I'm in my sophomore year of high school and realized that although my GPA is great, the extracurriculars are definitely lacking especially if I want to have a competitive application. I ran JV cross country as a freshman, and that's really about it for all that I've done so far. So I definitely plan on making up for this in the future. Does anybody have any suggestions for what types of cocurriculars I ought to focus on- sports, community service, clubs, etc., and how many of each??
High School Co-curriculars
- Thread starter kwill958
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Focus on the extracurriculars that interest you, and try to obtain leadership positions in such. Sports are basically a must however if they are available. Service clubs/community service also looks very good, not only to the academies but to any college. However, don't limit yourself to these and as I said focus on things that interest you. All the while, however, make sure to keep focus on academics and challenge yourself in that area too.
Definitely get involved in sports! Try and find something you like that you could letter in, its very rare for incoming cadets to not have at least one varsity letter, if not more. Maybe work hard to get on varsity XC?
Extracurriculars like National Honor Society are really great! You might want to take a class that you are interested in and might be able to get a leadership position, like JROTC, student government, chorus, etc. There's no magic number of activities that will guarantee you admission, they look at the entire person. A good GPA is a great start.
Remember, do activities/ECs because you like them and get something out of them, not just for the academy
Extracurriculars like National Honor Society are really great! You might want to take a class that you are interested in and might be able to get a leadership position, like JROTC, student government, chorus, etc. There's no magic number of activities that will guarantee you admission, they look at the entire person. A good GPA is a great start.
Remember, do activities/ECs because you like them and get something out of them, not just for the academy
Pick a sport (does not have to be a school sport. I do Tae Kwon Do competitively) and STICK TO IT! Try and get a leadership position.
Non-athletic extracurricular activities are also good, especially if you can get a leadership position. Find a few that interest you. Don't join 10 clubs and scatter yourself between them. The key to athletic and non-athletic is quality of your involvement, not quantity.
Honor societies are great, because they usually involve community service and show both your academic and social skills. They usually require more work than the average club, though, so don't try to join every one your school offers if it has multiple societies like mine.
Non-athletic extracurricular activities are also good, especially if you can get a leadership position. Find a few that interest you. Don't join 10 clubs and scatter yourself between them. The key to athletic and non-athletic is quality of your involvement, not quantity.
Honor societies are great, because they usually involve community service and show both your academic and social skills. They usually require more work than the average club, though, so don't try to join every one your school offers if it has multiple societies like mine.
My tip would be not to bite off more than you can chew. Your commitments to several things can interfere easily and may catch you off guard. Get comfortable and adjusted to your extracurriculars.
I would have a balanced mix of activities but do what you would like. Community service is great as it shows work experience and helping the community. Sports show physical activity. Certain clubs show leadership (I.E. National Honor Society). If you strive for the best, you'll meet your goal.
Cross country is nice - Is there a varsity equivalent?
I would have a balanced mix of activities but do what you would like. Community service is great as it shows work experience and helping the community. Sports show physical activity. Certain clubs show leadership (I.E. National Honor Society). If you strive for the best, you'll meet your goal.
Cross country is nice - Is there a varsity equivalent?
I'm one of the uncommon candidates who received an appointment not having lettered in any varsity sports. Throughout high school I was extremely active in serving at church, and I believe that my interviewers and application reviewers saw that as a long term commitment and really appreciated it.
Every case is different. I focused on academics, participated in honor societies and special interest clubs (teenage republicans, etc), interviewed well, and wrote kick butt essays for my application. Definitely be genuine in whatever route you go. Don't stack up a crap ton of clubs because that looks cheap. Like someone said earlier, be committed to whatever interests you.
Every case is different. I focused on academics, participated in honor societies and special interest clubs (teenage republicans, etc), interviewed well, and wrote kick butt essays for my application. Definitely be genuine in whatever route you go. Don't stack up a crap ton of clubs because that looks cheap. Like someone said earlier, be committed to whatever interests you.
I agree with the comments about athletics. Find a sport. My son got involved with Interact, where he served as Vice President. INteract is a Rotary sponsored program for ... A Rotary program for High Schools. I can't say enough about the leadership training that was provided by Interact. In other schools Key Club sponsored by Kiwanis is present. I would encourage you to check them out.
tallbutshort
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2012cadet, I sent you a pm.