Two questions

<p>Currently I am a junior going to school in suburban southern california. My school is pretty good, last year it sent students to MIT, Princeton, and Stanford. I will probably apply to these schools as well as some UCs, so i was wondering.

  1. Will a super rigorous schedule offset a possibly weaker set of EC’s? Right now, I have without doubt the most rigorous class schedule in my grade. I am taking 4 AP classes on campus, AP level chemistry at a local city college, and linear algebra at a nearby UC(will not specify which one). Straight A record with class rank 2/500ish. Thus, I have less time for EC stuff. I play club and high school volleyball at an excellent volleyball school(though i am currently injured =(…). I also participate in math and science clubs(with leadership positions) and numerous competitions, though i have not won anything at the state or national level. This year, i founded a ping pong club as well. Will colleges understand that my class schedule inhibits greater involvement these EC activities?</p>

<li>How important is it to achieve recognition at the state or national level? I will probably participate in a national level research competition this year or next year, but i am still wondering if just having fun is not enough.</li>
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<p>Thanks for any responses!</p>