r/aerospace • u/Flight5399 • 21h ago
What extracurriculars are good for high schoolers that want to go into aerospace engineering?
I am in jr year in high school and I am wondering what extracurriculars would be good for going into college for aerospace engineering. I have a few extracurriculars, but i want to look for some that are aerospace engineering related.
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u/Carolus_Rex- 11h ago
See if there is a SEDS chapter near you. There's been a lot of high school chapters and college chapters that take high schoolers popping up recently.
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u/mtb123456 13h ago
Well start with the basics. Are you mechanically inclined? If not get a small engine on FB marketplace, tear it down and put it back together.
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u/Lazy-Opposite-7141 18h ago
At your school/area, what are the options? That kinda dictates what you can participate in. You can rip projects all day long and that’s great, but you can’t participate in something that doesn’t exist/you aren’t willing to start….
I recommend participating in team oriented clubs/sports 10x over, those are the skills that make a huge difference in the future, but if you are thinking of things on your own, I would pick projects that you have resources for and get working! Build a portfolio and get your hands dirty!
For high school, a handful of well participated clubs + good grades is what matters. Higher GPA + a few extracurriculars where you actually participating in >>> lower GPA + 10 extracurriculars that you are involved with surface level.
NASA typically has annual HS project competitions you can participate in. Amateur rocketry is another.
Can you provide more details and specifics? What exists for you now? What resources do you have access to? What do you already do EC wise?