Listing DECA Involvement in Common App Activities Section

Hey folks, how detailed should I be when describing my involvement in DECA on the Common App? I want to make sure I cover my bases without going overboard. I led some major projects and won a couple of competitions, so I'm wondering about the best way to include that without sounding too braggadocious. Any tips?

Hi there! It's great that you're looking for the best way to present your DECA achievements. When you're listing activities in the Common App, you want to be concise but impactful. Start by describing your role using strong action verbs to convey your responsibilities. For example, rather than saying "helped plan meetings," explain exactly how you helped, by saying something like "prepared meeting agendas."

For the projects you led, focus on the results of your leadership—did your team reach new levels of success because of a strategy you implemented? For the competitions you won, mention the level of competition (regional, state, national) and the specific skill areas the competition tested. This helps to contextualize your accomplishments—you don't have to worry about sounding braggadocious if you're stating facts and the impact of your work.

For example, your full entry might say something like 'Led a team of 10 in statewide marketing competition, securing first place out of 50 participants by developing an innovative social media campaign that increased product engagement by 30%.' This provides a clear picture of what you accomplished without exaggeration. Remember, the activities section is a place to shine a light on your hard work and successes, so as long as you're being honest, you don't have to worry about rubbing admissions officers the wrong way!