Clubs outside of school - impact on applications?

Hi everyone! I'm involved in a couple of clubs at my school, but I'm also really passionate about some activities outside of school. I was wondering, do colleges value these out-of-school activities as much as in-school clubs? Any insight would be appreciated!

Hi there! It's great to hear that you're passionate about activities outside of school.

To answer your question, colleges absolutely value out-of-school activities alongside in-school clubs. In fact, meaningful participation and dedication to activities outside of school can make your application even more unique and demonstrate a genuine passion, especially if these activities align with your interests and future goals. What matters most to colleges is your level of involvement, commitment, and the impact you have in these activities, whether they are in-school clubs or out-of-school endeavors.

Colleges use the "4 Tiers of Extracurriculars" to assess which activities hold the most weight in the application process. Out-of-school activities can fall into any of these four tiers, depending on the extent of your achievement and leadership in the activity. For example, if you're actively involved in a local non-profit organization where you've taken on a significant leadership role and made a measurable impact, that would likely be considered a valuable Tier 2 extracurricular activity.

The key to presenting your out-of-school activities effectively on your college applications is to communicate the depth of your involvement, the time commitment, any leadership roles, and most importantly, your impact and achievements within the activity.

So, don't hesitate to pursue and highlight your passions outside of your school environment. Good luck!