High Schoolers Stressing College Applications

“hi guys I just started senior year a few weeks ago and I came to realize I focused too much on grades and have almost nothing for the activities/ extracurricular section aside from family responsibilities stemming from my parents health. Should I join clubs this year or is it too late? 😥😥 submitted by /u/BarberNo4246 [link] [comments]”

“I'm trying to figure out how I should rank my top 4 EC's. I have hospital volunteering since 11th, co-founding a tutoring service since 10th(not high impact but is active), top 10 selective stem summer program(not rsi), and top 25 stem summer program. I was originally thinking of putting the 2 summer programs first but maybe I should put the hospital voluntering first and tutoring service second to show more leadership and I've been doing it for a longer length of time even though th”

“If i do volunteering and HOSA and Student Council and all of that, would it look weird if I didn't do Key Club? I am def gonna do NHS bc I've heard it's weird if it's not on your application submitted by /u/Pitiful-Swim-2489 [link] [comments]”

“I just started my junior year and applications came out for it at my school. I only have mid awards such as for science fair, qualifyjng for hosa state and so do u guys think it would be an ok award/ec to work on and put in because i cant even reach life member status submitted by /u/Which-Highway-9358 [link] [comments]”

“So I joined the chemistry club end of junior year and applied for leadership and got accepted; then throughout the summer we did nothing but since August we meet every other week for around 2 hours and I'm confused on what to put down for the hours per week/weeks per year because technically I just started it...? submitted by /u/caloriecounterfreak9 [link] [comments]”

“Hello, I am a current junior in high school. I will be applying to colleges in the 27-28 cycle but am curious on how i can improve my current ec's. My ECS: Student council position at school, working at summer job since before freshman year, a part of an a capella group, musicals, cross country, started a nonprofit related to health equity, health equity interview series with pediatricians, hospital volunteering. I am applying as a premed major and want to know what I can add/what to improve”

“Hi, so I'm on my country's debate team, and wanted to know what r some other extracurriculars I can do. I'm interested in public policy, philosophy, Econ & math submitted by /u/user2039381 [link] [comments]”

“i’m starting my junior right now and i currently only have the basics for honors: ap scholar, honor roll, wtv. so the really boring classic stuff. I don’t know what to apply to or what to start doing to get more to add to that. any tips or plugs would be appreciated or any advice in general! submitted by /u/sleepyhead_xxx [link] [comments]”

“I’m so scared to do any extracurriculars because of my social anxiety but I really want to get into a top college - tips? submitted by /u/EntertainmentBusy638 [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone! I’ll be a on my 3rd year of hs and was wondering if founding a club on it will help with my application (I’ll apply for Computer Science). The idea is that I make an algorithmics club in my school where I help students study for the informatics olympiad and help them with general knowledge on some cs topics. Also at the end of the school year I was planning on organizing a competition based on the knowledge we got and also invite students from other high schools? PS Ill apply in eur”

“My parents wouldn't allow me to do any extracurriculars in my freshman year of high school or more than one a year leaving me with 2 or 3 if I list my part time job. My dream school has always been UW Seattle but my gpa is lower than their average (mine is a 3.68), because I'll be applying as an in state student my family seems to think I will automatically get in and shouldn't even worry. I am retaking my SAT in November to hopefully get a 1480+ but they have been telling me I need”

“i'm a junior and so far i've had like a 2.8 gpa because i've never really cared abt my grades til now. i've never been in any honors or aps til this year (ap lang, euro, and psych) + i'm taking chem for the first time this year, but i'm in like a slower class which is the same for math (algebra two but a dumbed down vers.) and i have NO extracurriculars like genuinely none... i've always been scared to join clubs + i don't really have hobbies or passions anyway. i”

submitted by /u/Fancy_Initiative4536 [link] [comments]

“This question has been bugging me for a while now, I’m going into Grade 11 this fall and I have a list of great ecs I want to include in my application. The problem is I know many people that graduated high school without ANY ecs at all. So are extracurriculars useless? When can it actually benefit to have all that because so far, it’s like free labour. submitted by /u/Good_Cauliflower7049 [link] [comments]”

“looking to get into osu and maybe t20’s submitted by /u/CoolPerson12354 [link] [comments]”

“I’ve been hearing mixed responses on what to add to this section. I was wondering, would DECA, BETA, and HOSA, etc awards be acceptable to add to this section? Or should I rely on only like AP scholar and GPA awards. submitted by /u/I-love-cucumbers [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone! I’m currently looking for any information about grants, scholarships, financial assistance programs, or other resources that could help me financially while I finish high school. I’m a high school senior in Florida and the child of a parent who is struggling with alcohol addiction and a very bad recovery which has really made things unlivable at home. I am an only child, and unfortunately the financial and emotional impact of that has made things at home bad. I’m trying to become mo”

