EC Help Answered
Hi, I'm a sophomore who is aiming for admissions to Brown and/or Columbia. I'd like to major in psychology, with interests in education, political science, and cooking. I'm a little worried my ECs are not exactly up to par with the average for accepted applicants. For context, this is what I (currently) have done
Baking Club Member
Model UN Member
Spanish Honor Society Member (Running for Tutoring Coordinator or Secretary)
Food coordinator for school's Caribbean affinity club
Vice President of Book Club
Farmer's Market (For baked goods & Zines) 2-3x a Year
Writing a fiction fantasy book (I would say that psychology and more specifically, trauma responses are a big part of the book) On track to finish by end of junior year
Zine Distributor (biweekly)
Library Volunteer on track to have 90+ hours by end of sophomore year
There's a psychology club at my school, but they meet rather infrequently and the club might also disband this year.
Is this a feasible list, or could 1 or two more ECs make this list more complete? I feel that I have a lot of culinary related ECs, majorly because they're a little more obtainable then others.
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2 answers
The important part with these is what you make of them and how you show the admissions officers what you made of them. You have a lot of culinary ECs, but that's fine! You can spin even the most seemingly unrelated things to help build your story and application. Think about what you've personally taken from the ECs and use that in your eventual applications.
It would still be good to have one or two more psychology focused ECs, in my opinion. Columbia and Brown are very selective, so it's necessary to have at least some ECs related to the major. If I had to recommend, I'd work on some research projects in psychology, maybe publish a paper or two on it alongside the book you're working on.
Also, try checking out the APA's high school affiliate program. It hosts a competition related to psychology for high school students to show their knowledge, plus it gives a lot of resources for being a part of. Being an affiliate now may also help you with the APA if you ever work with it in the future! (Though don't take my word for it.) You've got more than enough time to figure something out, so don't stress and find something you're interested in doing!
Unrelated to ECs, but also consider taking AP Psychology next year if your school offers it. More APs always work to your favor when applying to Ivies and having one in your intended major will definitely help your chances as well as taking off a credit for your major later on.
Outside of that, this is perfect. Just one or two ECs in a psychology focus and you'll be perfectly fine! Just make sure you have the academics for it, like a good amount of APs and a high SAT score. Good luck! :D
Your list of extracurriculars is already strong for a sophomore, showcasing involvement, leadership, and creativity. These attributes attract universities like Brown and Columbia. To improve, I think you should focus on deepening your current activities through leadership roles. There are other opportunities you could do, like summer programs, and local volunteering hours.
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