{"id":57433,"date":"2023-03-20T23:33:52","date_gmt":"2023-03-21T06:33:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/2023\/03\/the-best-extracurricular-activities-for-college-applications\/"},"modified":"2023-10-03T05:19:42","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T12:19:42","slug":"the-best-extracurricular-activities-for-college-applications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gmatclub.com\/blog\/the-best-extracurricular-activities-for-college-applications\/","title":{"rendered":"The BEST Extracurricular Activities for College Applications"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n

What sort of extracurriculars are college admissions committees really looking for? Which ones are right for you? Here\u2019s why extracurriculars are so important for getting into college, and how they can help you figure out something just as important: what really interests you.<\/p>\n

Extracurriculars show who you are to colleges, and they also show who you are to yourself. Nobody finds out their life\u2019s purpose by sitting in a room and thinking about it\u2014you have to try lots of things to figure out what fits you best, the spot in the world perfectly suited to you. The more you know about that spot of yours, its nuances and crevices, the more you\u2019ll stand out to colleges. They want students who know who they are!<\/p>\n

Why are Extracurricular Activities Important to Admissions Committees?<\/h2>\n

When students finally arrive on campus, most of their time is\u2014surprise!\u2014NOT spent in the classroom. It\u2019s not that academics aren\u2019t the number one focus in college. It\u2019s just that there are only so many hours that can be spent in a lecture hall, classroom or library, and students have to do something in the rest of their waking hours\u2014extracurriculars! Adcoms want to know that the students they admit are already in the habit of pursuing non-academic interests, and they\u2019re looking for proof that admitted students will positively contribute to campus life. In addition to academics, they\u2019re evaluating the potential impact that each applicant will have on campus and beyond. They want to know what you\u2019ll bring to school besides your smarts and twin extra-long sheets, and what you\u2019ll bring to the world after you leave school.<\/p>\n

What Extracurriculars Should I Do?<\/h2>\n

In short, the best activities are the ones that reflect YOU. You heard it here. If you\u2019re doing Model UN and Student Council just to check off the boxes for your college application, you will be miserable and it will show. The point of doing extracurriculars is NOT to demonstrate that you can endure five hours of activities a day: it\u2019s to show how you mean to use your talents to change the world around you. That\u2019s why how you write about your extracurriculars in the\u00a0 college essay is just as important as what you do. Colleges aren\u2019t just looking for a list of everything you\u2019ve done\u2014they want to know how your activities have changed you and how they\u2019ve shaped what you mean to do in the future.<\/p>\n

So\u2026what counts as a regular extracurricular, and what\u2019s a super awesome get-you-into-college-right-this-second extracurricular? Many great questions \u2013 you\u2019re so smart!<\/p>\n

Anything you do with some level of structure outside of classes and studying is an extracurricular. This could be community service, school clubs, sports, performing or visual arts. But, if you\u2019ve gotten this far, you probably already have that part down. Let\u2019s take it further\u2014what will really impress the adcom and make them feel that tingly *ooh, I want to meet this kid* buzz that will help you get an admission letter?<\/p>\n

The answer is both simple and complicated: colleges want genuine interest<\/strong>. In theory, that should make your job easy\u2014anything that interests you is exactly what you should be doing! But sniffing out your true interests can be a surprisingly difficult task. You have all sorts of noise around you telling you what you should be doing\u2014robotics, math competitions, mock trial\u2014and it\u2019s very easy to miss the true passions buried inside you. For example, maybe you love knitting and reading books about monsters. It\u2019s what you would be doing with every moment of the day if you had the choice, but it doesn\u2019t sound as prestigious or glamorous as winning a debate competition. A little voice inside you says that it doesn\u2019t count, that it\u2019s not important enough\u2014don\u2019t listen! That thing you love should be exactly what you\u2019re doing, especially if it doesn\u2019t make sense. All you need to do is find the right container for it: like a YouTube book club where you knit sweaters in the image of your latest monster-read. The more you love what you\u2019re doing, the more it will reflect you, and this is precisely what will impress colleges. If you\u2019re bored going to mock trial practice, the adcoms are snoozing right along with you!<\/p>\n

Whatever you do, you need to sprinkle it with some creativity and spice, bringing your personality into your work. This means not only being a part of Key Club for three years in high school, but also hosting a Kitty Bingo fundraiser for the local animal shelter. It means not just playing tennis for ten years, but also starting a summer camp coaching kids who might otherwise never pick up a racquet. Basically, it means taking whatever the basics are, and going beyond them. Not only will adcoms love it, you will learn how to bring yourself into whatever you do, contributing ideas that could only come from your head.<\/p>\n

But perhaps you don\u2019t know exactly what\u2019s in your head. You\u2019re still figuring out what interests you, or you\u2019re looking for how to turn a basic activity into something more. Look no further, we have a list of ideas for you!<\/p>\n

Extracurricular Activities Examples and Ideas to Dig Even Deeper<\/h2>\n

Student Clubs<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re just getting started, the first thing to do is look at the student organizations at your very own school. It\u2019s the easiest way to try out a bunch of different activities and see what fits your personality best.<\/p>\n

