Sign in with Google
Sign in with Apple
When it comes to the MBA admission process at top B-Schools, the role your extracurricular activities for mba play in the process for your application is multifaceted. It can give a good idea about your out-of-resume skills (did we just invent a phrase!?), leadership abilities, and the inner qualities you possess apart from work acumen.
Now you may ask why so many top B-schools ask about extracurricular activities for MBA application? Or, Do I have to write it? Or (more pressing), What do I write if I have none?
To answer your question in one sentence- Yes, you MUST write them, and you don’t know this, but you have a lot of ECs (more on this later!). To explain more, extracurricular activities for MBA help bring an alternative form of your heterogeneity (simply said, diversity) to Adcoms attention. In addition, they present a great way to learn more about your new skills /values, personality, and experiences and add additional points to your profile by providing strong reasons for them to consider your application positively.
We talk to adcoms every year, and the one thing that is common across all B-schools is that they want to know who you are (without self-biases) and how you fit into the community. And your ECs are the strongest evidence for this.
This article will deal with one of the most critical aspects of an MBA profile: how to highlight Extracurriculars in your applications. Then, we’ll discuss different kinds of ECAs, how to categorize them, how to use them in your B-School essays, and finally, how one can stand out in their Extracurricular Essays. At last, we will also share some practical tips for the whole extracurricular essays framework and how you can capitalize on it for maximum benefit (along with sharing the essay of a successful applicant!).
But first, let us look at some common attributes showcased by your ECAs.
Here is a snapshot of the article:
-
Role of Extracurriculars activities for MBA in the Admissions Process
-
How should you position yourself if you don’t have any ECs outside work?
-
Sample of Extracurricular essays of a successful applicant to INSEAD
Role of Extracurriculars activities for MBA in the Admissions Process
We all are well aware of the role different aspects of a candidate’s profile, such as academic profile, work experience, standardized tests (GRE/GMAT, TOEFL & IELTS), LORs, and B-school essays, play in the MBA admissions process.
Apart from all this, Extracurriculars activities for MBA form another very critical aspect which, among the six elements of your profile mentioned above, present an excellent opportunity for you to add diversity of ideas and personality and provide a chance to showcase your impact on the community, all of which would be essential for you to stand out from your peers.
Importance of Extracurriculars for MBA resume in your application
What attributes do Extracurricular Activities for MBA underline in front of Adcoms?
Suggested Reading: How to build your MBA application 101?
Ability to multitask
Today’s rapidly changing business world generates a huge demand for people who can multitask at higher levels. Whether you are enrolled in a UG program or working full time, if you can excel in your extracurriculars, it is an indicator that you can multitask well, which forms a crucial attribute for any top candidate.
Leadership/teamwork
The primary goal of an MBA program is to prepare students for leadership roles in the business world. Hence any notable example of leadership at any level, whether leading potential recruits through the club at school, handling logistics for the college fest committee, organizing a summit, representing your sports club at different levels/ alma mater in national-level sports competitions, etc., the skill-set developed in management, leadership and the ability to work well in a team setting are highlighted via your participation in ECA. Hence, these become an excellent indicator of your potential future leadership.
Suggested reading: How to exhibit different forms of leadership in your MBA application?
Initiatives taken
An entrepreneur's biggest characteristic is to take initiatives that most are afraid to because of the risk involved. And trust us, adcoms love entrepreneurs! Be it as small as taking the initiative to start any activity Club in college or strategizing/conceptualizing to launch an initiative to address social challenges or any pressing social issue, or as big as launching your successful startup, your ability to take the initiative (with the risk involved) and to work independently in a project are important characteristics every entrepreneur must-have. Via an ECA, you can highlight all these qualities needed to earn you that coveted spot in an MBA program.
If you don’t have any particular ECs to show, you can and must talk about anything that interests you (it can be as simple as cooking or dancing). Just bring out your personality and make your applications interesting.
What Extracurricular activities for MBA to include? Categorizing your extracurriculars
Extracurricular activities for MBA would include any activity/hobbies, school clubs, group participation, volunteering, community work, and startups. Concisely, an Extracurricular Activity for MBA could be defined as doing something productive “outside one’s regular duties or routine” and “not in the scope of a regular school curriculum.” Hence, following the definition, it leaves an almost endless list of possible Extracurricular activities for MBA. All you need to do is to Think outside the box! Think outside the resume (remember this phrase we invented at the beginning of the article?)! Even if you have little to no participation in schoolwork or college fests, don’t be disheartened. You probably do have a great hobby that you have been consistently involved with, and that’s unique in its way. All you need now is to find a way to present it.
Moreover, while selecting your Extracurricular activities for MBA, do not rush to add everything you have ever done. Instead, be selective, pick what would reflect your most impactful and authentic self, and always remember to add a tinge of diversity.
Diversity is important, fellas! Try to create a list to organize your extracurriculars for MBA and keep from being repetitive.
