{"id":17860,"date":"2013-04-11T09:00:22","date_gmt":"2013-04-11T16:00:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/?p=17860"},"modified":"2013-04-11T02:40:07","modified_gmt":"2013-04-11T09:40:07","slug":"does-extracurricular-equal-extra-credit","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/does-extracurricular-equal-extra-credit\/","title":{"rendered":"Does Extracurricular Equal Extra Credit?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Extracurricular\"<\/a>YES! Don\u2019t underestimate the value of non-academic, non-work activities! These activities that you participate in \u2013 hobbies, sports, volunteering, etc. \u2013 do tons to liven up your otherwise one-dimensional application.<\/p>\n

Here are some reasons why you should bulk up your extracurricular quotient:<\/p>\n

\u2022 Extracurricular activities add life and texture to your application.<\/strong> As mentioned a moment ago, MBA applications<\/a> can appear flat and single-dimensioned. Add a little stamp collecting, your involvement in your church\u2019s softball league, a splash of trumpet lessons, and the fact that you started a neighborhood bi-seasonal clothing drive, and VOILA \u2013 you\u2019ve got yourself one heck of a vibrant profile!<\/p>\n

\u2022 Extracurricular activities show you know how to commit.<\/strong> You\u2019ve been volunteer tutoring at the school for the blind in your city for the last 11 years? You must be a reliable, dependable, and committed person. Adcoms like this. Period.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Extracurricular activities demonstrate passion and creativity.<\/strong> Your extracurricular activities don\u2019t need to be run-of-the-mill Big Brother or soup kitchen experiences. They can include the summers you spent doing AIDS research in a hospital in Swaziland or taking your autistic nephew to the park once a week for a game of tag. Neither of these examples are related to business, yet leadership, initiative, passion<\/a>, and creativity can all still be read into each experience. Share your passions and inspire your readers!<\/p>\n

\u2022 Extracurricular activities give you an opportunity to show leadership and organizational skill.<\/strong> It can be hard in a hierarchical organization when you are in your early or mid-twenties to show lots of leadership. But in a community service or volunteer context, there are leadership<\/a> opportunities galore. Grab them and demonstrate the attribute admissions committees can\u2019t get enough of.<\/p>\n

I\u2019d like to end by sharing an important side point. Many applicants ask what they should do if they don\u2019t have long-term extracurricular or volunteer commitments. Is it worth it to start an activity or resume a hobby just a few months before applying to b-school, or will that look shallow?<\/strong><\/p>\n

My answer: A little volunteering is better than no volunteering at all, and the impact that you can make and the effect the experience can have on you can be great, even in a short period of time. Also, maybe you\u2019ll be waitlisted<\/a>, and then this last-minute volunteering will turn into a long-term commitment that will look great in a waitlist letter update, not to mention how it will add if you need to reapply.<\/p>\n


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This article originally appeared on the Accepted Admissions Consulting Blog<\/a>, the official blog of Accepted.com.<\/p>\n

Accepted.com's experienced admissions consultants<\/a> can help you create the most impressive application possible with comprehensive packages<\/a>, <\/strong>or provide targeted assistance from picking perfect programs<\/a> to designing a dazzling resume<\/a>, constructing engaging essays<\/a>, or preparing for intense interview<\/a>s<\/a>\u2026and more! Accepted.com has guided thousands of applicants to acceptances at top MBA programs since 1994 \u2013 we know what works and what doesn't, so contact us<\/a> to get started now!<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Accepted.com\"<\/a><\/span><\/span><\/em> Accepted.com ~ Helping You Write Your Best<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

YES! Don\u2019t underestimate the value of non-academic, non-work activities! These activities that you participate in \u2013 hobbies, sports, volunteering, etc. \u2013 do tons to liven up your otherwise one-dimensional application.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11,939,775,113],"tags":[90,223,74,912,846],"class_list":["post-17860","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mba","category-accepted","category-admission-consultants","category-applications","tag-application-essay","tag-extra-curricular-activities","tag-extracurriculars","tag-volunteer-work","tag-volunteering","entry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\n\t\t\n