If you go to a college like UCLA, clubs aren’t simply an easy way to make friends and get involved with the school, like I (or any normal person) thought to believe. Club application season is college application season all over again, and somebody needs to talk about it.Â
The problem with clubs at UCLA is this: the clubs you want to join – either because they seem social, cool, or recognized on campus – are incredibly competitive and require tons of effort to apply, often resulting in you not getting past the first round of applications. The other clubs available on campus – the ones that you can just join and don’t have the same type of ridiculous competition – are usually not very social because people aren’t committed to them. This ultimate dilemma of clubs on campus!Â
Last year, I joined a few clubs (including the wonderful HerCampus!) and felt like that was enough. Alas, I had no idea about the world of incredibly competitive clubs and how highly sought after they are, and I felt like I was missing out by not being a part of one. Thus, it brought me here: I have applied to many-a-club this year, spending hours writing applications that are pages long and exemplifying my creativity and personality to the max in each one. I have then attended many interviews, often where I sit at the end of a table and let 3-12 people grill me on questions ranging from “why should we take you” to “roast me.” After this long, tiring process, the result came out: I didn’t get in. Ouch.
While this is a bummer, it’s not exactly surprising – I know people who were applying to these clubs for the sixth time, and this was only my first try. Looking at the other side of the process shows you why this is. In one of my friends’ business clubs, the acceptance rate was lower than 5%. Yes, that’s lower than the acceptance rate to this school itself. For my club sport, my year had over 70 applicants and we could only take 5 simply because of how small the team has to be. For another club a friend is in, they say it’s nearly impossible to get in as a freshman or sophomore and most admits are juniors who have applied at least a few times already. Many people I know have applied to a million clubs and only get into one after trying a few times and lots of hard work. I don’t know about you, but in my opinion, it’s pretty ridiculous.
I understand why clubs can be like this. There are so many students at this school. You need to be qualified and fit the vibe, and it’s fun to be a part of a selective group of people and choose who to let in and who not to. However, I personally think it has gone too far. There has to be a better way to do things so that it’s not impossible to be a part of an engaging social organization. I hope in the future there can be a solution: maybe even MORE clubs, maybe less selectivity. Nonetheless, I honestly think this might just be the way things have been cemented at UCLA and the way things will remain.
My most important message is this: Don’t take it personally. If you don’t get in, a lot of other people didn’t either, and hey, at least you tried. I’ll continue to apply to clubs, but I’m satisfied with living a fulfilling college experience without being in a cult-y club! Life goes on, I promise.