I’m a high school senior and I’m worried that my ECs aren’t good enough to get into a top college.
My ECs:
Captain of the varsity tennis team junior and senior year
Math team
Played cello in orchestra 9th and 10th grade
Part time job starting this summer
Next year I will volunteer as a writing coach at my high school
I always thought that these were at least passable for the colleges I want to go to, but after reading threads on this site I’m really starting to worry. What do you guys think? Is there anything else I could do my senior year to make up for the lack of ECs?
Keep in mind that out of the 3,000 or so 4-year colleges in the US EC’s are very important for admission at only a small fraction. Perhaps the most selective 100 or so. You can see what factors matter in admission at schools you are considering by looking at their Common Data Set filings. Most students worry needlessly about EC’s when they’ll play only a small factor or not even be considered!
As you will see from that link, at the most selective colleges they are looking for depth more than just participation. Stanford, as an example top school, says
Depends what you consider a “top” schools; if you mean the ivies et al. the bar is going to be that much higher. For this level of schools, a good ec is one that very few other applicants have. This might be usamo, Intel, etc. but it could also be something seemingly less impressive but that give’s you a unique perspective. If it’s something you’ve been committed to and you can write a killer essay about it, then it’s a good ec.
Many applicants to these schools will have ec’s similar to yours, so take the time to think about the personal experiences you’ve had with them that will allow you to tell a compelling story for the essays.
Realistically it is often difficult to start a brand new EC as a senior in time to make a difference. So work with your existing ECs. In regards to ECs, demonstrating true leadership is often what distinguishes one application from another. Leadership means much more than a title. In the first semester of your senior year what can you do in the context of your existing ECs to make a major difference to your high school community? So it’s not a matter of “selling” the value of your ECs in an essay, but rather impacting your team and making a true difference that way.
@sweetea - The more selective colleges I’m applying to are UChicago, Haverford, and Swarthmore. Do you know how much emphasis those schools put on ECs vs. essays vs. grades? Because my essays, grades, and test scores are all up to their standards.
@imbep49 - I’m pretty involved. I’m usually one of the top scorers in the division, which means a lot to me since our school’s math team is crap haha I’m also very involved in tennis, since, once again, our team is pretty bad. I put a lot of effort into teaching new players on the team rules, technique, etc.
I’ve always been very passionate about math and science in school, not so much activities. So that’s what I talk about in some of my essays. Is that bad?
All 3 colleges are very selective. ACT middle 50th percentile of about 30-34 which is about as selective as it gets. If you are a rising senior you should focus on writing very strong essays and being able to articulate clearly on supplemental essays that you understand what each school has to offer and why you are a good fit. It is less about what EC you do than it is about the depth of interest and involvement. It’s fine to have only ultimate frisbee as your EC but you had better be a pretty good ultimate frisbee player or have invented new ultimate frisbee moves. If a college has way more students with high enough GPA’s and test scores applying than it can possibly admit, then EC’s are going to be important. U.Chicago’s admissions rate is dropping every year - they must have some way to sort out applicants
My ACT score is 34, my UW GPA is 3.97, lots of AP and dual enrollment, and I’m working really hard on my essays. Do you think I have any sort of chance at those schools? I know this might be the wrong place to ask, but I want to know what you all think
Varsity sport is definitely a plus, especially if you apply to a sport-heavy school like Stanford. Most of the people who’ve gotten into Stanford from my school were the athletic ones, even if there were others academically slightly stronger than them.
Math can definitely be a plus if you do standardized competitions like AMC, AIME, etc. Otherwise not as much.
Cello is nice to add but doesn’t stand out too much unless you compete musically.
Your part time job and volunteer all seem like interesting and unique experiences that could make for an interesting essay.
Overall your EC’s probably aren’t the strongest, but they are pretty decent and with a really good essay, interview, or recommendation, I think you have a chance. You’re ACT score and GPA are definitely good enough (Assuming that your gpa is on a 4.0 scale)
I’m also very involved in tennis, since, once again, our team is pretty bad. I put a lot of effort into teaching new players on the team rules, technique, etc.