Diving into Extracurriculars

Hey everyone, I've come across the term 'extracurricular activity' quite a bit since I started my college search but I'm still a little unclear on what activities actually count as extracurriculars. Can someone break it down for me, maybe with some examples? Much appreciated!

Sure! Extracurricular activities are those pursuits that you engage in outside of your regular schoolwork. These can range from various clubs, sports, community service, part-time jobs, internships, personal projects - the list can really go on.

For example, if you are part of the school's debate team and actively participate in competitions, that's an extracurricular. Similarly, volunteering at your local food bank on the weekends, having a part-time job at a local bookstore, or even running your own blog or YouTube channel can be considered as such.

In terms of what colleges want to see, they are generally looking for depth over breadth - it's better to be highly involved in a few activities than somewhat involved in many. Quality certainly trumps quantity here. Colleges also categorize extracurricular activities into four main tiers:

1. Tier 1: These activities showcase exceptional achievements or leadership at national or international levels, like winning a national art competition.

2. Tier 2: These still show incredible success, but on a smaller scale. Think student body president or playing in a state-level music ensemble.

3. Tier 3: These show your involvement in various interests and might include being the captain of a sports team or having a leadership role within a club.

4. Tier 4: These are the most common and usually entail general membership in a club or routine volunteering.

One last thing to remember is that there isn't a "one-size-fits-all" extracurricular that colleges are looking for. It's all about how passionate you are in your pursuits and how they have shaped you. Understandably, it's a bit of a broad concept but I hope this helps!