I’m a little confused why colleges should place so much importance on activities outside of academics…
What if you physically cannot handle activities like sports or marching band? And your not interested in choir or debate or the usual high school electives? You are generally a quite person and won’t be elected into leadership positions?
I enjoy learning new things in school and taking many advanced math/science classes. I know my career path is also going to be in STEM and don’t understand why excelling in classes or tests (SAT/ACT) isn’t enough to get admitted…
Student’s with perfect academics are a dime a dozen these days. You have to stand out to be admitted to a top school. People that study all day (and do nothing else) are boring.
Do EC’s in something that interests you. No one says you have to play a sport or an instrument.
Do research, get a job or internship, publish a paper, join robotics, do science fair, etc etc.
To show colleges you have a life/interests outside school. Sure you can get into colleges w/ a 4.0/36 ACT/2400 SAT without any ECs but many colleges (see: Ivys) look for substance in their applicants.
Apply for a job or an unpaid internship for your interests. Create a club at your high school. Or join Yearbook. (Its a classic.)
Okay thank you…researching, internships, and science fair sound like a good fit for me. Will a 34 ACT, 2200 SAT, high GPA/class rank, be good enough for most good colleges??
If you have a job then usually they won’t question a lack of EC’s, depending on your age.
See: Use ‘@’ then the username to reference someone.
Some colleges want students who will contribute to the overall life of the college, not just students who go to class and go back to their room and study. Some colleges don’t care. Some colleges will be satisfied with a student who has no interest in anything other than studying. But imagine an entire college full of students completely lacking in outside interests.
Its usually a gamble for those but you can get plenty of scholarships/merit aid with those stats.
They show that you don’t lock yourself in a room 24/7 studying for some dumb $90 test that will never help you in life. They breathe character into the person. Anyone with brains and/or a good work ethic can be 4.0 and 2400 but can they start a business? Can they volunteer and give back to their community? Can they win awards for their school?
Grades, course rigor, and test scores are the most important factors for almost all colleges (you can see this by looking at Common Data Sets). Selective colleges consider extracurriculars because they need a way to differentiate among their applicants with high grades and test scores.
People always associate ECs with school-sponsored clubs, but it’s important to remember that basically anything productive you do outside of school can be an EC (aside from really passive things like reading), as long as you show dedication and accomplishment in it.
Read Cal Newport’s book “How to be a High School Superstar” for some insight into picking EC activities.