I often write that when colleges evaluate a student’s extracurricular activities, they’re looking for evidence of impact. Have you made contributions that have fundamentally impacted this club, team, workplace, etc.? That’s also why a long list of activities in which you dabbled is less impressive than a short list of those to which you really dedicated the substantial time and energy it takes to make a noticeable impact.
But you may not find those activities right away.
If you’re starting your freshman or sophomore year of high school, and haven’t yet found where you love spending your time outside of class, that’s OK. This is the time to experiment. Try different things. If they don’t stick, replace them with things that look more appealing. Yes, you’ll need to occasionally have to get through some hard parts to really make the impact. But if you try something new and realize a few months down the road that you just don’t enjoy it, move on, and do so guilt-free.
Some students find their high school passion by age 14 or 15. Many more do not. For most applicants, the arc of their high school activities involves some early experimentation, followed by some pruning to make room for those few things that really light them up. Don’t put pressure on yourself to find them too early. Instead, just lean into whatever point on that arc you are at today.