A resume with strong extracurricular activities can give your college application a competitive edge. Almost all institutions of higher learning consider the activities in the admission process. They are considered a reliable way of demonstrating leadership and teamwork skills.
But exactly how important are extracurricular activities for college? Many students believe good grades and high scores are the only prerequisites that matter in a college application. However, admission officers want to select students with well-rounded backgrounds. Extracurricular endeavors also influence your merit for the award of a college scholarship.
In the following post, we explore in detail the benefits of participating in extracurricular activities and guide you on the kinds of activities that make a difference in college admission.
What is the Importance of Extracurricular Activities in the College Admission Process?
The college landscape has evolved, and most schools have a holistic admission process that looks at the student’s interests and background information. Therefore, extracurricular activities matter, especially if you want to join a competitive college or plan to major in a competitive field.
Extracurricular activities have a positive effect on overall student success. The importance of extracurricular activities in college is to help students achieve greater character development, higher levels of academic achievement, improved social development, and a greater sense of community involvement.
The assumption is that students who are active outside the classroom make good additions to the college campus community. In addition to improving the chances of college admission, students can use the activities to demonstrate what makes them unique, such as willingness to serve others.
What Exactly Are Extracurricular Activities for College?
Extracurricular activities are not limited to school clubs and volunteering. In fact, the activities are not restricted to what is sponsored by your school. To learn more about what counts as extracurricular, let’s review the 4 categories of extracurricular activities.
- Academic extracurricular activities – These activities are linked with your chosen academic field and help you develop your understanding of the field. They demonstrate an eagerness to learn beyond the classroom
- Community extracurricular activities – These activities can give you a competitive advantage when getting into college because they demonstrate your community spirit and develop your sense of empathy and accountability. They revolve around community engagement and volunteering.
- Personality extracurricular activities – The activities highlight your individuality and show who you are beyond the good test scores and grades. Personality activities are mostly influenced by your skills and interest areas.
- Leadership extracurricular activities – Leadership roles in a club, sports team, or class demonstrate your capabilities, people skills, and responsibility. These qualities are a plus when you want to join a competitive college.
How Many Extracurricular Activities Should You Take Up?
Extracurricular activities are more about depth instead of quantity. Thus, don’t feel pressured to have a stack of ten or more extracurricular activities for college. Still, zero is not a good option either. Instead, choose the activities you enjoy and those that align with your field of interest. Make sure to emphasize the specific skills you learned while participating in the extracurricular.
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What Extracurricular Activities Should I Do for College in 2022? 10 Best Examples
1. Sports and athletics
Most colleges offer varsity sports. Being an athlete ensures that you fit into college and keep pursuing the sport you love once you get to college. So ensure you are involved in at least one sport to gain experience and develop skills, such as teamwork and leadership, which the committee will consider in shortlisting college applications.
2. Academic clubs
Participation in an academic club demonstrates your eagerness to develop your skills, which is a plus when evaluating your college application. For example, activities like chess and debate clubs show your interest in learning and growing your knowledge beyond the coursework.
3. Community service and volunteering
Volunteer activities and community service are impressive because they indicate your empathy, humanity, and care for society. They also show that a college may get a return from admitting you due to your readiness to contribute to the campus community. Places you can volunteer include an animal shelter, local library, or homeless shelter.
4. Artistic and creative activities
Not only are these activities fun, but they also emphasize your creativity and ability to think in visionary ways. Extracurricular activities examples in this category include fashion design, painting, drawing, music, sculpting, dance, and acting in plays. The activities require commitment, collaboration, and coordination, which are qualities that appeal to college admission departments.
5. Part-time jobs
A college will give your application more attention if you can maintain a good GPA while working part-time. A job demonstrates your ability to manage your time wisely and succeed in environments outside the classroom. It also shows that you are hardworking.
6. Internships
A relevant internship is one of the most powerful extracurricular activities for college. Internships demonstrate your experience, commitment, and attentiveness in your field of interest, qualities that can move your college application to the top of the pile. Students with internship experience have a high chance of getting into competitive colleges.
7. Leadership positions
If you enjoy an extracurricular activity, consider running for a leadership position because leadership experience is one of the most important factors considered by college admission committees. Leadership work shows that you can make a difference as a college student. Some interesting leadership positions you can consider include sports team captain, eagle scout, student council, and editor in a school magazine.
8. Travel
Traveling for learning purposes, such as an exchange trip abroad for a whole semester, is considered a valuable extracurricular activity for college. This doesn’t mean you include all the trips you have taken with friends or family in a college application. Traveling alone to a new country demonstrates independence and readiness to take risks, qualities that are of interest to a college admission committee.
9. Technological skills
If you have less experience with technology, you can join a tech community to learn a programming language or other technological skills. Alternatively, skilled students can volunteer to help other less experienced people. In an age where technology is a pivotal part of everyday life, digital skills are some of the best extracurricular activities for a college student.
10. Cultural clubs
Diversity is a key factor in college admission, and people who have been a part of a culture club do well in diverse environments. Culture clubs are inclusive and encourage members to break stereotypes, work together, set goals, and celebrate accomplishments. Colleges want students who embrace others instead of limiting them.
