHS, because it is overdone and boring. NHS is rarely worth a spot on your app. Unless you’ve done something significant in NHS (organized schoolwide service project, created citywide tutoring program, etc), don’t include NHS. It does not show anything, save for decent grades. And even that will be apparent on your transcript. You don’t need NHS to testify for you, nor do you need it to distract from the better ECs on your application.</p>
<p>Other than that, everything else looks fine.</p>
<p>Uhhh wrong! Definitely INCLUDE Toastmasters. It is a very well known program, and if you’re in it, it will work to your advantage (especially since you were VP).</p>
<p>You can include everything and if there is more that doesn’t fit, upload a resume. </p>
<p>And NHS is a given. You have to include NHS, regardless if 99% of the people applying have it.</p>
<p>Alright I guess Toastmasters wouldn’t hurt. And I didn’t participate in 11th grade because the program ended due to a lack of interest.
If I include Toastmasters, should I also add Debate Club (which I hold no position in, 11th and 12th) to supplement Model UN and Toastmasters and broadcast an interest in public speaking.</p>
<p>Or is it just wiser to focus on the few extracurriculars in which I’ve invested significant effort or time into?</p>
<p>miss_murd3r - feel free to contribute your own opinions, but I would not be so quick to make those statements. NHS, especially, is rarely worth a place on an application. Like I said earlier, there are exceptions, but for the Ivy-aspiring student, NHS is not anywhere near notable.</p>
<p>elbeeen - there are certainly enough spaces to list all those ECs. Listing everything will likely distract the reader from the meat of your application though. </p>
<p>marz - Given the activities you mentioned, there seems to be a lot of scattershot ECs. As an extremely generalized rule, no focus = no passion. However, if you are not applying for the most selective (HYPSM caliber) schools, by all means, feel free to include your entire list of ECs–those schools wouldn’t need to examine your EC involvements anyway.</p>
<p>That’s my suggestion. Take it with a grain of salt, but it’s there if you need it.</p>
<p>If you cannot market yourself as someone with impressive and unique passions, it will be a tough sell.</p>
<p>Think of it this way: you need to show the school that they want you, and not some other applicant. The only clear-cut way to do this, beyond basic requirements like test scores and class rank, is to show that you’re irreplaceable. For that to happen, you need to have a few well-defined passions, which is why I advised against the laundry list.</p>
<p>I definitely see your logic drunkofdreams, but my concern is, with these extracurriculars, can I really market myself as someone unique and impressive?</p>
<p>I have a few officer positions, and I’m head of the school newspaper, maybe I should just focus on that?</p>
<p>What state/province are you from? If you can market your unique geographical diversity, that’ll be a small plus.</p>
<p>Which activities have you influenced the most?
Have you done anything for MUN outside the basic involvements for comps? Changed the way your school trains new members? Revamped the communication channel for the officer team? Held fundraisers to ease your team’s travel expenses? </p>
<p>Anything out of the ordinary can be used to give you an edge. Most applicants will not take the initiative to go one step further. They will stop at the requirement, which is where it becomes your chance to shine. Since you are a rising senior, this advice will not help you immensely, but think about it for a bit.</p>
<p>Well I’m an American citizen, but I attend a private international high school in the Middle East, and I was thinking of writing the common app essay about some experiences here.</p>
<p>Honestly, basketball, my school newspaper, and MUN have been my most significant and perhaps “marketable” activities.</p>
<p>Our basketball team did win nationals here, and as chief editor of the newspaper next year I’ll definitely have some sort of an impact.</p>
<p>As far as Model UN goes, I have held positions and awards in the Berlin conference, and I’ve helped make minor changes in our local conference. Next year I’ll be a chair as well.</p>
<p>Thanks so much for your help I really like your approach and rationale, focusing on specific achievements looks like an effective way to highlight my passions. Additonal feedback would really be welcome.</p>
<p>Look at it like this…if you hold leadership positions in anything you do, put it down. Having ECs from different subjects doesn’t show that you “don’t have a focus,” it could show that you’re eager to learn more about different things, that you hold different interests and that you are “diverse,” in that sense. You’re in high school, schools don’t expect you to know what you’re going to do 5 years out or what you want to major in. It’s not rare to find students who don’t know what the hell they want to do with their lives.</p>
<p>I talked to an AdCom about which ECs to include and I wasn’t going to put NHS either. He told me that NHS is just a given and that if it’s there, they won’t care about but if it’s not, they’ll wonder why you weren’t in it. It’s that kind of EC. It won’t necessarily “make or break you.” </p>
<p>Definitely include any leadership roles you have and other notable ECs.</p>
<p>Right. Because every Ivy applicant needs to be in NHS. The same goes for French Club, Guitar Hero Enthusiasts, and Underwater Basketweaving Club.</p>
<p>Adcoms at the most selective schools don’t care how many clubs you’ve been in. They care about the impact you’ve made and how you managed to influence the club. And you don’t need the title of a leadership position to do this.</p>
<p>The regular member who coordinated a citywide tutoring service will be more impressive than the NHS president who sat around and did the minimum to secure his leadership title.</p>
<p>That being said, if you are looking at some Tier 2 schools, their adcoms will be impressed by any kind of leadership position because it’s not common in their applicant pool.</p>
<p>Ultimately, whether you choose to include all your ECs or not, that is your choice. And while miss_murd3r is likely a college student, I am only a high school student like you. However, I will say that I am applying to HYPSM-esque schools (with some safeties of course!) and the process at the most selective schools is different from that of lesser selective schools. </p>
<p>Many HYPSM applicants fall prey to the fallacy that you need a lot of ECs to show how well-rounded or “diverse” as miss_murd3r put it. That’s simply not true. The kid in twenty clubs and three sports who completes only the minimal requirements to stay on top of everything is weak compared to the nationally ranked FBLA student who also led his math team to state championships.</p>
<p>The difference here is quality, and presenting yourself and an impressive candidate begins with quality.</p>
<p>Why would you need to mention NHS in the first place?</p>
<p>Being in a slew of clubs might testify to your time management skills, but not your impressiveness. Unless you’ve done something out of the ordinary, NHS is just one of those “filler” clubs that HYPSM adcoms will easily see through.</p>
<p>Just a note for NHS. This EC/ Honor/ Award seems to be treated differently in different schools. I absolutely understand murd3r’s point that if it isn’t there, it might be noticed. At Ds school it is seen as more of an honor than an EC. Yes, they do get together once in a while to volunteer, but generally speaking, if you are in the top of the class, take the most rigorous courses and “contribute to society”, you are invited to NHS. If you don’t, then you won’t get in. Period. Perhaps that is why murd3r considers it so important (?)</p>