Extracurriculars Answered
I go to a school that doesn't offer many EC's, considering I have ten people in my sophomore class. Will this be a problem if I plan on applying to some of my "reach" schools? My grades aren't perfect, and I really want to stand out on my applications. Any advice? Do I join clubs outside of school? What are my options?
Some of my current EC's:
coded an app to help nonverbal kids communicate
technical theatre in school play
won a city-wide fund raising award
yearbook staffer
president of school literary magazine
working as a retail cashier
Most of these are from my old school, and CollegeVine says they're not strong enough for my dream schools. Help?
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1 answer
Hi! First off, I want to start by saying that these are strong ECs in my opinion! If nothing more, they are a great start. Here are some ideas I thought of that might help you add to these. But again, don't kill yourself doing them— it's not worth it in the end since you already have so many!
-Join a club, theatre group, etc. outside of school, such as at a community center
-With administrative approval, start your own club in your school!
-Volunteer outside of school. Hospitals, animal shelters, elderly homes, youth associations, etc. are always looking for volunteers!
-Get a (different) job. Having a job for a longer period of time without jumping around too much shows that not only are you able to hold down a job and have good life skills but that you are a loyal employee. I know you mentioned you have a job, but perhaps a different one or additional one (if you'd be interested in doing either), could make you stand out more. Perhaps working somewhere prestigious like a country club. Or somewhere that connects to the major you are interested in (ex: a receptionist at a law office if you want a law major).
-Partake in specific clubs that relate to the major you're interested in. Based on what you've done already, I would guess you're interested in either an English or Engineering program. Try to incorporate more activities related to your specific major!
-Join a sports team. Colleges LOVE sports. It doesn't have to be a competitive sport like soccer, softball, etc. It could be just a team sport like cheerleading or dance team. You could even start one of these teams if you don't have one!
These are just a few ideas, but I hope they help. Good luck! :)
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