4 Tips for Choosing Extracurriculars

A major component of your college applications is your extracurricular experiences. How do you spend your time outside of class? Extracurricular activities are a great way for students to demonstrate growth, leadership, dedication, passion, and initiative.

Here are 4 key things to think about when selecting your activities:

1. Quality over quantity

In fact, this can be said about all components of your application! More weight will be given to quality activities than ten filler activities. Keep in mind that part of extracurriculars purpose is to demonstrate commitment and provide insight into your personal character. It is far easier to do this through a few carefully selected activities than a mishmash of experiences.

2. Include relevant activities, if you can

Extracurriculars can help you demonstrate interest in your proposed area of study. Showing you have experience in your chosen area shows college's you are prepared and are ready to commit. However, not every student is able to complete activities that directly relate to the field. If this is the case for you, try to select activities that are indirectly relevant. Activities that showcase your leadership or communication skills, or your passion for helping others, are great examples.

3. Think outside of the box

Not all activities are 'conventional'. I once read an application for an environmental science applicant who maintained their own apiary (beehives). Their goal was to make a difference in hive collapse. This is not an activity that most prospective environmental students would think of; however, it was extremely impactful and showed the student's dedication to his academic and career goals.

4. Think about impact

Do your activities demonstrate community involvement? What contributions are you making outside of the classroom? These are questions you should think about when selecting your extracurriculars. It doesn't have to make a world altering difference, but showing community involvement helps admissions counselors see what kind of member of their community you would be.

Pro Tip: Don't just participate in activities you think will look good on college applications. Most of the time, admissions counselors can see right through this, but it's about more than that. You are hurting yourself in the long run. Your extracurriculars should be activities you enjoy! High school is about exploring your interests, make sure you do that!

The last thing I want to address in this post is opportunity. Not every student has the opportunity to participate in research, have an internship, or even engage in after school activities. Maybe you have to come home after school and help watch younger siblings. Or perhaps you have to work an afterschool job. If only one thing stays with you after reading this article, let it be this: this does not mean you will be a less competitive applicant. This shows commitment to your closest community, your family. That is important and that is relevant. Don't be afraid to highlight that.

Subscribe to our blog!