Forgive me if I put this in the wrong section, I am still pretty new at this.
I am a Junior in High School with a wonderful 4.0 GPA and an ACT score of 29 (which I plan to improve). However, I lack in community involvement. I joined my schools rather successful academic team last year and have enjoyed that, but that is where my involvement in extracurricular activities ends. My interests are all academic, and I hardly have a life outside of that, and I have crippling social anxiety that acts as a wall keeping me from perusing other clubs and opportunities (I have tried joining Math club and Psychology club, but I ended up leaving a few weeks in for reasons I can’t put into words). Not to say this as a cop out… but basically what I am asking for is advice: If I could, say, muster up the courage to join some clubs during senior year, would colleges see this only as me only to impress them as opposed to actually pursuing something I enjoy? If I were to apply for college tomorrow, what would be my chances of being accepted, with only that one activity (I know it differs by college, but, generally)?
Hello, I want to start by saying this: you will get into a good college, with or without heavy community involvement. You have a top GPA; a good standardized test score; and, if I had to guess, a strong course load. However, extracurricular activity is important to schools; not because it shows how much you can handle, but because it shows passion and a drive towards a particular interest/s, and dedication to this/these interest/s. I can understand the issue of anxiety and how it can sometimes affect one’s ability to participate in various group settings; I also realize that overcoming anxiety has very little to do with will and courage, and more to do with taking steps to find areas of comfort in tough situations; and that having the support of trusted individuals can help in this process. I have found that volunteering in an intimate, non-threatening setting can be a comfortable step into community involvement that also looks very good to schools. If there is an organization that you feel passionate about and that employs people around whom you feel comfortable, try applying for an internship or as a weekend volunteer. A light role might be best at first and allows you to work up to a higher position if you are in a good place.
Don’t worry too much about reaching a “magic number” of extracurricular activities. Do what interests you in a comfortable environment and you’ll do great!