Hey guys, I am going to be in 10th grade next year, and besides getting good grades, what do you guys advise me too do.
EC: track and field, school dance team, and maybe a community service club.
My problem is that these are not that impressive, and I may not be able to get a leadership position in them. Are there any other extracurriculars I should join? I am hoping to get all a’s this year as well. What else should I do to increase my chances?
Rather than looking for ways to improve your chances (presumably for getting into a selective school), focus instead on what you want to learn or accomplish or explore. It’s not ‘track and field’ - it’s pushing your boundaries to see how far you can extend yourself physically or how you can impact the dynamics of a team for the better or something else entirely. It’s setting a goal for yourself, or a challenge and figuring out how to make that happen. It’s not about school dance team - it’s about what you are hoping to get out of it. Do you want to be a better dancer? Learn to choreograph? Teach dance moves to others? Expand your knowledge of dance by learning new types of dances? Or is just to have fun and relax and do something that feels good (also a legit goal). If you are going to do community services, what do you care about? What do you have to offer to that particular community that they need? Once you are there, you may discover all kinds of ways that you could add value, learn a lot and make a difference. If you are doing community service and none of that is happening for you (i.e., you’re just accumulating hours), then find something more meaningful.
ECs are just a way to expand your knowledge of the world, the kind of people you meet, and to develop skills and expertise that you don’t get in school. If you are doing this, then ‘increasing your chances’ of a productive and interesting high school experience is very high - and yeah, it might help with admissions too. But even if it doesn’t, you’ll feel like you spent your time well.
Read “How To Be a High School Superstar” by Cal Newport for thoughts on ECs.