Admissions officers at top-tier universities are seeking to admit students who have engaged tangibly with their subject of interest both in and outside of the classroom. Rather than amateur enthusiasts, they want to fill their classes with students who have a background of high-level engagement and who will hit the ground running when they arrive on campus. One of the most compelling ways that students can show their hands-on experience in their field, as well as their commitment to using their knowledge in service of their communities, is through participation in extracurricular activities.
Like every aspect of a successful application, your extracurricular activities should tell a compelling and cohesive story about your development as a person and scholar. Rather than a random assortment of activities that you think will impress admissions officers, your extracurricular involvements should testify to your sustained exploration of your subject of interest and your initiative to deepen your knowledge through leadership, activism, and increased specialization.
Given how consequential extracurriculars are in the college admissions process, they can also be a source of anxiety and confusion for students. How should you approach extracurricular selection strategically? Which extracurriculars will help you stand out? What are admissions officers looking for on your Activities List? Below, we provide our answers to three of the most common questions we receive from students and parents to help you plan your extracurricular involvements!
General Advice from Our Senior Mentors:
Charlotte: Leadership through your extracurriculars is always an important skill to demonstrate to colleges, but students often overlook the steps it takes to become leaders—after all, you aren’t likely to become the president of a club your freshman year, so how are you setting yourself up to reach your goals later in high school? If you’re aiming for a peer-elected position like Student Council President, how are you demonstrating to others that you are a good fit for the job? Are you consistently showing up to meetings and events? Do you sit in the back, or do you try to contribute to discussions? Are you taking on a project or a smaller leadership role that could be a stepping stone to larger roles down the road? If you’re aiming for an appointed position, such as being chosen by your coach to be the captain of the tennis team, how are you positioning yourself so that you are a student who comes to mind when it’s time to pick student leadership? Are you a team player? Do you work to develop relationships with those around you and contribute to team morale? These are all important questions to consider in order to ensure that your smaller steps or interactions can lead to larger opportunities as a junior or senior.
Question #1: What type of extracurriculars (sports, volunteering, academic) are most impressive to colleges?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to this question—what will stand out to admissions officers are activities that show your knowledge and experience in your intended area of study. As such, the answer to this question depends largely on what you want to major in, as well as the specific programs to which you are applying. For instance, if you’re interested in medical school and dream of enrolling in Brown’s PLME program, you should deliberately select activities that not only show your proficiency as a student of the sciences, but your commitment to interdisciplinary approaches to scientific research.
Additionally, regardless of your subject area, top schools want to see that students have assumed leadership roles in clubs or organizations they care about. Students should strive for longevity in their extracurricular involvements, applying for leadership positions as they become available. You can also demonstrate your leadership and initiative by founding a club or spearheading an initiative that aligns with your goals and passions.
As a general rule, students should avoid selecting activities based on what they assume admissions officers want to see and focus instead on the qualities and guiding interests that they want to showcase through their application materials.
What Our Mentors Have to Say:
Ethan: The admissions team should be able to read through your extracurricular list and say to themselves: “I know what this student cares about.” A major factor in this is the student’s commitment and strength in a given club, volunteer group, or sports team. The longer the student participates in an extracurricular, and the more initiative and leadership roles they take on, the stronger their list will be.
Question #2: What kind of summer program/internship should I apply to?
Summer programs and internships provide excellent opportunities for students to explore their interests outside the classroom, gain professional experience, and in some cases, demonstrate their readiness for collegiate study. Like extracurriculars, internships and summer programs should be selected on the basis of a students’ goals and interests. Internships tend to be more challenging for high school students to secure, as many typically require some job experience. However, motivated students can leverage their connections and search within their local communities to find an opportunity that aligns with their passions. Whether you’re interning at Facebook or helping out at a startup in your hometown, internships are what you make of them—the more you take initiative and seek opportunities to learn and grow, the more fruitful they will be. Keeping a journal and taking notes about the lessons you’ve learned and tangible contributions you’ve made can be helpful as you write about your internship on your applications.
When it comes to academic summer programs, note that not all programs will have the same positive impact on your application. Despite being branded as “prestigious,” pre-college programs, which are paid programs hosted at various universities, tend to say more about a family’s affluence rather than a student’s academic abilities. At the same time, these programs can still have their merits—they can help younger students discover their interests and passions, develop independence, and build their academic and social skills. Merit-based academic programs such as Yale Young Global Scholars, LaunchX, and New York Times Summer Academy will convey your professional and academic acumen to colleges while challenging you to develop in your field.
For more information on summer planning, check out our comprehensive guide!
What Our Mentors Have to Say:
Cole: Colleges want to see that a student has made it through a previous selection committee—particularly when it comes to something that is going to be intellectually and academically challenging. Personally, I generally suggest that students apply to summer programs that match their existing interests, rather than viewing summer programs as an opportunity to explore new interests.
Question #3: How many extracurriculars should I be involved in?
The quality of your extracurricular involvement is much more important than the quantity. Top colleges are looking for students who are deeply engaged in activities that are meaningful to them, rather than those who pad their resume with dozens of activities that do not relate to their hook. For instance, it is better to be the captain of the cross country team with few other extracurriculars than it is to be a nominal member of the cross country team, NHS, DECA, and Key Club with no leadership positions in any of them. Excellence in a single extracurricular can be very valuable, particularly if it is an impressive role that corresponds to your passions. An qualitative example of an extracurricular involvement is becoming the state or national president of DECA.
That being said, students should strive to be involved in as many extracurricular activities as they are able to meaningfully participate in (through leadership or measurable contributions) while maintaining their academic performance. The best case scenario, in other words, would be to serve as the captain of the cross country team and president of your school’s DECA while competing at a high level in debate competitions (and earning straight As).
What Our Mentors Have to Say:
Ethan: While students should strive to be as involved as possible in multiple extracurriculars, quality will always trump quantity. Colleges are looking for students who demonstrate consistent dedication, leadership, and excellence in their extracurriculars, while also balancing their school work and personal wellbeing. Adding on more clubs will not bring positive outcomes if the student’s grades start slipping as a result.
Command Education’s expert Senior Mentors are adept at helping students hone their interests and develop an extracurricular profile that meaningfully attests to their skills and passions. If you’re ready to start developing a standout admissions profile, schedule a free consult today!
