Am I screwed in terms of college admissions?Answered
I'm a rising sophomore, and in my freshman year I did two sports, one club, and held up really good grades. However, I didn't hold a leadership position in the club, and to be honest there were only about 7 members and at least 3 were seniors, so I'm not sure if the club will still exist next year. I would've joined more clubs, but I barely had any time to because I was doing two sports, and to be honest I wasn't very good at these sports either, so I definitely won't be a recruited athlete or anything like that.
I liked playing those sports, but I'm starting to regret my decision ONLY because I had no time to gain more extracurriculars. I'm thinking of quitting one of them, so I have more time to spend on other extracurriculars.
The question(s) I'm trying to ask is:
- Do I have no chance of getting into prestigious colleges because of this predicament?
- Is it possible to balance two sports and somehow have at least 2 - 3 other good extracurriculars?
- If I choose to quit a sport, will colleges not like the fact that I not only quit a sport, but I'm starting new extracurriculars in my sophomore year?
- What extracurriculars should/can I even pursue? I'm passionate about writing, art, and coding, and besides joining clubs that are centered around those interests, what else can I do to show those passions during college admissions? Are there volunteer/internship/etc. opportunities (virtual and maybe in person) that I can look for and if so, what would be the best way to look for these opportunities if I don't have a lot of resources nor a mentor figure to help me?
I don't want to try to get extracurriculars solely for impressing colleges, but at the same time I do want an impressive way to show what I've done with my passions when college admissions time comes around.
Any help appreciated :)
Earn karma by helping others:
3 answers
I think that right now your college application would be somewhat impressive, whether or not you were really good at the sports doesn't really hold much against the fact that you stuck with them and still participated, which shows dedication and good teamwork capabilities, as well as really good time management since you're juggling two sports, other extracurriculars and good grades. That being said this is only your sophomore year, so that gives you LOADS of time to solidify your college applications. I don't think you are screwed at all, rather you are at an advantage for beginning work on your college applications this early in the game, most start their junior year. You might want to consider getting community service hours, because those look GOOD on college applications. As well as starting a club or being in positions of power in clubs, and helping organize things such as school events or events for the community. If you buckle down on the extracurriculars, I think you would have a VERY good chance at even getting into an ivy-league school, because you're starting work this early. I would also recommend getting a part-time job when and if you can, because those also look good listed as extracurriculars. Don't forget to study for your big tests like your ACT and SAT, because the better your scores the better they look to good colleges. And you can also take AP or harder classes, and college courses in your junior and senior years to strengthen you applications. I hope this helps, and I wish you the best of luck!
Hey! You are literally in your sophomore year. You still have so much time. I was a late bird and I started at the end of my junior year and now my senior year is gonna end and in that one year, I did so much stuff. I have some advice for you: Use ECL Crimson for extracurricular opportunities, take part in competitions and olympiads, take part in summer programs, and do some courses online on Coursera, EDX, etc. You actually have a LOT of time on your hands so instead of worrying about it just start now!
YOU ARE ONLY A SOPHOMORE!!
You have two more years to be able to beef up your application, no worries!
Try things like passion projects to display intellectual curiosity, local involvement (like jobs, internships, etc.) to show community involvement.
For you, that could mean writing and illustrating a book, volunteering at elementary schools to teach coding, coding a video game, and more!
I'm a rising senior, so I lost my whole freshman year essentially. I picked up countless things my sophomore year, it shows that you're growing as a student and individual.
Your chance of acceptance
Your chancing factors
Community Guidelines
To keep this community safe and supportive:
- Be kind and respectful!
- Keep posts relevant to college admissions and high school.
- Don’t ask “chance-me” questions. Use CollegeVine’s chancing instead!