How can I better my extracurriculurs?
I'm currently a sophomore in high school with a 4.0 GPA with a plan to take all honors with several AP classes throughout high school. My issue is I want to make my extracurriculars stronger.
My main extracurriculars right now are:
-Member of StuCo (10th grade), FBLA (10th grade), and Key Club (9-10th grade). I do some community service in Key Club and StuCo. I'm most committed to StuCo, but am considering whether or not to continue FBLA and Key Club.
-I've played piano since about five years old, and regularly play in city-wide events where my playing is scored. I've also volunteered to play at events where we raise money.
- I'm about to participate as a team member in a fellow student's Leukemia Lymphoma Society's campaign fundraiser. (I am also considering leading my own team next year)
-I regularly compete in the Federal Junior Duck Stamp Competition and usually place first or second for my age group in the State.
-I have a job as an art teacher with a small business in my city. I teach an art project to a group of about 10 kids every week. I also teach 8 week-long art camps (two a day, for four weeks) in the summer.
-I submit essays every year for the VFW voice of democracy essay contest. I usually place at the post and division level but haven't come in first for the state level yet.
-I do art and photography as a hobby and have done so since I was very little.
-This isn't necessarily an extracurricular but a skill, but I know how to use multiple Adobe Software such as PhotoShop and Illustrator and know how to use a professional camera.
I'm not sure what I want to major in, only that it probably will be in either Law, Medical Research, or Engineering. I know I want to go to a somewhat prestigious college, but I feel that my current extracurriculars are too weak to support this. Do you have any recommendations for what I can add to my extracurriculars?
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4 answers
I think that your extracurriculars are quite strong! The most effective improvement you could immediately make would be to lean into your demonstrated interest in the arts. By entering an arts/humanities subject as your major of interest, your current activities list would look cohesive and applicable to your spike.
You could then put down law, medicine, or engineering as a minor. In a "Why X Major" essay, you could explain how you want to study the arts to give you a solid foundation to make an impact through law, medicine, etc. This would make you stand out because it would demonstrate intersectionality, which is something that colleges love to see in applicants. Later on, you would have better odds of getting accepted into law or medical school as an arts major, since you would stand out from the crowd of biology and political science majors.
Hope this helps!
Your extracurriculars already are pretty strong, but you can better them by seeking out leadership roles or starting your own initiative, like a club or business. For example, if your school doesn't have a photography or photoshop club, I would look into creating one.
Hi,
Considering your major and hobbies, I would say create your spike around leadership roles at the Leukemia Lymphoma Society (especially if you're going the med route) and advance your hobbies. For examples of the latter, maybe you could start a photojournalism blog that somehow themes back to law/legal issues of today (if you want to go to law, for example, else choose the theme around your prospective major). Here, you can also apply your Photoshop skills while adding other tech skills, such as website development! These are just ideas, but basically, try to be dedicated more towards certain ECs (those that add to your uniqueness and true passions)
I would say your EC profile looks great, but I'd advise you to continue only those activities you enjoy, or else you may seem not targeted towards one area of interest.
Best of luck!
Maybe you could volunteer at the nearby shelter or start a business related to what you want to do. If you start a small business then make sure it's what you want to do, because you can make it grow during your college career as you learn more
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