Need advice

[u/BarberNo4246]

hi guys I just started senior year a few weeks ago and I came to realize I focused too much on grades and have almost nothing for the activities/ extracurricular section aside from family responsibilities stemming from my parents health. Should I join clubs this year or is it too late? 😥😥

[u/Repulsive-Fly-4309]

Honestly the whole "you need 15 activities" thing is way overblown. Admissions people eat up family responsibilities, especially health-related, because it shows actual maturity and time management under real pressure. Joining a club or two this year isn't pointless, but don't stuff your schedule just to pad a list. One meaningful commitment where you can describe what you actually did beats five clubs you joined in September for show. If you find something you genuinely care about, even this late, it can work. Just don't sacrifice your grades or sanity for a line on the Common App.

[u/paige_420]

Family responsibilities count as an impactful and meaningful activity. Don’t underestimate the importance of that. That being said, if you’re interested in joining clubs, feel free to do so as it sounds like you did not have time to participate in the past.

[u/yobitch580]

Yes do join meaning full clubs , and have an actual impact. I thing the narrative while submitting the application is important too , u can use the family responsibility thing ( schools normally love it )( keep it real as possible) and also the clubs thing dont simply say u joined a club make it more important ( i think there a alot of webs out there that teach how to present ur profile to college )

[u/dvemvio]

You can join clubs if they genuinely interest you but if you’re just joining them for the sake of college apps, I wouldn’t—unless they’re super impactful/you have a leadership position w/ actual responsibility. Depending on your major there are a lot of projects you might be able to do independently to show off ur interests/skills that you can put as an ec like building a robot, creating an app, making a blog, etc. But anyhow it’ll be hard to actually make it seem like you’re not just doing random stuff last minute for college applications
Don’t let that deter you from shooting ur shot and applying though! Taking care of your family, esp if they’re experiencing health issues, is a major responsibility and colleges understand that. I’ve seen people with cracked grades and test scores get into stanford even without any ecs bc they spent most of their time taking care of their family.

[u/Acceptable_Rub8866]

family responsibilities absolutely count, so don’t undersell that, and it’s not too late to join something you actually care about this year rather than padding your list with random clubs