Every fall semester, two days’ worth of lunch periods are reserved for students to showcase their clubs in the west quad for Club Rush. From the Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), a business-focused club, to community service clubs, the school offers opportunities for students to stay active on and off campus and pursue interests alongside peers.
Our school is currently home to 220 clubs. Well-established clubs put effort into creating a real impact within the student body and the neighboring community. For example, Cookies for a Cause members can be found fundraising for One Safe Place with baked goods at almost all school events. TP Key Club, which focuses on community service, hosts beach clean-ups and other service events. These clubs have withstood the test of time because they are dedicated beyond the label of club founder.
At the same time, new clubs are formed every year, attracting hundreds of students, but by the first quarter, many of these clubs have often disappeared. This raises the question: are students dedicated to making a lasting impact, or do they simply want to add another item to their resume?
From word of mouth, many students on campus do not hear back from some of the clubs they signed up for at club rush in September. From the school’s perspective, it is challenging to distinguish between peers who are collaborating to pursue their passions with those who do not have clear goals in sight. It is true that to build up and run a club is a difficult and time-consuming task, which explains why some clubs dwindle out. However, the number of inactive clubs on campus is representative of something more concerning regarding the way extracurricular activities are viewed.
The current trend of students forming clubs appears to be undermining the core purpose of these organizations, which is to foster connections and collaboration among peers. With so many clubs disappearing, it is difficult for students to distinguish between clubs that have truly strong foundations with those that quickly lose relevance. This shift might unintentionally turn club sign-ups into a gamble. Ultimately, the original mission of clubs, to build a supportive and engaged community, may be lost if this continues.
Furthermore, students who start clubs thinking it boosts college admission chances fail to consider that colleges prioritize quality over quantity; admission officers are more focused on a club’s impact than its existence. While many can start a club and hold an initial meeting, those who are truly dedicated and passionate about their projects will stand out. It is the ongoing commitment and engagement that transforms a simple idea into a meaningful endeavor. Colleges notice meaningful extracurricular activities rather than a long list of activities. Padding one’s application with clubs does not provide the advantages that some may think it does. Colleges are looking for dedication and passion, not for boxes to be checked or a specific number of extracurriculars to be fulfilled.
In truth, college admission should not be a primary motivation. Students should form clubs because they actually want to make positive changes. The benefits of a club on a college application should be an afterthought. Clubs take a lot of time and dedication, and with an already busy life, many students do not have the time and effort to spare on a club, but they overexert themselves anyway. The idea of founding a club has shifted from one backed by passion to one backed by excelling towards college goals without care for whether their club’s legacy will continue when they become alumni. This change in perspective is pushing club culture away from its initial importance.
The process of creating clubs for potential application differentiation without a clear purpose is driving students away from actually pursuing their passions; this is only a disadvantage for them in applications, as colleges want to see drive and passion demonstrated through tangible evidence. By solely chasing college acceptance, students are actually hurting their chances rather than boosting them.
Club founders should aim to leave an impact, working to leave an influence on the TPHS community. When founders take initiative and stay on top of their responsibilities to create a consistent and reliable club, they take the term “Club Founder” to a higher level. Commitment is reflected through quality involvement, not overexertion. A student’s general extracurricular activities only contribute to 6.5% of their application, showing that interest, essays, grades and test scores are the driving factors behind college acceptance. An admissions officer would rather look at a candidate’s passion and drive rather than a jumbled list of incohesive extracurricular activities. Truly impactful clubs that leave a lasting legacy are what stand out to colleges, and the culture around clubs needs to be pushed in a more positive perspective that promotes growth and connection between students and the San Diego community.
At their basis, clubs are a way to show passion and creativity while benefiting the school’s community. Still, as students continue to create temporary clubs to boost their own college applications, they lose their meaning. Dedicated students should prioritize planning their club’s impact with the intention of building a lasting legacy, rather than merely viewing it as a checkbox on their college applications. If this culture of extracurricular inflation continues unchecked, students will stop taking creative risks, focusing solely on calculated resume building instead of focusing on what truly makes them unique and fulfilled.
