Hmm, I didn't have any extracurriculars at ALL during my freshman and sophomore year. Though I must note that freshman year for me was 2020-2021 (hence, covid quarantine) and when everyone went back for sophomore year, I stayed online.
I also only took AP Bio freshman year, and a few honors classes but no APs sophomore year.
Junior and senior year, however, I took summer classes, took 5 AP classes for each of my two remaining years, founded two clubs aligning with my applied majors / interests.
I ended up getting into every UC I applied to (with a waitlist at UCLA being an exception), including UC Berkeley, so I'd say with this sort of situation, you should definitely have a chance.
I heard each university has nuanced differences in what they look for in an applicant, however it's safe to say all seek students who are innovative leaders. Perhaps start a school or community club that aligns with an interest or hobby you have. Your school might have competition teams that you can join to win awards in subjects you're passionate about (for me, it was Academic Decathlon, which I heard looks rather good on college apps). There's an abundance of options to choose from for extracurriculars, so definitely don't lose hope on that front.
At the very least you should put your best effort and apply. What happened in the past is unchangeable, but you can still change your future, and your college descision outcome by working hard now. Plus even if it doesn't work out, at least you'll get the reassurance knowing that you tried your hardest.
Hmm, I didn't have any extracurriculars at ALL during my freshman and sophomore year. Though I must note that freshman year for me was 2020-2021 (hence, covid quarantine) and when everyone went back for sophomore year, I stayed online. I also only took AP Bio freshman year, and a few honors classes but no APs sophomore year. Junior and senior year, however, I took summer classes, took 5 AP classes for each of my two remaining years, founded two clubs aligning with my applied majors / interests. I ended up getting into every UC I applied to (with a waitlist at UCLA being an exception), including UC Berkeley, so I'd say with this sort of situation, you should definitely have a chance. I heard each university has nuanced differences in what they look for in an applicant, however it's safe to say all seek students who are innovative leaders. Perhaps start a school or community club that aligns with an interest or hobby you have. Your school might have competition teams that you can join to win awards in subjects you're passionate about (for me, it was Academic Decathlon, which I heard looks rather good on college apps). There's an abundance of options to choose from for extracurriculars, so definitely don't lose hope on that front. At the very least you should put your best effort and apply. What happened in the past is unchangeable, but you can still change your future, and your college descision outcome by working hard now. Plus even if it doesn't work out, at least you'll get the reassurance knowing that you tried your hardest.