“im a junior in high school right now and want to do pre-med or something in the medical field, whether it be research or clinical, in the future. i have some very mid ecs, but they don't really align with anything on the medical track and i really don't have many awards or leadership positions at all. I have good grades at school and am willing to work hard on any ecs that actually are worth my time (meaningful to not only college apps but also for experience in the field). i feel like e”

“I’m a junior in Ohio interested in finance/economics, and I’m trying to find an ongoing school-year opportunity rather than a summer camp. Last year I participated in Ohio State’s Student Leadership Research Collaborative (SLRC), where I worked with other students on research and presented our findings. I’m also involved in district-level student leadership and co-founded a school finance club. I’m looking for something similar that meets consistently throughout the school year: research, leader”

“I’m a high school senior applying to college soon and trying to figure out which extracurriculars are worth highlighting I founded and serve as president of a the Young Democrats at my school. We have 40+ members, and I’ve organized meetings and events with a lot of high profile state and county officials My concern is that because it’s a political organization, I’m worried that putting it prominently on my resume/application could potentially introduce political bias from whoever is reviewing m”

“I’m going into my senior year of high school, my grades have been pretty bad all of Highschool, my gpa is probably a 2.5 (on a good day) and I’m not involved in any good extracurricular activities. Blame me all you will, but I had no hope when it came to college coming into Highschool, there’s been months where I’ve wanted to get my shit together to hopefully better my chances at getting into colleges but I was pretty dead set on just commuting to Montclair state. My parents have no hope either,”

“my idea for this club would basically be help refine/better students colllege apps at meetings and give advice, maybe host fundraisers to make a scholarship??? like im just wondering if anyone can se ehow this can be a bad idea or what to take caution in. also yeah this is to add to my own college app submitted by /u/HelpMeWithEmeralds [link] [comments]”

“Hi everyone! I’m a high school student interested in business, economics, leadership, and politics, and I’m looking for meaningful things I could do during high school. I’m hoping to apply to competitive U.S. universities in the future, but I don’t want to simply collect activities for my application. I want to actually build skills, take initiative, and do something useful. I’d love to hear about: ECs or projects you personally did Things you’ve seen other students do Leadership opportunities B”

“I'm an international student and I plan to maybe apply to an american school with decent quality next year and I haven't have any passion projects started nor any extracurriculars that may boost my chances of success yet. Are there any online versions of these that I can maybe sign up for since I don't think my town really have any to offer. submitted by /u/Ok_Avocaduh_7120 [link] [comments]”

“Hello everyone! I am a junior in high school and I was wondering what kind of things I can do to make my college applications look a bit better. Currently, I don't have much that is geared toward architecture specifically, but I believe I have a decent base of volunteering, rec letters, and academics. Are there any specific free/cheaper programs I can begin practicing with? What should I focus on adding to my(if any) portfolio? Are there any specific programs I should be looking out for in m”

submitted by /u/Thelatebirdd [link] [comments]

“the title says it all. I wasted my sophomore and freshmen year focusing SOLEY on academics. I've participated in quite a few clubs (robotics, math, math honor society, etc) and competitions/olympiads (WRO, ILO, AMC 10) but I've won NOTHING substantial. I've also never had a leadership position. My academic profile is pretty good as of now, but my ECs pale too much in comparison. What are some ECs that I can do to get into prestigious universities (hoping to apply for NUS, GeorgaTech,”

“hey guys, I’m currently a senior in high school and I’m looking for tips on applying to scholarships and just any tips you guys wish you would have known before starting college! I currently go to a very small Christian private school in Mississippi, and I plan to attend a community college. I plan to study health sciences but I’m not sure exactly what major yet. I’m thinking between radiologic technology, medical laboratory technology, sonography, or health information technology/management. An”

“Hi, I’m from England and I’m 15 years old, going from year 10 (freshman) into year 11 (sophomore). I’m thinking about what to do beyond school in life, and I’m considering the possibility of applying to US universities. I was wondering if anybody had any advice of what sort of requirements and achievements I need to have in order to get into American universities, as I’m sure it’s different from the UK. I have composed a list of the universities I’d like to go to in the US (mainly ivies, MIT and”

“as a rising senior who has so far won >35k in scholarships, competitions are the meta. you can win huge amounts of money from competitions that can put a huge dent in the cost of college. i’m not going to say which ones i’ve done so i don’t get doxxed, but things like quiz bowl-esque comps w prize money or essay competitions are definitely the move submitted by /u/Still_Squash8987 [link] [comments]”

“I’m a rising junior in high school and I’m really worried about the extracurricular and awards section of my college application. I’m honestly lost in figuring out what extracurriculars to invest my time in that will be meaningful in the long run. I feel very behind but I don’t want to rush an activity. I feel that although I may not have lots of extracurriculars to start now as I’m already a rising junior, I should just go deeper into a few and pour lots of energy into those. But I’m really con”

