[Dream]

I do think they matter. At least, for Stanford, I think they matter. Stanford is hard to get into. You'll also want to study really hard for the ACT or SAT- those will make a big difference.

For other schools that are easier to get into, I would say they don't matter. What really matters is getting good grades and a good ACT or SAT. You could always say you were in clubs or join clubs that don't do anything just so that you have a few things to put on your application that look good.

The valedictorian of my HS class went to Stanford. She was basically perfect. She did well on the ACT- somewhere in the 30s I think, but I don't remember the exact store. She also did tennis, swimming, student government, speech & debate, national honor society, and I'm not sure what else.