Clubs Fair

Every year, grade 11 and 12 students begin thinking about their post secondary education plans and start submitting university/college applications. Though most students do participate in some sort of extracurricular activity throughout their high school experience, many begin to solely focus on grades in their later years. I talked to guidance counselor Jennifer McLean about how being involved in clubs and teams benefits your chances of getting into programs you want, as well as being granted scholarships.

There are many reasons one should join a club, but I will be honest with you; when I say that, based on talking to Mrs. McLean, you should never rely solely on extracurriculars to succeed in the admissions process. Mrs. McLean said that many programs in Ontario only look at grades and averages, (i.e. schools like the university of Ottawa and Carleton). This should not turn you away from participating though, as many of the more competitive/popular programs do look at extracurriculars to see what sets some applicants apart from others. Many art programs will also largely base their choices on your audition/portfolio so being involved in an art club could benefit you. In any area, having experience in a domain you are interested in can never hurt you in the application process

When you are thinking about what clubs schools will find most appealing on an application, there really is no one answer that will guarantee you success. It always depends on the school, the program you are applying to, your dedication to the club, as well as your own interests and how you want to use the skills you acquire in a club in the future. Having many interests and a well-rounded portfolio of extracurriculars has been recommended, not only because it is fun to try a bunch of new things, but also because they can give you many different skill sets such as working in groups, leading groups, problem solving, etc. You could even find new interests that you might pursue as a career! Before you graduate, you can also ask your club leader for a letter of recommendation to add to your application. Having someone with real experience in a certain field praise you and give you their stamp of approval can definitely give you an edge.

If you know what you want to do in the future and currently only want to collect merits that could help you with that, there are some more obvious club choices for you. For example, if you know you want to work in the field of business, the Junior Achievement Club could help with that, especially if you have a leadership position. Or, if you are interested in being a medical professional, the HOSA can present you with opportunities that you normally wouldn’t have, such as performing dissections and experiments!

If you are worried that these clubs and the time commitment they could require could jeopardize your academic success, don’t be! Mrs. McLean pointed out, “Being involved in a lot of activities requires you to be better organized and it is harder to procrastinate. However, I wouldn't recommend being so involved that you don't have time to complete school work or have time to get the sleep you need.”

That being said, most clubs that I talked to have roles available that do not require you to give up much, if any time you would normally use for studying.

Finally, having extracurriculars and being an involved student at your school can help you earn scholarships. Though some do take your academic record into consideration, there are also a lot of extracurricular targeted scholarships that mostly focus on your out-of-classroom achievements.

As you can see, being involved in something you are passionate about will never be something that can hurt you. Through clubs, you will learn many useful skills and most importantly, create memories that will last a lifetime!