I'm a high school freshman, and was wondering if anybody had any advice for what extracurricular to do? Answered
Hi there! I'm a high school freshman at a small, independent school. I take four honors classes, have a 4.0 GPA, and have won several local and national writing and history awards previously. I also am a competitive Irish dancer, play the violin, sing in my school's choir, do theatre in my school & community, have an elected position on student government, am an editor for the Literary Magazine at my school, and am a Girl Scout. I am aiming for a top college, and I was wondering if anybody had recommendations for what extracurricular activities would look the best to schools, and which ones I should avoid moving forward. I don't want to seem like I can't make up my mind on what I love, because I am very passionate and motivated about certain things, but I also don't want to quit any of my activities unless I have to. Will having a wide variety of activities, such as I have, look good or bad to colleges?
Any advice is greatly appreciated, thank you so much!
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1 answer
Hi @AdaH!
Even as a freshman, you already have a lot of impressive extracurriculars. Keep it up!
Talking about extracurriculars (ECs), the purpose is NOT to do what you think colleges want to see. ECs are supposed to be based on your interests. If I tell you that sports/athletics look best to schools, you'll just start trying out random sports for putting on your application, but if you don't have the talent/skills, you will end up being a mediocre participant in a sport. Instead, identifying and working on your greatest passions (such as writing and dancing) will take you much further.
A wide variety of activities doesn't look "bad", but it doesn't give admissions officers a good reason to select you over thousands of other applicants who also look "well-rounded". That's why you need to show significant achievements in some activities.
It takes time to know what you're most interested in. Down the road, you'll be able to figure out what activities you need to quit and which ones you need to give more time to.
Hope this helps!
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Thank you so much! I really appreciate your answer.