Getting Into College

[deloriagod]

Ok, so my dad is always on my case about how I need after school activities to get into college (actually he's always yelling at me about it, and I've just stopped listening). Today I was walking home from a friends house when I got to thinking about it.. And I was wondering, do you actually need after school activities to get into college? Will you be more likely to be selected for a college if you've participated in after school activities? Or does my dad just want me to do something other than hang out with my friends?

[WutangFlu]

no you dont need to go out for sports.

[knives669]

Well... It's not so much after school activities... it's more or less participation in school activities. Or at least it is around here.

[gehjl]

They look good if you're planning on applying to Harvard, Yale, or some other rich high class University. If it's ur normal college/university, you don't need them, i had like 1 and i got in into a university

[deloriagod]

They look good if you're planning on applying to Harvard, Yale, or some other rich high class University. If it's ur normal college/university, you don't need them, i had like 1 and i got in into a university

 

 

 

The school I want to go to is University of Iowa. I'm going to be a high school sophomore this year, so I figured if I need the activities I want to know before it's too late..

 

Thanks guys for responding fast.. I think I'm gonna go hang out with my friends some more (social life ftw :thumbsup: )

[indy500fan]

if you go to a community college (like me) you really dont need much of anything. you are pretty much automatically accepted. i dont even know if you need a high school diploma, since there are some high school students in the night classes.

[Nadril]

I am going to be going to Black hills state (in spearfish, south dakota). I pretty much just got acepted on my ACT alone, and I did no after school stuff (except for band).

 

 

 

So no, you don't need 'em.

[Pete_the_Viscous]

I really don't think they're that important. If you're fairly borderline, then they might swing it your way, over the rest of the borderline people who don't do whatever activities you do. If you've got a pretty good *record, though, they're probably not particularly interested, because it's that that they're looking for, really.

 

 

 

The way it worked with us was this: we get to write a personal statement, telling whoever is considering us a bit about ourselves. One only needs to glance at a few examples of people's personal statements to see that it's not so much what's written in the document itself as how well it's written. That gives an idea of how well the person doing the writing can think and write, whereas the activities mentioned within show what the person would like the reader to know about themself.

 

 

 

*academic, as opposed to criminal

[Turnip]

Where I am, they're actually pretty important, in larger schools extracurricular activities account for about 1/4 (give or take) of what the admissions take into consideration (with SATs and GPA as the other 3/4), while smaller schools are more rounded with each.

 

 

 

Although, according to PrincetonReview, UIowa, unlike many other Universities doesn't consider extracurriculars, volunteer work, or work experience. So you shouldn't have to worry so much about it. Although if I were you, I would still take part in some activities such as clubs (that you're interested in of course) and then once you're in your junior/senior year, get into some honor societies, they'll help you build yourself as a person and would be good in case you want to apply to other colleges which do consider extracurriculars.

[mad4u689]

If you're going for a more competitive college or for a liberal arts college, they want to see extracurriculars - whether they be sports, leadership in school clubs, etc.

 

 

 

If you want to go to a state school, which you say you do, then they tend to have too many applicants to look at much besides your raw data (grades, SATs, etc).

 

 

 

However, I'd suggest keeping your options open! Really - the reason some schools like to see extracurriculars in their applicants is because it does you good. Leadership now makes it easier to adjust to being in an office, or whatever job, later in life.

[Tigra00]

To call a Community College "college" is like saying water is like Pepsi. It just...isn't. I tried going to a Community College and I hated it. Bunch of brain-dead students AND teachers.

 

 

 

Anyways, you shouldn't need after school activities for a normal University. I didn't even graduate High School (got my GED because I was just tired of going everyday and learning nothing: I went to a really bad school..) and I could go to the University of Minnesota a few miles away if I wanted to. I already checked. I loathed after-school activities (spend time at school after school is over? Nah, that's okay..) so I obviously never did any.

 

 

 

If you plan on goin to Harvard though, you might want to get at it. Oh, and rob a bank.

[WutangFlu]

I am going to be going to Black hills state (in spearfish, south dakota). I pretty much just got acepted on my ACT alone, and I did no after school stuff (except for band).

 

 

 

So no, you don't need 'em.

 

 

 

what kind of college is that?

[dusqi]

Do after-school activities because they'll make you a better person... more mature.. more capable of taking on responsibility.. more knowledgable about how the world works... more interesting to talk to.

[Faux]

I'm involved in one school team and that's that. And the good thing is, our meetings happen during school hours. So we don't have to stay after school for them :D I'm one of the ranking people on it too 8-)

[deloriagod]

Do after-school activities because they'll make you a better person... more mature.. more capable of taking on responsibility.. more knowledgable about how the world works... more interesting to talk to.

 

 

 

I played sports in middle school and never found them very interesting.. Mostly because I like to play sports, but with my friends and just for fun. My parents always pushed sports on me and finally I just quit playing them. Also, I hate not being best at what I do. When I play video games nobody understands why I take them so sersiously. When I played sports in middle school I was always on the middle/lowest team and I hated that. I tried out for the golf team in my freshman year, and the coach screwed me out of a spot (long story, not gonna tell it..) so I don't want to play for that a**hole and golf is the only thing I can be near the best at.. (I played a round of golf with one of the JV guys at my school and he could out drive me but his short game was worse than mine..)

[pianofrieak2]

I work at an SAT/ACT/PSAT prep course, and my job is to tell kids how to get into college. So, let me just make this quick.

