Right now I’m a junior looking to major in computer science at a highly ranked institution with great cs programs. Right now my top choices are MIT, Harvard, Princeton, Northeastern and Stevens. I wanted to know which ecs I should put on my Common App and just advice in general on the picture I should portray through my application. Here is a list of what I do separated by field:
STEM
Founder and President of my school’s coding club - 11th grade
Founder of a cs initiative to teach elementary school children in my neighborhood the basics of computer science - 11th grade
MOSTEC (MIT Online Science and Technology Community) very prestiguous program that i will be taking part this summer and next school year
Math Club member ( I don’t really do much with this esides compete because I’ve never had time to really commit and run for a position) - 9-Present
My State’s Governors School ( very prestigious summer program that has a 15% acceptance rate)
POLITICS
Debate Team Captain - 9th-Present
School Board Representative - 12th
VOLUNTEERING
School Peer Leader 10th-11th (we help out with the freshman to help ease their transition into high school)
Key Club President - 10th - Present
Red Cross Club Vice President
RANDOMISH
Track and Field Captain - 9th - Present
French Club -10th - Present
MOSTEC and Governors school are very good. For the others, I think you need to list based on what you did. For example debate team captain: What awards have you won? What have you done as Captain? Anything where you just show up should be downplayed. Anything where you show initiative and play a major role should be built up. For example what does the coding club do? Why did you start it? How has it had community impact? etc. Keep the structure clean and show a story via your ecs
I don’t know, you weren’t an officer in your French Club. Could be a red flag.
Why not everything? But try to indicate what you did. So not “President” but “Organized community service opportunity that had 30 volunteers”
You have 10 slots on the common app and you’ve listed 12 things, and the last two you list as ‘random’. I think you’ve answered your own question.
If you can’t combine things then take out things you were least involved in (maybe French Club, Key Club? – think about what is important to you). I disagree with the above and would include Track and Field on the EC list because is shows diversity and you had a leadership position.
@happy1 yeah i was thinking of taking french club out, but idk whether to take math club out because it isnt a lot of involvement but idk if that would take away from the stem part of my application? @ninakatarina i understand what youre saying but i dont want to fill all 10 spots and would like for there to only be 8 or 9. Plus, track and field is important to me and I spend a lot of my time on that, i just dont know what else besides maybe math and french club to remove
I’d fill all ten spots … especially since you feel the activities will be a positive to your application.
You seem to have a solid set of EC’s, and I think that you have a very good chance at admission 
I was accepted to Berkeley for materials science and engineering, which is slightly less competitive than what you’re aiming for, and I had a lot less on my resume. I would advise, however, to make sure that your essays fully highlight your resume. Don’t forget about how important they are! That’s what got me in!
It’s that time of year, I guess, when more kids ask how “…to get into” some mighty competitive colleges. It’s something you need to learn, based on what the colleges look for. Not asking on a forum. You should know they like both depth and breadth.
Govs isn’t really an EC. Your choice, but it and Mostec can go in the section for addl schools or programs attended. Founding isn’t a tip and not sure how deep the coding club is. The vol work is ok. You’re ok on the non-stem side, (of course, include track,) but what shows, besides a program, that you’ve personally stretched? You seem to be emphasizing titles or the competitive admission to govs and Mostec, not the challenges you took on, how you improved your own skill set.
@lookingforward I mean of course I would go more in-depth about how these activities have taught me, stretched me and improved my skills. coding club is actually something I’m really passionate about at my school and I’m really involved in it. I see your point about Mostec and Gov school about putting that in the addl programs section. I haven’t participated in either of them so I don’t really know how they would help improve me so that was why the only information I could give was how prestigious they both are.
Also @bopper thanks for that tip I didn’t think about writing my information that way but now I will.