There are indeed some colleges that put a lot of stock in extra-curriculars, but not all of them, so if there is nothing that interests you, I wouldn’t worry. But on the same note, doing extra-curriculars can be a very rewarding experience. I did a lot in high school and extra-curriculars are where I met most of my closest friends.

As far as scholarships go, some websites like fastweb.com that offer scholarships to younger students, even younger than you, so you can register, put down some of your interests, and find scholarships that are in tune with your personality and interests. As you get closer to college, you’ll have an idea of what you want to major in and you can fine tune those preferences.

It’s not too early to begin looking at scholarships, but if you’re becoming too overwhelmed, it may not be a bad idea to take a break from looking for right now. You can search for scholarships up to the moment you are admitted and even after you’re enrolled in college, so there’s plenty of time!

The most important thing about extra-curriculars, whether you do them for only one year or for longer, is the experience you gain from them. Your admissions essay is the outlet for that, you can explain why you only did band one year and what kind of skills it has given you.

Not doing extra-curriculars is not going to keep you from going to a respectable 4-year University. There are a lot of components of a successful application and the fact that you’re thinking about this so early means that you have the ambition you need to carry you there.

You’re going to end up in a great school as long as you keep thinking ahead and preparing like this.