However, this shouldn\u2019t be where you end your extracurricular search. Lots of students rack up positions from a pretty narrow list of activities\u2014mock trial, national honors society, key club\u2014and they all start to look the same to adcoms. Think of the clubs at your school as a sampler pack, a way of testing out a slew of identities before deciding where to focus your energy.<\/p>\n

Dig Deeper: <\/strong>Once you find a club that really interests you, think about how you might continue doing the same thing beyond your school. For example, if you find that you love mock trial, you might see if your attorney general has a high school internship program or consider volunteering for a political campaign.<\/p>\n

Community Service or Volunteer Work<\/h3>\n

Community service is a great starting place if you\u2019re looking to dip your toes into your first activity. Like student clubs, it\u2019s a great way to explore a huge range of interests in little bursts. Almost any passion can be converted into a service activity. Do you love animals? You can volunteer at your local shelter. Do you care about clothing? A local donation center would love for you to lend a hand.<\/p>\n

Community service is also a great lily pad if you\u2019re looking to leap from school activities into internships or research experiences out in the world. It can be difficult to get a company or a professor to take a chance on a high school student, but doing service activities shows that you know how to work in an adult setting. As you build your network out in your community, you\u2019ll also start to find more opportunities word-of-mouth, and you\u2019ll have professional references that you can offer as you cold email for more competitive opportunities.<\/p>\n

Dig Deeper: <\/strong>Service organizations usually have more resources and influence than clubs at your school, which means they\u2019re a great springboard for launching initiatives of your own. No one is going to ask you to do this, so you have to be on the lookout for opportunities to hop in. Perhaps you want to start a fashion show at that local donation center, or organize Puppy and Tea Saturdays at the animal shelter. Whatever it is, it should be something that genuinely thrills you: not a fundraiser that you\u2019re slogging through for brownie points.<\/p>\n

Sports<\/h3>\n

If you\u2019re thinking about starting a sport in high school, it\u2019s probably not the best way to spend your time. Sports are very good at teaching you how to organize your time and set goals, but they\u2019re not very good at giving you a taste for what you might actually want to do with your life (except for maybe a few of you more physically-talented peeps \u2013 mussssst be nice). Unless you\u2019re dribbling like LeBron James and playing at a level where you\u2019re likely to get recruited, it can be difficult to stick out, even if you get leadership positions like team captain. Of course, if you already play a sport and love it, you should keep playing, even if you\u2019re not great at it. You\u2019ll just want to find ways to show the depth of your love beyond just playing on a team.<\/p>\n

Dig Deeper: <\/strong>If you\u2019re playing at a high level, you should of course join whatever programs will make you even better for recruitment season. And even if you\u2019re not the best pitcher the world has ever seen, you can turn your love for sports into all kinds of initiatives that will mean something to colleges. For example, you might consider starting a summer camp, teaching classes at a community center, or coaching a Special Olympics team.<\/p>\n

Competitions<\/h3>\n

Lots of STEM students spend time studying for competitions like AMC. These competitions are a great way to show your ability if you perform well, but they can be a little bit risky\u2014because they don\u2019t mean much if you\u2019re not hitting the top. And even if you do perform well, keep in mind that these competitions only show that you have talent: they do not show what you mean to do with your abilities, which is an important piece of the puzzle. If you think you have a good shot of doing well at a competition, go for it, but also save time for activities that help you figure out what problems interest you most.<\/p>\n

Dig Deeper: <\/strong>If you\u2019re the kind of student who\u2019s interested in STEM competitions, you\u2019re probably also the kind of student who would enjoy doing research with a professor. This kind of experience can give you a deeper sense of community as you dive into your intellectual pursuits. It can also help you understand how to make a career of solving problems that fascinate you.<\/p>\n

Art<\/h3>\n

If you love art, one of the best things you can do is explore it through as many forms as possible. You\u2019re still finding your point of view, and right now any new input you give yourself\u2014by trying your hand at watercolor, or taking a filmmaking course\u2014can only help you deepen your voice. And who knows, you might be surprised by what forms fit you best!<\/p>\n

At this stage in the game, you might be wondering if art is a practical way to spend your time. Maybe you love acting, but you\u2019re pretty certain that the life of the starving artist isn\u2019t for you. That doesn\u2019t mean you should drop it! Lots of students are admitted to top schools based on talents that don\u2019t ultimately map onto their careers in obvious ways. Doing what you love right now is the best way to make sure that you stand out to colleges\u2014which means that putting time into your art can be the best way to get into a top school and a top job. You might also find that the perspective you develop as an artist now helps you stand out from blander job candidates later on\u2014people like hiring people, not robots!<\/p>\n

Dig Deeper: <\/strong>If you\u2019re doing art alone in the comfort of your home, you need to find ways to make it visible to the outside world. That might mean entering competitions like the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards, joining your school newspaper, building sets for a community theater, creating a performance series at your school\u2014truly anything that brings your art into a broader community!<\/p>\n

How You Can Maximize Your Current Extracurricular Activities<\/h2>\n

High school (and especially freshman year) is the time for you to explore every interest you might have! As you begin trying things out, here are some pointers on how to take your activities to the next level. Keep in mind that these are just ideas, a few examples \u2013 take these and run with them, and come up with even more creative ideas of your own!<\/p>\n