Navigating Extracurriculars

Hey everyone, I'm a little lost here. Can anyone help clarify what exactly extracurriculars are? And how important are they for college admissions? Is there a certain type or number of extracurriculars schools generally look for?

Extracurriculars are activities you engage in outside of your regular school curriculum. They could include things like clubs, sports, part-time jobs, volunteering, internships, personal hobbies or projects - really anything you do apart from your schoolwork.

They are certainly important for college admissions as they give admissions officers a glimpse into who you are and what you're passionate about beyond academics. They showcase your interests, skills, commitment, and leadership abilities - things that your grades and test scores might not fully reflect.

In terms of types or numbers, colleges don't usually look for specific extracurriculars or a certain number of them. That being said, most successful applicants to top colleges have around 8-10 total extracurriculars, but this number can vary a lot, and many of these might be seasonal like sports. What's crucial is the depth and level of your involvement, not just how many clubs or activities you've joined.

Consider extracurriculars in terms of tiers.

- Tier 1 includes rare activities that show incredible achievement, like winning a national award.

- Tier 2 involves highly distinguished leadership roles, and shows high levels of achievement like being student body president.

- Tier 3 activities still showcase your interests but aren’t as unique, like being a captain of a sports team or having a leadership role in a club.

- Finally, Tier 4 extracurriculars are the most common and include general club membership and volunteering opportunities.

Colleges certainly prefer to see sustained participation and leadership roles in a few endeavors as opposed to fleeting involvement in numerous clubs or activities. And they will find unique or uncommon activities or accomplishments outside the classroom (a 'spike') particularly intriguing given they demonstrate significant dedication and development within a particular area. That's why depth (how much you dive into an activity) can often be more important than breadth (how many activities you do).