Extracurriculars

Hey there!

Are you working on your common app? If so, there is 10 slots for activities (jobs, ECs, volunteering, internships, etc.) and some students add more brief descriptions of additional activities in the Additional Info section.

As far as choosing what to put on the application, you want to put down the "wow" activities. Here is a video I found really helpful: youtube.com/watch?v=mfrxARf5hXo&t=632s and youtube.com/watch?v=oOWm-6ZvQKQ

Look at your activities through the admission officers' pov. You would probably rather see the activities that involved the most commitment and interaction. Depending on the thing, it may not be a good idea to put on the application if it's a every-few-months thing. If you want help deciding what to leave out, feel free to comment to my answer with your ECs and approximate commitment level.

Make sure to include the activities that work well together, and show your interest in the majors and minors you’re planning to explore. Your extracurriculars say a lot about you, so make sure the ones you chose to add show how you spend your time and what you’re passionate about. Make sure to include any ECs in which you hold a leadership position, as well as the ones with the biggest time commitment. Hope this helps!

Hey,

Well, you already got the answer to your question from the other community members.

Just a quick summary though is that the admission officers are looking for quality, not quantity.

Also, it would be great if you take your time to kinda craft your application theme: What is it that you want every part of your application to have a touch of? Like Intellectual curiosity, service....This will help you to decide which activities matter.

Hope this helps. Nice time.

Extracurricular activities are okay with you. As for me, you can choose a few topics you are passionate about and try to implement each for a short time. And gradually weed out the ones that are boring and exhausting for you.

Definitely add the extra circulars that mean the most to you and align with your passion the best. It's probably best if its an activity you have done regularly, even otherwise if you think it is good and is a strong representation of who you are, it might still be worth adding. Say for example you are very passionate about comp sci, robotics might be a good activity that shows your passion, a computer science club through which you tutored students in computer science classes may be one that shows that you are interested in helping out and giving back to the community. Try to make sure that the activities that reflect your spike/passion are listed above the ones that may be more generic (a sport that may not be directly connected to your passion of comp sci) as it to helps build a better narrative about your passion. As per the how many is too many, I'm not sure there is a hard set number as it completely depends on the strength of the activities; if it's an activity that you've rarely done and doesn't help much with your overall application, consider omitting this if you feel you have too many.

You can definitely combine some activities. Make sure your list, or a portion of it shows cohesion and a niche/interest specific to you (it acts as a reasoning as to why you dedicate yourself to it). Also, I would recommend creating descriptions for each activity (like the ones you would put on common app) and use CollegeEssayGuy's resources to compose them. The one's that have stronger, more passionate descriptions should definitely be included. And be authentic: no one can connect with a robot.

You can merge similar activities. don't include many activities unrelated to your core values or theme in PS and essays.

Hello. Just listen to yourself, choose the ones you like. I can personally recommend a very useful site that write an essay for you https://www.writemyessay.com/. Personally, it saved me a lot of time and nerves and I had time for other activities.

Universities value depth of involvement and sustained commitment in extracurricular activities. By focusing on a select few activities, students can invest more time, energy, and dedication, allowing them to develop a deeper understanding and expertise in those areas.

Essentially, colleges are trying to cultivate the next generation of leaders, so it’s important to showcase that you can merge your academic or extracurricular passions with a desire to impact your community.

Focus on ECs that help you grow, but consider top-tier achievements in less ECs that will make you stand out (more competitive = better). Top schools require 2 tiers:

Tier 1

Examples:

Winning prestigious national academic awards (e.g., first place at the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad - USAMO).

Qualifying for the International Biology Competition (IBO) or winning an Intel Award.

Attendance at distinguished summer programs, like the Anson L. Clark Scholars Program.

Impact on College Admissions:

Activities in Tier 1 are extremely rare and demonstrate exceptional achievement or leadership.

Highly impactful in admissions due to their impressiveness and scarcity.

These activities help set applicants apart in a competitive admissions landscape, showcasing unique talents and dedication.

Tier 2

Examples:

Holding leadership positions in well-respected clubs like the Model UN, debate team, or Science Olympiad.

Achieving notable success in sports or music at a regional level.

Participating in self-driven projects with significant achievements, such as winning regional competitions.

Characteristics:

Show high levels of achievement and leadership within a specific area.

Demonstrate a significant time commitment and personal investment.

Require a depth of skill or knowledge that sets them apart.

I would say don’t overcommit and don’t think you need leadership in every club. For example, if you like engineering join 2 or 3 clubs that align your interests and focus all your efforts into those clubs instead of join 5 others and being unable to give anything much effort.

Another thing to keep in mind is what major you're applying for. For example, if I were applying to a school with the intended major of animal sciences, I would include extracurriculars like animal shelter volunteering, pre vet club, and maybe pre med.

For a cogent extracurricular list, I would recommend filling up as many of the ten extracurricular activities on your common app as possible. More extracurriculars signify that you are more well rounded or versatile.

You mentioned that you do a lot of "random things" that aren't exactly routine. I think that consistent extracurricular activity is going to be your best bet. Higher consistency in your extracurriculars exemplifies your dedication.

Include extracurriculars you’ve spent the most time in, and in which you’ve made the most impact, for example if you’ve had a leadership position, or a prize (even if it’s group prize)

I would advise you to prioritize things and then gradually give up the unimportant.

Hey there! This might have already been said, but something to consider is that colleges like it when you stick with something. If you take a different set of extracurriculars each year. If you've already taken one that you like, it's a good idea to keep taking it each year.

Also, if you already have some colleges in mind of where you'd like to attend, google their name followed by "common data set". Scroll down to the Factors of Importance for Consideration section (wording will vary) and see how much they consider extracurriculars in their admission decision.

Best of luck!!

The general rule is to include activities that show impact, leadership, passion, or uniqueness, even if you didn’t do them every week. If something helped shape who you are or shows a side of you colleges wouldn’t see otherwise, it's probably worth including.

You get 10 activity slots on the Common App, but you don’t have to fill all 10. Quality > quantity, for sure. Think about which ones best represent you, not just which ones seem impressive.

When choosing extracurriculars for applications, focus on quality over quantity. Prioritize activities where you had leadership roles, made a significant impact, or showed long-term commitment. Even if an activity isn’t frequent, it’s worth including if it showcases a major achievement or unique skill. Emphasize experiences that align with your academic or career goals and help you stand out. Most applications allow 8-10 activities, so rank them by significance and impact to avoid overcrowding your list.

I advise that the activities you dedicate the most time to are the ones you're most passionate about.So definitely consider those ones especially if they align with your future plans.The additional information section exists for less important extracurriculars because I'm pretty sure not all those extracurriculars are that important to you no matter what's in your head. There's a difference between what sounds good and what's important