 

 

 

1. Colleges used to look at who is the smartest kid (i.e. highest SAT), but they found that many of those kids are geniuses who work on nuclear physics but don't become that famous or rich (i.e. give back to the university). Thus, they look at other factors.

 

2. Other factors they look at is class rank, GPA, and EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES.

 

3. Extra activities are VERY important if you want to get into higher level colleges, especially in the northeast. But it's not the number of clubs that you're in. It's how involved you are in the few clubs you ARE in. That's the key. Get leadership positions somehow. StuCo? Get a position. Volunteer at a place? Then be recognized somehow, and then get a really flowerly recommendation letter.

 

 

 

I cannot stress how much extra activities are worth to colleges. Not only do they help you get scholarships (leadership scholarships, for example), but they also raise your chances of getting in.

 

 

 

Just do it!

[misterxman]

I only know about USA university. From what I have seen, they don't look at a single thing, not even SAT scores, they'll look at SAT/ACT, grades, rank, activities in community and school, and probably other stuff. Some universities for a fact want you to do some activies, I once talked to an admission advisor from a uni who said he'd discarded any application that didn't have any activities, no matter what the applicant's academic scores were.

 

 

 

As said before, going to a community college, they'll only pretty much look at your GPA and class grades when applying for transfer. Transfering from a community college, the only thing they'll need from highschool is a diploma, but no HS grades/activities will be involved in admission.

[dusqi]

 

Also, I hate not being best at what I do.

 

 

 

 

I suspect that's not going to get any easier as you go to uni, and then out into the 'real world'.

[VOV]

Like Pianofreak said, extracurricular activities are really good if you are looking for scholarships. So many of them require community service or leadership position experience and it's so easy to get them if you've got the right credentials.

[bjbj1991]

Im currently betting that better grades from my extra time will be more valuable than the activities.

 

 

 

 

 

Do sports if*

 

You may need help paying for college, but you need to be extremly good.

 

You like the sports.

 

You have plently of free time to get all the extra credit you can squese from the teachers.

 

 

 

 

 

Dont do them if*

 

You suck at school, spend the time studying.

 

You dont like them.

[Viv]

they look at SATs and GPAs. i say yes it does matter, i did not do any of those things in 9th but plan too in 10th. you do not have to have everything on the list but need something especially if you gpa is less than 3.5. so if you do not do school activities do community activities. if you do not do that do work expierience.

 

 

 

make sure you have at least one. school activities work xp or community volenteer activities.

[deloriagod]

they look at SATs and GPAs. i say yes it does matter, i did not do any of those things in 9th but plan too in 10th. you do not have to have everything on the list but need something especially if you gpa is less than 3.5. so if you do not do school activities do community activities. if you do not do that do work expierience.

 

 

 

make sure you have at least one. school activities work xp or community volenteer activities.

 

 

 

Work experience.. Is that like where you go and be an intern for a while or getting an actual job? (Just wondering because I plan on getting a job after I get through drivers ed this fall and get a car \ )

[gonpost]

If you want to GET IN to any old college, then no, you don't need extra cirrics.

 

 

 

If you want to get in to a decent college with any sort of reputation at all, then I'd suggest you do a few activities after school.

 

 

 

If you want to get into a sub-ivy-league but still good school, do several things outside of school, AND do them WELL. Sport recommended since they involve a bit of time and are looked upon favorably. (Obviously more than activities matters once you're here, but I'm just writing concerning this one subject)

 

 

 

Ivy-League = leadership in a few extra cirrics, do a sport at least, and belong to several different clubs around school.

 

 

 

I'm by no means a professional, but from what I've seen, that's what I'd suggest.

[TheSlayer]

Different colleges require different things. Some schools require extracurricular activies, some schools highly recommend them, and others could care less.

 

 

 

The advice i'd give you is to research on your desired school and find out exactly what they look at and how admission works. CollegeBoard.com is an awesome site that lists out all of that information, including what high school courses are required and such. That site will soon become your best friend. :wink:

 

 

 

The information for admissions at the University of Iowa:

 

Admission requirements:

 

* SAT Reasoning or ACT Required (ACT writing optional)

 

 

 

Very important admission factors:

 

* Class Rank

 

* Rigor of secondary school record

 

* Standardized Test Scores

 

* Academic GPA

 

 

 

Considered:

 

* Character/Personal Qualities

 

* Recommendations

 

* State Residency

 

* Talent/Ability

 

 

Hmm.. doesn't even have extracurricular activies listed. I'd look more into it.

[deloriagod]

Different colleges require different things. Some schools require extracurricular activies, some schools highly recommend them, and others could care less.

 

 

 

The advice i'd give you is to research on your desired school and find out exactly what they look at and how admission works. CollegeBoard.com is an awesome site that lists out all of that information, including what high school courses are required and such. That site will soon become your best friend. :wink:

 

 

 

The information for admissions there:

 

Admission requirements:

 

* SAT Reasoning or ACT Required (ACT writing optional)

 

 

 

Very important admission factors:

 

* Class Rank

 

* Rigor of secondary school record

 

* Standardized Test Scores

 

* Academic GPA

 

 

 

Considered:

 

* Character/Personal Qualities

 

* Recommendations

 

* State Residency

 

* Talent/Ability

 

 

Hmm.. doesn't even have extracurricular activies listed. I'd look more into it.

 

 

 

Thanks, and I guess we were both looking that up at the same time. : I emailed them asking about extracurricular activities, so now I've gotta wait 24-48 hours for a response.. And I guess it's time to turn my B average into an A average..

 

 

 

Edit: Talent.. I suppose that would include my knack for drawing?