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" &amp;quot;I&amp;#039;m a junior in high school, and my mom is totally pressuring me into joining at least three clubs, plus driver&amp;#039;s ed. Will colleges really not accept me if I&amp;#039;m not in a lot of clubs? How many do you think I should join?&amp;quot; Meghan, 16, New York, NY So there&amp;#039;s a huge misconception out there (by some well-intentioned people, read: parents) that admissions officers want students to fill in all the blanks on those college applications. But wildly joining clubs that A) don&amp;#039;t really mean anything to you, B) take time away from doing the things that are really important like getting good grades or doing something that really inspires, and C) you&amp;#039;ll only be committed to for a year or less just isn&amp;#039;t a good strategy when it comes to applying to college.  My advice is to first think about the story you want to tell in your application. Are you an artist, an amateur fashion designer, an aspiring doctor, or a music buff? Do you love travel and culture and learning new languages? Are you a science wiz who Tivo&amp;#039;s CSI and dreams about a career in forensics? Join clubs that complement your interests and that will help you to tell your story in the college application, whether that&amp;#039;s one or five. Just make sure you can handle the time commitment and still keep up your grades. Plus, you want to show involvement with a club or activity over a period of time. Being a member of a club for two to three years is going to be a lot more impressive than a six-month commitment. And here&amp;#039;s a tip: Clubs like National Honor Society, while a great honor, don&amp;#039;t necessarily say anything about your hobbies, interests, or personality, unless, of course, you have a position of leadership within the organization.  And while we&amp;#039;re talking about leadership, one of the things you really want to focus on during your junior and senior year of high school is proving yourself as a leader. Go out for officer positions in the clubs or activities that matter to you most. If by your senior year you have a few solid commitments to activities along with some demonstrated leadership, you&amp;#039;ll be on your way to telling a great story in your college application. Best of luck! "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.seventeen.com/life/school/advice/a27672/clubs-cqa-100807/>