As far as extracurriculars go, do you think these will be good enough to get into a top school (mainly Notre Dame) if they are coupled with a good overall application? Do they appear well-rounded? These are the 10 extracurriculars I listed on my Common App:
- Founder/Manager of a service organization for the elderly and disabled
- 4 years of soccer at my high school with 2 varsity letters
- Eucharistic minister and mass coordinator at school masses and altar server at parish masses
- Attended the Dayton Honors a Engineering Program in the summer
- Attended the Ohio State Engineering Summer Experience in the summer
- Participated in STEM Engineering program for 4 years, captain of the science bowl team for 3 years
- Worked at a construction business for 3 years
- Certified level 8 soccer referee for 3 years (work refereeing games)
- School leadership position
- Participated in school tutoring program for 4 years
The usual ‘well-rounded’ myth. Schools don’t care if you are well-rounded. They want to see a high level of engagement on the few things you actually care about. So, your ECs are good but not specially stellar. Had you done fewer activities at a higher level, it might possibly have been more impressive. But life isn’t about being impressive - it’s about having fun and learning. Hopefully, all these ECs have been fun and you’ve learned from them. Otherwise, they were just a waste of time.
I will differ from N’s Mom. You are not exactly well-rounded, because you have no fine or performing arts.
More importantly, I see three themes in your list:
- Engineering and construction, including paid employment. #4, #5#6 #7
- Soccer #2 and #8
- General service #1, 3, 9 and 10
List these in blocks like that and put the most important items first.
Also, you have a character trait of hard work-- the construction job, the refereeing, and four years of a sport (including 2 letters). You also have a character trait of leadership, shown in items 1, 6, 8 and 9.
So your job is to find all the places in the application process where you can show these themes and traits. This includes any short answers specific to a college supplement and any interviews.
Good luck!
(edited to add a missing word)
Thank you! Do you think you have to necessarily have a fine arts background as an engineering major? @Picapole
The other poster commented you were well rounded and when I looked at your list closely, I disagreed.
Right now, colleges are not looking for well-rounded individuals. They are looking for students with more of a focus/specialty in 1-2 areas, which you have.
As to your question: Not necessarily. The UCs require a year of fine/performing arts to be admitted. A few other schools have a similar rule.
Ok I get what you mean, thank you! I do have a year of fine arts experience in my classes, it just doesn’t show in my extracurriculars though. @Picapole
I would think that founding and managing a service organization for the elderly would be of great interest to most colleges, incl Notre Dame. I would also add that having a lot of extracurriculars does not mutually exclude having depth in 2 or 3. Your ECs look great. Second @picapole 's posts, as well.
Sorry if I came across as frustrated, jd13. I agree with picapole that I see three ‘themes’ in your application and they are worth going with. No you don’t need to do anything fine arts related. I just get annoyed when I see ‘founded service org for the elderly’ because I live in a major metro area where every other senior applying to a selective school thinks they have to have their own 50c3, when literally thousands of non-profits in our area are in need of committed volunteers with initiative and vision. (Computer skills for example are desperate needed by most of them. Analytical support would be priceless. Some web-savvy volunteering would benefit many.) And yet, still, kids keep setting up their own nonprofits to show ‘leadership’ and ‘well-roundedness’ and because someone told them that volunteering was expected.
I get where your frustration is coming from @N’s Mom I didn’t start the organization as a way to seem “well-rounded” per say, I did it strictly for the parish I go to, because of the elderly community that was in need there. I did other volunteer activities that you mentioned throughout high school as well, I just couldn’t fit that into the ten slots given on the Common App.