Do Extras Matter?
Extracurricular activities DO matter—but only when academics are strong. On the 1-9 academic scale, if you’re only a 1-4, that means that your academics are low enough that extracurriculars won’t make up for them, at least at very competitive schools. On the other hand, if you’re an academic 8-9, they won’t care as much about extras since the academic are so strong. It’s for the middle range of students that extracurriculars and leadership really matter. Just remember, academics are always 75% or more of the decision; once you’re in the range, THEN extras come into play. To say it another way, incredible extras won’t make up for mediocre performance in the classroom.
So, whether you are a rare coin collector, founder of your school’s history club, tuba player, or editor of the newspaper, your activities alone won’t get you into a top college. It is better, however, for you to be a leader in a few activities and distinguish yourself with a high level of participation in a niched area rather than be a member of tons of clubs but with no discernible passion for one area. Show a genuine commitment rather than just signing up at random for a lot of unconnected activities. In general, an activity such as debate would be better than simply attending a yearbook staff meeting once every few months.
Congratulations Everyone!
Michele’s students had record breaking acceptances in the early round of college admissions results for the Class of 2014.
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