Our school has a problem. Almost everyone is part of at least one club, however, hardly anyone actually participates in them.
It’s understandable to want to join as many clubs as humanly possible so that your college application stands out among the thousands of others; however, don’t.
This is a bad strategy to get into your dream school because colleges tend to value commitment to clubs, i.e. length of membership. If they see that you were a member of a club for only two weeks, they’ll disregard it. Schools also value leadership positions, and you won’t achieve this by doing the bare minimum to be in the club.
Of course, don’t just choose a club based on how it looks to colleges. Choose it because you’re genuinely interested; this way you get to be involved in something that you truly believe in, and as a perk, the club will look good on your resume.
The purpose of being a teenager is to be a teenager. This means figuring out who you are, who you want to be, and what you’re interested in. It’s not forcing yourself to become someone you’re not by joining every club under the sun.
The activities fair at the beginning of the year can be exciting. Among the colorful tri-folds and bubble letters, it’s hard to resist putting your name down on the contact list for 10 clubs. And doing so is okay; it’s good to explore multiple options–but know that you won’t actually be a member of all 10. You’ll have to go to some meetings and narrow down your choices.
Because once you step into the hamster wheel of strengthening your resume, it can be hard to stop.
If the extracurriculars you want to pursue do not fit the ideal profile of a typical student at your dream school, maybe that school isn’t for you, and that’s okay. There are many schools that will fit your needs and will accept you. You’ll be okay.
There’s no need to spend your entire high school career running faster and faster in your hamster wheel until you trip and fall out.
Instead, engage in your interests as they come, and enjoy life. The right school will find you.
Control the wheel; don’t let the wheel control you.