Different types of categorizations
-
Time of Extracurricular Activities
Your Extracurricular activities for MBA can be divided based on the period when you were involved in them. For example, it could be your senior secondary, college, or workplace. Furthermore, for the added advantage, you could include some Extracurricular activities for MBA at each time frame, giving a sense of overall holistic development and how you have grown over time into who you are today. Moreover, you could further categorize whether they were individual tasks or team-related work. Also, you can add any hobby or ECAs that you have been part of since grade school time and are still actively involved in it; this would give a sense of endurance, passion, and loyalty.
-
Type of Extracurricular activities for MBA
Extracurricular activities for MBA can fall under several categorizations according to your need. However, we would divide it into frequent, new, and innovative ECAs for everyone’s understanding. For example, a hobby/activity that you regularly perform, such as orchestrating a set monthly event for a club you have been a member of for a long, would highlight the history and come under frequent Extracurricular activities for MBA. By doing so, you would be able to combine each diverse contribution you have made under a single entry, saving space on your resume. Furthermore, it halts you from repeating yourself and establishing a stable history of what you have accomplished.
Suppose you have been part of something occasionally or infrequently, such as community service or volunteering work for social purposes. In that case, those will help showcase your depth of character, along with your sense of justice and ability to lead and work as a unit, among other qualities.
Moreover, if you had launched a start-up or taken the initiative to drive a change in the traditional business world, it would show that you are willing to take necessary risks to bring about a shift in the well-established norms of the business world.
-
Where to use your Extracurricular activities for MBA?
Up till now, you would have understood the value ECAs add to your profile. However, having good ECAs, won’t do much good; it's vital how you incorporate them in your profile and B-school essays and use examples in your interviews. Moreover, you could also go for non-traditional methods such as video blogs, YouTube channels, websites, and any other digital format to make them more fascinating and diverse aside from the more traditional ways of adding details to your CV and LORs.These minor additions can transform your ECAs from “one of many” to one that “stands out” from the crowd and give you an upper hand on another potential student sharing the same hobby with the university.
How to stand out in your Extracurricular Essays?
Having a handful of Extracurricular activities for MBA won’t do much good if you cannot use them properly in your B-School essays. So, how to begin? First, let us follow a stepwise approach to draw a rough outline of the whole framework.
First, you need to decide which extracurricular activities for MBA resume to write about, and the answer is quite simple. Something that gained you recognition, where you demonstrated your leadership potential, and where you were required to shoulder some real responsibilities.
Moreover, it should be something you are passionate about and believe it helped develop the most relevant skill-set, which aligns with the school values (very important, mate!).
It would help structure your essay if you followed the much-famed STAR approach to writing. The STAR is an acronym for Situation-Task-Action-Result process usually followed while tackling such essay questions to bring about a pinch of uniqueness and a strong impact into your essays.
Not familiar with the term? You could read our article on the STAR approach to essay writing for your reference. It would help you gain a better understanding of the term.
Remember to mention the crucial steps taken, clarify your role, impact, lessons learned, and values you gained. Provide specific pieces of evidence that gives a sense that your work mattered.
How should you position yourself if you don’t have any ECs outside work?
There is no need to be disheartened for potential MBA aspirants who do not have many or even any ECA. It is never too late to begin!
You don’t necessarily need to have long-term ECAs; one can still have fruitful results, even if you do not start until your application preparations. All you need to do is avoid being too cavalier towards your extracurricular activities for your MBA resume and try to share anything, no matter how minute, then sharing absolutely nothing will give a poor impression of yourself.
If you have a few extracurriculars for MBA, work to improve them rather than starting from the beginning. Or, just talk about your hobbies and interests. We have so many super successful applicants who did not have ECs but brought a strong and interesting personality!
Refrain from exaggerating and making up, as it never bodes well for your reputation. Extracurriculars for MBA are a way to demonstrate critical traits and skills that could be shown through work-related responsibilities. Eventually, you will be interviewed before the adcom, and your Extracurricular activities will be discussed. Dishonesty in any form would lead to rejection of your candidature.
Sample of Extracurricular essays of a successful applicant to INSEAD
Hope it helped you gain some confidence in bringing a strong, vibrant personality of yours through your ECs (even if you don't have the traditional NGO or volunteering experience). We believe each applicant is unique (yes, we truly believe it. Ask any of our successful applicants) and with the right strategy and people, you can bring a 100% unique application and make a mark on adcoms. If you’d like, we are happy to hop on a call with you and evaluate your profile with a 360-degree analysis of your strengths, weaknesses, goals, and ECs.
SUBMIT A PROFILE EVALUATION REQUEST
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQs)
-
Extracurricular activities for MBA play a multifaceted role in your admission process. First, it can give a good idea about your skills, leadership abilities, and the inner qualities you possess apart from work understanding and help bring an alternative form of your heterogeneity to Adcoms attention.
-
There is an endless list of possible Extracurricular activities for MBA resume. However, while selecting your extracurriculars for MBA, you need to think outside the box to be diverse, Something that gained you recognition, where you demonstrated your leadership potential, and where you were required to shoulder some real responsibilities. Moreover, it should be something you are compassionate about and believe that it helped develop the most relevant skill-set, which aligns with the school values.
