Well, in Canada we don’t have standardized exam like ACT and SAT but we do have provincial exams that account for 20% of your grade in major courses from Gr 10

Well, in Canada we don’t have standardized exam like ACT and SAT but we do have provincial exams that account for 20% of your grade in major courses from Gr 10 to 12. I didn’t do fancy extra curriculars. I merely joined student council to organize events, started an announcement club (just me reading a school events over the PA), and didn’t do any sports (but did music and band). None of these are costly. I think the truth is you need to look at a diverse rage of factors. If someone is not into sports, let’s look at what else they did. If grades are high, why do they need to engage in other extracurricular? Obviously, the motive is different. Students want education to find what they want to do or gain skills, reps and network to find a job that pays descent. Universities however look at other criteria - % alumni finding a job, average alumni pay, etc. What we do should ultimately help the students achieve what they want while balancing the motives for universities.