Just finished my first year at a community college with about 36 credits and a 3.92 GPA. Because of financial difficulties I chose to work on the side instead of committing myself to extracurricular activities. Although maybe this was a bad decision, looking forward I am considering taking out loans for the '18-'19 school year and instead really focusing on getting involved in my school’s honor society. I am worried that it may already be too late even to try. Do you think if I continued with my GPA (or maybe even a little higher) and excelled at a role in the honors society during my second year, I could have a chance to transfer to an Ivy League school, or if not that, maybe a school like UCLA, NYU or Duke?
Is it late to be considered at top schools if my extra curricular's only start in my 2nd year at cc?
Work is an extracurricular. 
If finances are an issue, and you’re not a California resident, UCLA will be unaffordable. NYU is likely to be unaffordable regardless of residency.