EXTRACURRICULAR GROUPS: These groups include academic clubs (Quiz Bowl, Math Club, Science Olympiads, etc.), sports teams (football, basketball, etc.), service oriented clubs (Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc.), and religious oriented groups (Youth Groups, missionary groups, etc.). If you can obtain high level positions in these organizations, they will help advance your chances of success in the admissions process. The more variety you can fill yourself with, the more you will stand out in the application process. For example, someone who has a high GPA and is only involved in academic clubs will be no better off than someone with a relatively high GPA that is involved in academic clubs, sports teams, and service oriented clubs.
Some of the clubs and positions I served in during high school include Boy Scouts - Assistant Scoutmaster; Student Government - President; Beta Club - President; Quiz Bowl; Tennis Team; Soccer Team; Drama Club; Crossfire Youth Group; Advisor to the Superintendent. These are just some examples of the types of groups I recommend. This list represents a good variety of the aforementioned types of groups.
VOLUNTEER WORK: This is something that colleges pay special attention to even though it is an uncommon occurrence on applications. When filling out your applications for college, be sure to include ALL of your prior volunteer service. This can be service through religious affiliated groups, service oriented groups, or just volunteer projects that you design. If you have not yet done any service, it is not too late. Just get out there today, think about what your community needs, and act soon! Volunteer work can be as simple as collecting food for your local food pantry or as in depth as repairing homes.
Some of the volunteer work I included in my college applications include: Planning food drives for the local food pantries, going on mission trips to other states and helping repair dilapidated homes, holding voter registration drives in local high schools to register students for the upcoming elections, and erecting a flag pole, dedication site, and handicap accessible sidewalk in my local park for my Eagle Scout service project. These different types of service amount for over 300 hours and helped me get accepted into Cornell University.
These are just some suggestions of the types of activities you should get involved with while you still have the chance. My SAT score was well below average for the colleges and universities I applied to, yet I was still accepted. If not for these various groups and multiple service activities, I probably would not have gained admittance into certain prestigious universities.
