<p>Unless you are applying to places like HPYS, your lack of stronger ECs will not matter for admission. The overwhelming majority of colleges select students based on gpa, test scores and curriculum. This particularly is true of public universities, which almost universally select based on stats and state of residence. However, even most private universities don't factor ECs in much for admission.</p>
<p>In general, when ECs are factored it's for merit aid. </p>
<p>Most students in this country also get into their first choice college. Your ECs are comparable tor better than those of most students in the U.S.</p>
<p>Hobbies certainly count for college...or else my gaming time (and a bunch of other stuff) be damned. I didn't do anything this year, honestly because I didn't even know what EC was until I came here; I joined 1 club this year and did orchestra (which is a school course so...) ...that's about it. Good thing it was freshman year. </p>
<p>Even those EC's shouldn't preclude you from applying to Stanford, assuming other aspects of your app is good.
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If a kid plays guitar in his garage for an hour everyday practicing, it's just a hobby. If a kid pays some guitar instructor to sit in the garage with him for an hour everyday, it's an extracurricular?
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You sitting in your car or garage playing guitar COUNTS as an EC. I know plenty of people that did this and went fine; but it was Piano. I.E: "Piano: Four Years, 15 hours a week. </p>
<p>I wonder why when it's guitar it's so pejorative.</p>
<p>ECs really don't say anything about you being social. My ecs are mediocre, because I just like to chill with friends, play Frisbee and go to dances and stuff like that. Not stuff you put on a college app</p>
<p>ECs can reflect one's social involvement in terms of one's ability to contribute to a creating a campus with vibrant organizations of all kinds. </p>
<p>In general, colleges don't have problems finding students who like to chill with friends, play frisbee or go to parties. The types of people whom colleges look to recruit in order to create vibrant campuses are those who have backgrounds indicating they'd do community service, participate in musical, debate, and theater groups and student chapters of professional organizations, keep a regular student newspaper running, and do other things that require what many people would consider hard work, not just having fun (The people who do the kinds of activities that I mention, however, consider those activities just as much fun as partying and chilling with friends.)</p>
<p>
[quote]
Hobbies certainly count for college...or else my gaming time (and a bunch of other stuff) be damned. I didn't do anything this year, honestly because I didn't even know what EC was until I came here; I joined 1 club this year and did orchestra (which is a school course so...) ...that's about it. Good thing it was freshman year.
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</p>
<p>Colleges like hobbies.... good hobbies...that show you can influence the community. For example, you could be a mountain climber/shoe shopper/a guy who spends time reading philosophy or a martial arts fan. They really can be helpful, since they're actually unique you're no longer the typical applicant who's in debate team, MUN, science olympiad, or NHS. There are many special organizations in colleges that were started by admitting those unique people, and GOOD hobbies will definitely be a nice addition.</p>