how should I prioritize my extra-curricular activities?
Is it possible to have too many or too few extra-curriculars? How, if at all, should college admissions factor into my thinking about my extra-curricular choices? What are the biggest mistakes students make with regards to extra-curricular activities?
Emily Wolper
Response:
This is a great and important question! Your extra-curricular involvement plays a key role in the college admissions process. At highly selective schools, admissions officers will tell you that over 40% of applicants are academically qualified to get in, but they can’t admit all of those students. That means that they are looking for details beyond strong academic work to create the class. This is where your extra-curricular activities come into play.
The key to choosing extra-curricular activities is to discover the things about which you are most passionate – it’s about quality, not quantity. As a former admissions officer, I would always rather see an applicant with two or three deeply explored activities than a list of ten superficial club memberships. Look for opportunities to do the things you love, to become a leader and to learn new things. It is also important to stay consistent. Too often, students jump around, trying different activities each year of high school. While it is OK to try new activities or join new clubs, it is important to stay consistent with your core activities – those that connect to your passions. Admissions officers will be looking for this steady involvement.
Remember that the summer is an important time to flesh out your extra-curricular profile. In the summer, you can show deeper involvement in an activity or you can establish a new interest.
Finally, as you are exploring your extra-curricular activities, remember to have fun. Hopefully, the things you learn while playing tennis, singing in the school musical, planting flowers at a local community center or editing your school paper will stay with you for your whole life. These activities will help you get into college, but more importantly, they will help you grow!