Hey everyone! So - I spent a few weeks of my past summer traveling to different countries with my family, where I got to know various cultures and also volunteered for some local NGOs. It was an incredible experience overall, and I was wondering if I could list this as an extracurricular on my college application? Thanks in advance for your insights!
Hello! Your summer travel experience sounds like it was truly amazing, and you're not alone in wondering how to include it on your college application. The good news is that you absolutely can count it as an extracurricular, especially since you volunteered with local NGOs while abroad.
Keep in mind that colleges are looking to learn more about you as a person, your interests and how you spend your time outside of the classroom. So when listing this experience, focus on the aspects that made it unique and personally meaningful. Such as the type of volunteering you did, cultural insights you gained, or any skills you developed during the trip.
To give you a quick example, my child made a similar trip and wrote about their experiences in community service and language immersion when listing it as an extracurricular. Best of luck with your application!
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.