What activities should I consider as a high school student?

I'm trying to find some engaging and fun activities to participate in during my high school years. What suggestions do you have for activities that could also help enhance my college application?

Discovering activities that you genuinely enjoy and can help with your college application is important. Here's a list of suggestions:

1. Clubs: High schools often have clubs focusing on various areas of interest, such as debate, journalism, robotics, environmental activism, photography, coding, and more. Joining a club related to your passion shows that you genuinely engage with your interests.

2. Sports: Participating in sports can provide valuable teamwork, leadership, and time management skills. If you excel in a particular sport, it could even lead to recruitment opportunities.

3. Community service: Volunteering in your community is a great way to give back and develop interpersonal skills. Examples of volunteer opportunities include organizing a food drive, tutoring, or working with various non-profit organizations.

4. Arts and performing arts: If you have a creative side, consider joining a school choir, band, orchestra or theater production. You can also participate in competitions and workshops related to visual arts, such as painting, drawing, and photography.

5. Internships and job shadowing: Gaining real-world experiences through internships or job shadowing can boost your application by showing your commitment to a specific field of study. If you have a specific field you're interested in, or a geographic area you'd like to work in, you can find a range of useful blog posts on CollegeVine sorting internships for high schools based on these factors: https://www.collegevine.com/category/extracurricular-activities/internships.

6. Academic competitions: Showcase your intellectual abilities by participating in competitions such as math Olympiads, science fairs, quiz bowls, or writing contests.

7. Student government: Taking on a leadership role in your school's student council or government allows you to develop essential skills such as public speaking, organization, and decision-making.

8. Developing a personal project: Pursue a self-driven project like a blog, YouTube channel, small business, or app development. While doing something on your own may not feel as impressive as being involved with a more formal opportunity, in reality it demonstrates initiative and dedication to a specific domain.

9. Research and science fairs: Participate in research projects or science fairs to not only expand your knowledge in your chosen field but also demonstrate your academic prowess. You can find some suggestions of reputable competitions to get involved in on CollegeVine's blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/10-science-research-competitions-for-high-schoolers.

10. Summer programs: Consider attending selective, low-cost or free programs related to your area of interest. Some will focus on developing certain skills like leadership, whereas others are subject-specific. CollegeVine's blog has a range of of posts with suggestions for how you could spend your summer, regardless of your interests or geographic location: https://blog.collegevine.com/category/extracurricular-activities/summer-activities/.

For perhaps the most extensive list of extracurriculars out there, you can also check out this list of over 900 options on CollegeVine's blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/your-complete-list-of-extracurricular-activities/. Remember, though, that quality is more important than quantity - don't try to do all 900! Instead, choose activities that align with your interests and passions, as that is what will give you a "spike," or highly-developed speciality that will set you apart from even other talented applicants during the college process. Engaging deeply in a few activities is better than merely participating in tons of extracurriculars that you aren't particularly dedicated to.

Best of luck with your extracurricular pursuits!