How can I build a stronger extracurricular resume if my high school does not offer any clubs or electives in my field?Answered
Hello! I am currently a high school junior (Class of 2021) who lives in a rural area in Georgia. My high school resume is a 3.95 unweighted GPA (my school does not offer weighted), 15 out of 124, my ACT is 25 (which I need to improve, but COVID-19 had other plans), extracurriculars include but are not limited to NHS, SNHS, academic bowl, and varsity tennis, and I have Dual Enrolled in every academic class since the beginning of my junior year (block scheduling). My school does not offer AP or IB, so my only options to strengthen my rigor are through Honors and Dual Enrollment. I am not worried about my grades, but I am worried about two things. First, I was suspended as a freshman for getting into a fight, but I have had a clean record since then. Secondly, my school does not offer ANY extracurriculars with my interest area, which is Politics/Law. My plan is to go to the University of Florida (my dream school) to major in Political Science. From there, I plan on going to law school to become a defense attorney. I am choosing Political Science because if I decide that I do not want to go to law school, I can instead go into my interest of the field of Politics. I have Florida Prepaid and Florida 529, because my family and I are from Florida. How can I strengthen my extracurricular resume to show my interest in that field if my high school does not give me the opportunity to do so? Thank you in advance.
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1 answer
Hi,
So, my advice is to find an internship, job, or volunteer opportunity in politics or law. And, honestly, the best way to do that is to reach out to members of your community. Call up your local political candidate and ask how you can get involved in their campaign. Or, go down to your courts and ask about an internship program. All you really need to do is reach out and find those opportunities. For example: I'm a high school sophomore, and I'm somewhat in the same boat as you. My plan is this: My aunt is friends with a senator, so I was going to reach out to her and see if she knows of any help they need with their campaign. My friends mom works as a lawyer, so I was going to find out if she was willing to take an intern.
Another way to strengthen your resume is to do some things on your own. Maybe you can be like Theodore Boone (it's a character in a book) and start your own little legal advisory clinic for people who have to go to pet court or something. Maybe you start a podcast about law and government, and how they work together. Or, you could do a youtube channel talking about your favourite moments in law or government. For self-designated projects, the possibilities are endless. And, the best part of self-designated projects is that they look good on a resume, but they also show that you take initiative. Instead of just easily joining a club at your school, you created your own thing in order to pursue your passion!
Hope this helps!
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