How important are extra-curricular activities when it comes to getting into college?

Honestly, not as much as people think. Your grades and academic performance will count the most, especially if you are trying to get into a really good school and aren't looking for any athletic scholarships.

When you write your admissions essay, you can write about your situation--not in a complaining way, but to show that you have had responsibilities and that you've handled them well. Accentuate the positives and discuss how this has helped you to grow. This will demonstrate your maturity.

When my son was going on college tours quite a few years ago now, I'll never forget the Admissions guy at Brandeis, who said they wanted a well-rounded student body but that this did not necessarily mean that every single student had to be involved in a lot of activities. Everyone came with his/her own strengths and interests, and together, the students created a complete picture.

A list of school clubs someone supposedly belongs to isn't going to impress anyone. You write well, better than most high-school students I see on YA. Clearly you've been keeping up with your studies. Colleges will recognize that.

I think other than sports, you actually have good extracurriculars. Maybe go for a spring sport this season (i suggest track or tennis). Tennis is very easy, and even if you are on JV, it will help. It seems like you're good as far as other extracurriculars go. Being a vice president of Spanish Honor Society helps a lot, and so does being a member of NHS and "other clubs." It ultimately comes down to how many "other clubs" you do. If you have at least two or three other clubs besides NHS and Spanish Honor Society, and you do tennis or track this spring, and next year as well, you'll be good. That's a strong unweighted gpa. SAT scores could use a little improvement. Remember that majority (probably above 95%) of colleges only care about your SAT Math and Critical Reading scores. Work especially on those. And it's a great bonus that you've volunteered so much. I think you're in good shape, but I don't really know your financial background, your ethnicity, the type of high school you're going to, and your class rank, so it's hard to say, "yeah, you're definitely gonna get in." but it seems to me that you are in good shape. Just try to do a spring sport, trust me.

Most colleges won't care. However, it's going to hurt you if you're applying to top colleges - since everyone applying has fantastic resumes, they're looking for something that sets students apart. Since those kinds of things don't have to be school-related, but you apparently didn't do anything that would count, you're probably not applying to those schools anyway.

Absolutely not activities will hurt you. I am in your same exact position: I started volunteering this year. I do great in school, but people tell me that it is not enough. You have to stand out to the dean of admissions.