Sophomore needing College Advice! [TX resident, 3.88 GPA, top quartile rank]

First with regard to ECs: The point is not to produce a long list. Instead, the point is to participate in the ECs that matter to you; whatever you do do it well; and treat other people well or at least fairly while you are doing it. If you do get into a leadership position, you should again treat people fairly and focus on making the activity better for everyone. Leadership should be more about listening and less about getting your own way.

In high school I fell into a leadership position as president of the chess club because no one else was willing to do it. I had no idea at all what I should do, so asked other people, listened, and then helped people to put the better suggestions into place. I was very lucky in the sense that this is actually what a leader should do, but I sort of backed into it almost entirely by mistake.

Also, your grades and generally how you do in class are more important than ECs.

Your list includes a number of out of state schools that might be solid (eg, Oklahoma), and some out of state schools that will be reaches with a 3.88 unweighted GPA (Michigan, Washington, maybe Georgia). Trying to pull up your grades as much as you reasonably can will generally be helpful.

Your guidance counselor will know your chances in-state better than I do. However, it looks to me as if UT Austin is likely to again be a reach with a 3.88 GPA, but some of the other very good in-state schools look very likely to me.

And I agree with the “applying sideways” advice – do what is right for you, do well in class, treat people well, then find a university that likes what you have done.

And I think that you are doing well and have a pretty good initial set of schools to apply to.

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