Hello,
I am a sophomore in highschool with a few out-of-school activities, but I am worried that they aren’t enough to compete with other students for admission into some of the colleges I want to go to like Northwestern, Duke, and MIT. My current extracurriculars are as follows:
- Junior Gold B Hockey
- JV School Baseball
- Youth in Action Member
- Volunteer at the First Covenant Church
- Chinese Club Member
I currently have a 3.97 unweighted GPA and 4.47 weighted GPA. I took a PreACT and got a 32 without much studying, but I am confident that I can raise my score a few points. My public high school is ranked #2 in my state, #97 in STEM schools in the US, and #249 in High Schools in the US. I am not sure what my current class rank is, but I am likely in the top 5%. I am interested in studying Engineering, Mathematics, Physics, and/or Computer Science, and I’ve always gotten an A in my math and science classes.
I also run a small eBay business where I buy and re-sell various items. I am thinking about growing this by finding people around my town who are willing to have me sell their items for them. I would like to think that this initiative and entrepreneurial spirit would be appealing to colleges, but I honestly don’t know if it’s important at all.
How will my extra-curriculars affect the admissions process when it comes time to apply for colleges? What can I do to strengthen my application so that I have a chance at the colleges I mentioned (Northwestern, Duke, MIT)?
(P.S. I would like to get involved in a STEM-based program, so if anyone knows a program in Minnesota that I could join, please let me know.)