“I am a rising sophomore interested in engineering. Im trying to get into clubs this year but other than that what else could I do? I don’t think I’m smart enough to place in olympiads or other competitions, so that’s kinda out of the table. Just interested in other things to make me stand out. submitted by /u/Dry_Ad_1307 [link] [comments]”

“Hey, sorry if this is a ridiculous question, but I wanted to know if the ECs I have will be helpful in my college application. I don't have any internships, just some club leadership positions and volunteer positions, but they're long-term and I've held most since sophomore year. One of my main volunteer positions is at a Chinese School (I'm not Chinese), and a lot of people have told me that'll stand out on my application. Is that true? And will colleges count it against me”

“For the community honors section is it NONACADEMIC awards?! And do academic internships count for the community activities? Im so lost! I put the academic awards and internships under school, but I'm wondering if it also counts for community. Thanks yall. submitted by /u/Ready_Return_5998 [link] [comments]”

“I placed 1st place in sectionals and my state for fifa, and I was wondering how significant that is as an extracurricular for top colleges? Thanks! submitted by /u/Intrepid-Balance-198 [link] [comments]”

“I am a rising junior who is looking for ways I can get more extracurriculars for my application next year. I am planning on going to go to college for chemical engineering so I’m looking for something I can show my interest in the subject/area. Also keep in mind that I am from a small town but I am also about ~30 min away from uiuc so there is a larger area near me. I’m just looking for someway to enhance my extracurriculars so I don’t look bland do admissions officers. submitted by”

“I've just graduated high school this year but due to being underage i decided to take a gap year to make moving away just a little easier. This part is super important but I'm an american citizen NOT living in america. My family moved abroad a few years back and i've done all of middle and high school in my native country, and from the start, my parents were always insistent on the fact that i am absolutely not allowed to go back to america for college, so i never bothered with extra”

“I haven't really had any help with my application from my family (first gen), and my school really doesn't offer much counseling for it. I'm working on my activities list currently, which I realize may be slightly on the behind side but I'm working through it at my own pace without external pressure. I'd like some critique on my activity list (specifically, the formatting) so far so that I can continue writing it in an improved way, or at least with some foreknowledge of how”

“I have zero ideas, I have a 3.8 gpa with a 32 ACT (studying currently, hoping for a 34-35) I have like over 100 service hours, part time job , on debate team and I go to a academically rigorous school. My current list is basically BC, Wisconsin Madison, UVM and Colorado college. I’m a big nature lover but I want a good party/sports school along with fairly good academics? Any ideas very much appreciated! submitted by /u/Technical-Army-9684 [link] [comments]”

“I know that there are already so many similar posts to mine, but I just want more specific advice/tips. I'm currently about to enter senior year and I am already super stressed. My gpa is currently only at like a 3.5, my sat score is also bad, I got a 1030. Although those aren't good, I have been in some higher level classes and I'm taking harder ones this year too. I live on the east coast and want to go to college for astrophysics/astronomy, possibly not in state but in the east co”

“Hello, I am currently a senior and im debating not rejoining speech this year. I've only been doing this academic team for a year, and honestly my heart isnt completely in it. I gained a lot of important insight and skills while being in it, but it was also something that i hated doing because of the pressure and memorization (i was mogged by middle schoolers yo </3) I'm worried if I quit senior year it will be a poor reflection about me on my applications, as I had also quit MUN in j”

“If I’m doing soccer, theatre, and regular volunteering, how many high school clubs should I join? If common app has 10 slots I can’t possibly need to join 7 clubs right? Besides clubs and jobs, what other extracurriculars could I do? submitted by /u/EntertainmentBusy638 [link] [comments]”

“Bro do I need to tell for that exact activity or smth? For example, I'm part of my state's debate team. Do I need to say, no bcs I will be in college so I won't be able to do it anymore?? or do I need to say yes, bcs I wanna DEBATE in college? pls help. submitted by /u/t314s [link] [comments]”

“Hii so I’m a rising freshman and there isn’t much information about some of the clubs I want to join plus I don’t have very many friends to go to the clubs with yet (and Im trying to get over that fear) so would it make much of a difference if I started the clubs like halfway into freshman year or sophomore year? submitted by /u/EntertainmentBusy638 [link] [comments]”

“Hi! I'm going into junior year of high school, and considering applying to take an extra class in senior year. However, Unless I drop one of my sports, the scheduling makes it impossible for me to take an extra class in the spring semester, and I will be working on applications in fall. To judge how much of my time the Apps will take up, I wanted to ask what the usual application (for higher end liberal arts colleges) consist of (how many essays and what type of essays, mostly) and how long”

