The immense pressure to get into college is a familiar one in this day and age, whether it’s coming from parents, teachers, administrators, or peers. As college applications draw closer, it is common for students to feel like they could be doing more to better their chances of getting into dream schools. A great way to impress these colleges is to get involved in the many extracurriculars that Jackson-Reed has to offer!
Many of JR’s clubs offer academic focuses, including STEM focused clubs like Girls Who Code, Robotics, Website Club and Biomed/HOSA Club.
Website Club is a group dedicated to improving and maintaining Jackson Reed’s Website. Co-president Clara Doyle says “Website Club is a fun way to learn tech skills with no coding experience and make an impact on the JR community.”
Another option is the Biomed/HOSA club. Co-president Sophie Flaherty says, “Biomed Club is great for students on the Biomedical pathway to engage in study sessions and activities relating to biomed work and concepts.” These are just two of the many academic clubs JR offers.
JR also has an array of humanities clubs, including Creative Writing Club, Mock Trial, Model UN, French Club and many more. Joining any of these is an amazing chance to gain knowledge and experience in new social studies topics.
Some of the best JR extracurriculars are the community involved clubs. There are multiple student unions and alliances to join, such as the Black Student Union, Jewish Student Union, the Disability Student Alliance, and the Gender Sexuality Alliance. There are also clubs servicing the DC community like Knit for Need and Community Coalition for Change. Another is Sunrise Club. Jessica McCallum, co-president of the club, says “Sunrise Club is a DC activist club working to improve the climate crisis.”
In addition to academic and community clubs, JR offers other, more niche student interest clubs. Many hobbies and interests shared outside of school can be found among Jackson-Reed’s clubs. From Theater to chess club, these groups are inclusive and don’t require prior experience to join. JR’s creative clubs are created by peers and staff who want to cultivate a community around the activities they enjoy.
Another integral part of Jackson-Reed extracurriculars are the variety of sport teams. M and junior varsity teams, popular sports teams include soccer, volleyball, football, field hockey, track, cross country, baseball, basketball, and much more. Many of these teams require a tryout and prior experience, but there are great teams to join as a beginner as well! The Ultimate Frisbee team is an example of a beginner friendly team open to all. The Crew team can also be joined with no experience (if you’re an underclassmen and crazy).
Information about all of these clubs and extracurriculars can be found on Jackson-Reed’s website. Filling your schedule with activities and clubs can be fun and fulfilling. Not only can it be enjoyable, but is also amazing for your chances of making it to the college of your dreams.
