As one approaches application season, students are told to prepare multiple aspects of their profile beforehand leading up to this moment. This means that even though application season begins right around senior year, preparation for college begins with the onset of high school as students begin to choose their subjects, become aware of the different testing requirements, and start availing extracurricular and work experience opportunities. While there is a generalised understanding regarding extracurricular activities – i.e. its better to have a variety of different activities – many students may find themselves overwhelmed with the choices and not know where to begin, whereas others may passively avail several options without a concrete intention.
Top Extracurricular activities for college:
Extracurricular activities are indeed extremely important as they showcase a student’s technical skills along with their soft skills such as teamwork or leadership, while also presenting as building blocks towards the student’s ultimate development. Regardless of what one’s major will be, every application should reflect the following:
1. Academic Activities
Academic activities are directly related to a student’s field of interest, but the engagement with the field tends to happen beyond the classroom, thus establishing it as an extracurricular activity. Participating in academic activities helps emphasise a student’s commitment to their subject, as well as their curiosity for it that transcends a high school curriculum.
These activities can include, but are not limited to:
- School Clubs like Debate or Chess Club
- Model United Nations
- Pre-College Courses
- Summer School Programs
- Competitions
These activities are especially helpful in also highlighting a student’s working habits, such as their ability to work in a team – or even lead it perhaps – and how they compete in a healthy, sometimes international manner. Although these activities may certainly impress an admissions committee, they also serve to equip students with the skills and experiences necessary to navigate college-level coursework and compete on a larger scale beyond high school. By participating in activities such as debates or competitions, students have the opportunity to apply their knowledge in practical settings, which can deepen their understanding of the subject matter before pursuing it as a major in college. Academic activities are a great way for the student to find their footing within that vast world, thus clarifying their goals further as they work towards them.
2. Personality Activities
Personality activities are often overlooked by students as it is considered that school participation will inadvertently help showcase one’s personality anyway. However, personality activities tend to be very specific participation opportunities that may not be directly linked to one’s major or professional pursuit but are nonetheless important in featuring the impressive aspects of a candidate’s personality that makes them stand out beyond their grades.
These activities can include, but are not limited to:
- Creative pursuits like writing or dancing
- Sports
- Leadership positions such as school newspaper editor
- Personal initiatives like starting an Arts Club in school
- Part-time job (unrelated to major) to support family
Oftentimes students will dismiss the three years they spent animating videos online, or fail to mention their time working at a store simply because they do not consider it relevant to their future goals or academic development. However, including these details on an application, first and foremost, keeps the student from becoming one-dimensional. These secondary aspects help diversify the application as it show a multitude of interests and abilities that, even if they do not correspond with the subject at hand, do contribute to the student’s development as a person and inform their worldview.
Every one of these extracurricular activities highlights essential soft skills, including teamwork in sports, innovative thinking and curiosity through the arts, and remarkable maturity through family responsibilities. Hence, it is crucial to engage in extracurricular activities that align not only with one’s future aspirations but also with their interests, as both aspects are equally significant.
3. Community Activities
Community Activities are extremely influential in highlighting what kind of a community member this candidate is; this is in regards to their community in school, the community they were raised in, and the community they come from as a whole. Colleges value this involvement a lot as they can gauge an understanding of what kind of a community member the candidate will be if they are allowed in their community too.
These activities can include, but are not limited to:
- Volunteer at a non-profit organization
- Internship/work experience
- Personal initiatives such as political or social activism
- Community service
- Student Council
While the aforementioned activities establish a candidate’s personality and skills on an individual basis, community-related activities allow the candidate to be viewed on a much larger scale. For the students themselves, these activities are also a great way to be integrated into society as a young-adult. Be it as an intern in the workplace, a member of the student council, or leading a personal initiative, community activities expose the student to positions of responsibility in the ‘real world’, thus equipping them with the necessary skills and information needed to thrive in such an environment. These activities can also be particularly beneficial in building a professional network and receiving bonus letters of recommendation that speak on a candidate’s work ethic outside of academia.
Within these three categories there are a multitude of options available when it comes to choosing extracurricular activities and opportunities. However, instead of passively availing a number of them or merely stacking them up for optics, a student must engage with these options mindfully. It is far more helpful to choose activities that highlight one’s passion, future goals, or contribute to a larger impact, rather than availing something only because it is popular. These activities can be explored in depth in supplementary essays as well so it is important to feel connected to them, so that they may serve the candidate beyond a participation certificate.