“I’m 14, going into 9th grade in September. I wanna know what my path to getting into college is, because I wanna get into a good, out of state school. I wasn’t in any clubs last year (besides Baseball), and my grades were ranging from mediocre to really good, and I didn’t fail any core classes in the end. I’m in Boy Scouts, and I don’t have any honors/AP classes rn, and I’m probably not smart enough for them anyway. I usually struggle with focusing, especially with homework (i developed a bad ha”

“There’s a lot of people posting on college results who do crazy stuff and get into a ton of top colleges, but what extracurriculars / awards do the median competitive applicant with say one or two T20 acceptance look like? Is a competitive SAT with strong (though generic) extracurriculars who has immersed themselves in competitions of their interest enough? I feel like the people in these subs are not statistically representative of the median T20 accepted with their research and nonprofits and”

“Hey, I am a rising senior and I am currently working on my college applications. Here is my plan: I will apply to 22 of my dream schools (all reaches), and if I do not get in, I plan to go to community college and transfer to a 4 year after. I am applying for Biology, and here is the list of the schools I am applying to: Emory University, UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC San Diego, UC Irvine, USC, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Duke, Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Northwestern, Washington Unive”

“I'm kind of freaking out about the "Community Activities" section of the Coke Scholars application. I had tons of ECs for school (sports, clubs, awards), but I don't know what to list for this section, because there's only 3 slots. I put Boy Scouts as my first activity, which was easy because I've held a leadership position all four years and I have several awards. I also think I'll list Cub Scouts (Den Chief), which is only 11th and 12th grade but counts as the hig”

“Hello I am part of the class of 2028 and I was wondering how people actually stand out? Like I know in the past creating a non-profit or having good extracurriculars can get you in and maybe even a scholarship but now that’s what everyone is doing. it is so common for people to do the same thing and that’s why what before was special is now basic. I have 2 years left before graduation and I have tried to do things which could help with applications but I feel like that is not enough and that so”

“Hey everyone, quick question about how to log an EC on my application. Since freshman year of high school, I've volunteered every summer at a STEM camp that teaches STEM subjects to kids in rural areas. It's about 40 hours each summer (1 week), and I plan to keep doing it all through college too. Since it's the same continuous activity, should I include the hours from high school in my total, or does AMCAS only want hours completed during college? I know some activities let you note”

“Hi! I am an upcoming sophomore in high school(Texas) and I'm wondering what I activities I should do for me to get into a good school, such as UT Austin, UMich, UPenn, Rice, NYU, and my biggest reach, Yale. I am deciding between actuarial science, or philosophy to then go to law school(leaning more on law school). I am in band and play soccer, and I am wondering if I should stay on JV soccer and become a potential captain, then move up to varsity and become captain junior/senior year, or wor”

“bro i'm currently a senior high school student here in the Philippines and have no awards at all. Is there any international competitions i can still join? or anything to add on for my honors/awards list? do you think it's okay that i have no awards at all even if i'm not aiming for t20 schools, just anywhere haha submitted by /u/langadead [link] [comments]”

“hi yall i need help figuring out extracurriculars, im interested in science and medicine currently have NOTHING but better now then never ig planning on joining hosa and doing slc will be trying to join science olympiad trying out for jv tennis applying for hospital volunteering when i turn 16 getting volunteering hours at the local library idk what i can do to be unique and stand out but also enjoy all advice appreciated!! submitted by /u/SubstantialDiet504 [link] [comments]”

“I have an award which is related to my extracurricular will it go in honor and experience section or extracurricular section? submitted by /u/No_Coconut7296 [link] [comments]”

“Is it recommended to put all 10 of your extra curriculars on your resume? Is it alright that i only included 4 of my most impactful ones? edit: thank you to everyone trying to be helpful, but i am not speaking about the activities list (i have 10 on my activities list), i am talking about the resume which you upload and submit to some colleges. I am asking if it’s okay if i dont put all of my common app ecs on my resume! submitted by /u/Life_Produce6268 [link] [comments]”

“For background info, I am going into my Senior year of high school and I have had zero extracurriculars throughout high school due to money problems and never having anyone to pick me up from clubs and stuff as my parents are always busy working. I am trying to get into a very competitive film school. And I am taking TV Production at my high school so maybe that will help? And I have had straight A’s with a 4.0 all throughout high school. And I have taken many honors and AP classes as well. I’m”

“I am currently a rising junior, but I have no awards except being on the principal's honor roll for two years. I really want to achieve an award that is related to medicine or STEM to put on my application for my senior year. Does anyone have any advice I could follow? submitted by /u/ImaginaryPlatform485 [link] [comments]”

“I’m one of the co-captains of our school’s debate team and I’ma varsity debater. Would it be smart to separate this into 2 slots on the common app activities list so I can showcase what i did in my both my leadership role and what I did as a competitor? Or should I just list it as one activity? submitted by /u/Coral_sunsets [link] [comments]”