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If you’re serious about applying and being accepted into a college, you should know the importance of extracurricular activities. Activities outside of class are important to a holistic application process. They show a part of you which grades and results simply can’t.
What sort of activities?
A lot of students can get caught up in the idea that the activity itself is important, however, this isn’t necessarily true. The activity itself isn’t important, rather admission officers look for its ability to showcase your passion, leadership, progression, and impact. Because of this, you should aim to focus on 1 – 3 core activities that help the colleges you apply to understand these things about you.
There’s no correct formula for how you should approach extracurricular activities and there’s also no end to what you could do. In the end, it’s important that the activity accurately represents who you are as a person, what you’re about, and your ability to work towards or for a larger cause. This means a lot of effective extracurricular activities are either academic, sport or community-based.
Academic Activities
An academic-based activity is usually something that is related to what you want to pursue in college and even in a later career. These activities can be anything from writing for a local website or magazine to competing in state math competitions. The way to make these stand out on your application is to ensure its related to what you hope to study.
Doing an academic based activity shows admission officers your interest and are progressing within your chosen field. That’s exactly the kind of student colleges are looking to admit.
Sports Activities
Arguably one of the most popular extracurricular activity is one that is sports-based. Many students feel that to be accepted into a top college that they need to excel in a sport. It is also an easy choice. Most high schools and colleges have sporting teams that students hope will be their pathway in. Neither of these is the case.
By all means, if you do excel in a sport, it can boost your application. But you must be effective about it. If you’re choosing soccer or football as your extracurricular activity you need to be able to show your progression and impact on the sport. Being a captain, winning competitions and moving up grades will look good, as will being heavily involved with the club and team.
A clever way to make a sport really stand out on your application is to choose one that’s not as conventional. Snowsports, for example, can look great on an application. You might even become an instructor or start competing in a snow sport. There are snow resorts throughout North America, some of which have the best facilities in the world. With winter quickly approaching, now can be a great time to check out ski resorts on SnowPak and begin organizing your first trip.
Community Activities
Volunteering your time for a community-based activity is also a good way to boost your college application. A community service activity could be anything from volunteering at an animal shelter to preserving your local environment.
It’s important that this kind of activity is something you are passionate about. The time spent and the impact you make on the activity is what application officers will look for. This extracurricular activity is a great way to show your development as a person. It can also help you develop skills for college, such as critical thinking and problem-solving. On top of this, participating in community service has shown to be beneficial for your health.
There’s an almost endless list of extracurricular activities you could become involved in to help boost your college applications. What you choose isn’t the important part. Rather, your commitment, passion, and growth shown through the activity is what application officers look for. Colleges are looking to admit students who are going to make a positive contribution to their campus. Showing your positive contributions through an extracurricular activity is the best way to get their attention.
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