Key Takeaways
- Admissions officers want to see involvement in extracurricular activities detailed on college applications.
- Don’t just list the clubs or organizations you were a part of – share how involved you were.
- You don’t have to hold an official title to make an impact.
- Sharing the details of how involved you were will hold significant weight over basic participation.
Source: Flickr user compactflc.
You’ve probably heard that what you do outside the classroom matters to colleges. But does every extracurricular activity carry the same weight? Do admission officers care which activities you choose? And how do you make your choices stand out?
The truth is, it’s not always about what you do—it’s how you highlight your involvement. Here are three ways to showcase your extracurricular activities on your college application.
1. Reveal Involvement Over Participation
Colleges care less about what you do, and more about how you do it. Take Key Club, for instance, a well-known national service organization with thousands of members. Because many students can claim their membership, simply listing it on your application doesn’t make you stand out.
Admissions officers note specific contributions to discover what sets you apart. Your accomplishments and the differences you made within that group are how you make impressions.
2. Discuss Your Impact, Not Your Title
When it comes to extracurricular activities, you don’t have to hold an official title to make an impact. Whether you held a leadership position or contributed behind the scenes, what truly stands out is how you’ve made a difference.
Holding the title of president of the school recycling club doesn’t show meaningful contributions. Maybe you were only a member, but you helped increase the volume of materials recycled each week. In doing so, almost 60% of your high school recycles. Examples like this show your tangible contributions and help colleges understand the value you bring.
3. Present Specific Details and Achievements
Don’t forget to talk about what you did in your extracurriculars. No matter what club, activity, or sport you chose, the specifics are imperative. College admissions officers want to know how the details impacted you.
Here are a few examples of how you can list specific details on your college application:
- Tutored five classmates in math and helped them improve their grades from a C to an A average.
- Grew club membership by 30% by planning and promoting fun events on social media.
- Organized a school trivia night with over 100 participants and raised $1,200 for our drama club.
Failing to include the details might leave the admissions officers wondering, “What did you actually do?”
Remember, how you were involved will always be more important than which extracurriculars you joined. When you fill out that college application, don’t just list all the extracurricular activities you were a part of. Instead, showcase the impact you made and the value you brought; get specific about it all! We guarantee the admission officers will be impressed.
When choosing a college, will you consider which extracurricular activities will be available? Use College Raptor’s College Match tool to compare schools based on their culture, available majors, location, and more!
