I have decent test scores:
2220 SAT, 35 ACT, 800 Physics SAT II, 770 Math 2 SAT II, 760 Chemistry SAT II, 760 Biology M SAT II
97.89 unweighted average (I think, it’s 97-something for sure)
My last (unofficial) class rank was 2/65ish (I go to a small catholic school) I don’t know if my rank has changed since then
However, my ECs are pretty weak:
Varsity Soccer for 3 seasons (including this coming year) plus I was called up at the end of my freshman year (my school won the state championship this past year, but I don’t know if that has any significance when applying to colleges)
Varsity Tennis for 3 seasons (including this coming year) as cocaptain
Varsity Bowling and Varsity Indoor Track for 2 years each
I played travel soccer also
Habitat for Humanity one summer
I’m part of a mission group at my school that does work in Puerto Rico each summer
I’m in Quiz League (we won our league this year) and NYS Math League at my school
NHS
I went to Boys’ State this past summer
I am in my school’s Service Learning class which involves tutoring underprivileged children at a local elementary school before school one day a week and it also started a student initiated scholarship which funds one student at my high school.
I have held a job at a local movie theater since my sophomore year.
That’s all I have.
How much will this hurt me when applying to top schools where many applicants have much more impressive ECs?
Nothing weak about your ECs. Yes, there are kids applying with jaw dropping accomplishments outside of the classroom. Looks to me like you just need to edit your activities in a killer personal statement to focus Admissions on the one or two that have been most meaningful to you.
Agreed, it’s definitely a good list, and it’s better than doing nothing all four years. But yeah, figuring out which ones mean the most to you will probably be the key.
I agree with @Oregon2016, your ECs are not “weak.” Remember that admissions officers are generally looking for reasons to admit you, not reject you. Plenty of kids with average ECs get into top schools. As long as your college list has some matches and safeties you like, you’ll be fine.
ECs, if you have any, are not weak. They’re only weak if you misuse them in your application.
Do realize that 99% of applicants have some ECs. To highlight what makes you different from the rest of them, you need to dive into your own self. Your character. How your ECs may have shaped your character. This is the important part of having ECs, so you hopefully gain character (this is the main outcome of parents sending their kids to sports at a young age) and get to boast about it in your essays. Well, not exactly boast, but if you make yourself appear as a strong minded individual, then you’ll be fine.
@MurphyBrown no promotions. And I’m not sure about leadership but my soccer team was really good two years ago but was disqualified/withdrew from the state tournament and then last year we won states. Could this be something to emphasize or write about?