How do I stand out to colleges if I do not have extracurricular activities? Answered
I have a 4.0 GPA unweighed and a 4.14 weighed, and currently taking my first AP ever (AP Bio) and 2 dual enrollments but I feel like that is not even close enough to stand out in an application to an Ivy League. WHAT SHOULD I DO??? I was thinking of taking 2 more APs next year and taking the SAT too to stand out(but that sounds stressful). What extracurriculars should I participate in if I want to join med school?
Thank you
Earn karma by helping others:
3 answers
I would say to join some after school clubs like Science and Current Events. Maybe join a sport to show that you can handle multiple responsibilities on top of your hard class load.
Unfortunately, a couple more APs and SAT will not get you into an Ivy League. You have to start early and go through all of high school with that mindset. I really hate saying this to you, but Ivies get applicants with a good 8-10 APs, I think, and loads of ECs, as well as near perfect SAT scores. Even getting into a decent college will be hard without ECs.
I recommend you begin to explore other options. The fact that you have not taken many advanced classes may be a hint to yourself that you may not do well in an intensive study environment. Start checking out other colleges. Maybe, maybe you could start somewhere else and later transfer into an Ivy. Please talk to your high school counselor about the options. Like I said, ECs are so important. You should start looking for ECs to participate in, not just out of obligation, but ECs add fun to the monotony of studying. It helps you stay balanced and healthy by having things you enjoy mixed in.
I am not familiar with ECs for medical school, however. Hoping someone else will have some they can recommend.
Hope this helps. I am so sorry if this is a downer. Let me know if there is anything else I can do for you!
Outside of school activities such as volunteering or pre-college programs would benefit your college application! Pre-college programs allows you to participate in college-like activities based on your intended career path, so give it a shot and research some! You can also join clubs your school might offer, and it doesn't necessarily have to be med biased but something you enjoy doing (art, sports, etc.)
Your chance of acceptance
Your chancing factors
Community Guidelines
To keep this community safe and supportive:
- Be kind and respectful!
- Keep posts relevant to college admissions and high school.
- Don’t ask “chance-me” questions. Use CollegeVine’s chancing instead!
I actually just got an email with a link for programs for medical students: blog.prepscholar.com/medical-programs-for-high-school-students?utmmedium=email&hsmi=299018034&hsenc=p2ANqtz-9nckmuFPcq1jzQwNQYLe4m2KaHdHxxHwJ7zoaXP75r8w5Rk79pgqVnYjnQL6Vj8AvrAtAdT9yN0PIfjFjKcZFmj1b0NOpPmL97BrGy2vP0XaX0rjU&utmcontent=299018034&utmsource=hsemail