What I wish all students knew about extracurricular activities and college admission
I can’t tell you how many students and parents have sat in my office and said some version of these words: I don’t think I do enough activities. What should I do to look better to colleges? Well really, it’s usually the parents’ concern. Or at least, they are typically the ones voicing it.
Here’s the thing: there is no magic formula when it comes to extracurricular activities. Some believe that you need to go all in with one thing and be the very best in that one thing. Sure, that works for a few (I’m looking at you, DI athletes) but very, very few students get in mostly based on non-academic talent. Others go for the longest list possible, including things they did for one afternoon one time in 9th grade. Quality is definitely better than quantity; colleges would rather see a short list of activities in which you’ve shown commitment, depth, and leadership.
What colleges want to see when they look at your extracurricular activities
Colleges care deeply about building thriving communities. They don’t want students who will only sit in their dorm rooms doing homework. No offense to homework.
They want students who are going to actively participate in their communities and make them better. They want students who will be kind, inclusive, and growth-oriented in the classroom, the dorms, and in extracurricular activities. They gauge the likelihood of your participation, involvement, and leadership in college through looking at what you currently do in high school.
There are many things that might impact what your activities list looks like. Maybe you work during the school year. Maybe you care for siblings or an elderly grandparent. You might not be able to do the sports, arts, and clubs that other applicants will have. Don’t worry! Colleges love to see when students have had this type of deep responsibility. It builds maturity, work ethic, grit, perseverance, and perspective, all qualities they want in their communities.
The community service debate
Many students believe that their application would be incomplete without doing community service. While this isn’t necessarily a box that colleges are looking to check off, they are looking for some sort of demonstration of service to community. This can take many different forms! While it might be the more traditional volunteer hours with an organization you might think of, it could also mean service by making your school better through leadership, diversity, equity, and inclusion work, or caring for a family member. Colleges will be looking for a demonstration that you care for others and issues beyond yourself and your own achievement.
Here’s the number one rule about extracurriculars
Don’t make choices of how you spend your time based what you think colleges want to see. Believe me, I could see right through that when I was a college admission officer. There is such a difference between having a conversation with someone plugging along spending their time doing something for their resume, versus someone who is truly invested in finding their passions, trying things out, and who is not afraid to be messy and authentic on the path toward self-discovery.
When students are doing things they love (not what they think others, including *ahem* their parents) they naturally want to go deeper with it, continue to explore, push outside their comfort zone, and find ways to show leadership and give back to their communities.
Find interests that make you geek out
I always tell my students: you want to be both interesting and interested. What do I mean by that? Whether you are having a conversation with a college admissions officer or you are writing about your activities in your college applications, are you excited about what you do? Like genuinely engaged and interested? Are you curious and interested in learning more and going deeper? What are you interested in doing or learning about that you haven’t had the opportunity to do yet? What topics can you totally geek out about for hours either on your own or with someone who shares your interest?
Self-reflection exercise to help you prioritize what activities to focus on for the remainder of high school
Write down the answers to these self-reflection questions about extracurricular activities as you begin to map out what you currently do. The answers to these questions should help you figure out what you want to focus on, what you might want to cut out, and where you might want to expand or pursue new activities.
Think about your weekly schedule. When you aren’t sleeping, eating, or doing school/academics, what do you spend your time doing? List everything you can think of.
What do you do within your school day that feels separate from an academic class? This could include clubs, arts-related classes, debate, leadership, or publications like yearbook or newspaper.
What about organized after school activities, either within your school or outside of it?
What do you do on the weekends? Are you involved in a church, mosque, synagogue, or local youth group of some sort? Do you have family or individual hobbies or responsibilities you spend time on regularly?
What is your schedule like in the summers? Do you spend time doing things you don’t have time for during the school year? Do you work, volunteer, or pursue individual projects and/or hobbies?
What do you do that shows commitment to serving others in some way and making your community(s) better?
If you could stop doing anything on your activities list, what would it be? What would you do with that time instead?
Is there anything you would like to do with your time that you currently do not do?
Take time to reflect on your answers to these questions. Share them with a parent, sibling, or friend if you think you need an outside perspective or feel like you’ve forgotten things you do. How can you use this reflection to focus the remainder of your time in high school on things that are most important to you?
I hope these tips help you feel empowered to make choices based on what you love, how you want to grow, and not based on what you think colleges want to see. Colleges will love to see you owning your choices and living most aligned with your interests. Your time is one of your greatest gifts and resources, and learning to spend it wisely is truly a lifelong skill that will set you up for a happy and purposeful life.
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If you enjoyed the tips in this article, you might also love my free PDF download, the 9th-11th Grade College Prep Action Plan.