How can I improve my extracurriculars?Answered
Hi! I'm an incoming sophomore and am currently in great academic standing. I have a 4.0 GPA and am taking the most challenging classes my school offers. I need some advice on how to build my extracurricular list. I think I want to major in film, communications, or psychology. I know that's a wide range but I'm still pretty young, so I've got time. Here are my current extracurriculars:
girl scouts
varsity cheerleading (basketball + football)
scholarship to the advanced film summer program at Pepperdine
camp counselor for theatre camp
teaching dance to preschoolers
dance
film club
theatre
wellness center youth council
junior ambassadors for UCSF Benioff Children's hospital
30+ volunteer hours
working with a professional photographer
Any ideas that I might be interested in that could help my chances? LMK!
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4 answers
You have such a wide portfolio of strong extracurriculars. It's clear that you know what direction you're headed to. One thing is that you may need to think about weeding down some extracurriculars heading into sophomore year. It may be tough to decide now, but the grind of high school really starts to set in when school starts and you'll find it increasingly hard to juggle all of these. I agree with other answers that talk about finding a position of leadership, and I think you should focus on getting a few of your most personally important extracurriculars to show a lot of depth and passion.
While these activities to me are incredibly strong, looking from the perspective of an admissions officer (who will scrutinize your every move), I have some words of caution. I feel like the one weakness that colleges could see in your portfolio is that perhaps because you have done so much, it may have too much breadth and lack depth. That again is where finding a leadership position will help a lot. Or even better, organize your own initiative/fundraiser/special event. That will catch the eye of an admissions officer.
I think you have a promising future ahead of you, and I wish you the best of luck in your studies.
Hi!
I think you have a very strong extracurricular profile already (great job!). Now, you just need to focus on creating a theme or narrative that reflects who you are in a sense. You have a lot of time to figure this out, but i would take a while to consider which ec you enjoy the most. then, expand on that one during the years still left of your high school journey. If you like theatre the most, aim for the lead. If you enjoyed your psychology-related ecs, you can start a psychology club at your school or even arrange your own psychology project!
I actually met with a mentor (for free through learners empowered), who helped me get all of my ideas sorted through and up and running. Let me know if you are interested because they could help you get started with perfecting your ec profile!
First, I just want to say your extracurricular activity is very impressive, especially for a freshman. Coming into sophomore year, you might want to start seeking to find leadership roles in these extracurriculars. It seems that you already know where you're heading(film industry perhaps) so that's already great! Keep it up!
find a leadership position in any of these, like president of the youth council
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