The 12 Best Extracurricular Activities for College Applications
Each of us aspires to leave a lasting impression on universities. The best way to achieve that is through our college application, as millions of students apply to colleges each year, making the process considerably more difficult.
Extracurricular activities are one of the components that set your application apart from those of other candidates since they provide a deeper understanding of your personality, interests, and aspirations. So you might be thinking, “what are the best extracurricular activities for college applications?”
Let’s dive right in and present the twelve best extracurriculars for college.
Why Are Extracurricular Activities Important for Students?
Besides putting effort, persistence, and hard work into your classes, you should also consider the extracurricular activities, as not all learning happens in the classroom. How do extracurriculars help students?
Even though they may seem like hobbies when you're doing them, extracurricular activities can help you achieve academically and become a valuable member of society. And perhaps most significantly, it will have a strong competitive advantage when you submit your college application.
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Best Extracurriculars for College
It's never too late to start participating in extracurricular activities if you haven't already, as they will only benefit your future. The greatest extracurricular activities you can engage in that will significantly impact your likelihood of getting accepted to your preferred institution are listed below.
Academic teams and clubs
When the committee reviews your college application, they will look beyond your GPA since they want to know what you can contribute to society. The simplest method is listing any clubs or teams you have been a part of.
Academic groups are designed to deepen your grasp of a specific topic or interest. Your eagerness to develop your skills will be evident to the committee if you include academic groups in your college application. So if you haven’t been a part of any academic teams and clubs, it’s better to start now.
On the other hand, if you have been a part of many academic teams and clubs, you should include those most relevant to the future degree you’ll be pursuing.
Internships
An internship shows that you have some experience relevant to your future field, which might be helpful when applying for a college. You must incorporate internships in your application because they distinguish you from other applications. Including them demonstrates your commitment to the field you've chosen, ensuring that your application is placed at the top of the pile at the admissions office.
Leadership work
Leadership work may be one of the most important extracurricular activities the committee will consider when reviewing your college application. Therefore, you may have an advantage over other applicants by mentioning that you have had a leadership position in the past.
This includes holding a leadership role in student clubs, sports teams, or any other organization—as long as you possess the necessary skills.
Part-time jobs
Having a part-time job as one of your extracurricular activities demonstrates your capacity for effective time management between your college and your work. The committee will give your application more attention than others if you keep a good GPA while working a part-time job, demonstrating that you are hard-working.
So make sure to include part-time jobs in the extracurriculars section of your application to increase the chances of being a part of that specific university.
Artistic activities
Artistic activities can be the most fun and creative extracurriculars. It can include painting, drawing, sculpting, fashion design, theater, music, and dance. As a result, committees love seeing these activities on someone’s application.
You may contribute to your high school through your artistic activities by being a part of a play or playing in bands. Further, this shows that your institution has collaboration, coordination, and commitment skills, and that’s precisely what you want to show to the committee.
Sports
If you haven’t been involved in any sports, go ahead and start with either basketball, football, or volleyball as soon as possible to gain experience. Your willingness to work hard to accomplish your goals is demonstrated to the committee by your incorporation of sports in your application. Additionally, it reflects your teamwork skills and potential leadership qualities, mainly if you are the team captain.
Debate team
Group activities such as debate strengthen students’ public speaking and oratory skills beyond the classroom. These abilities are transferable outside the school and result in students who are well-informed, courteous of other viewpoints, and capable of articulating.
Including a debate team in your extracurriculars shows the committee that you are growing as a valuable individual for society.
Volunteer work and community service
Volunteer work and community service symbolize humanity, empathy, and giving back to society, especially when you apply for a scholarship. It impresses the committee by showing that you can help the community without any form of compensation. You can volunteer at your local library or animal shelter, help those in need, and so on.
Student newspaper
Being involved in the student newspaper club shows that you want to help your community (students) to share their opinions over the school by forming a community discussion and a place for those interested in journalism. Here students do everything on their own, from editing, writing, compiling, and designing the layout of a newspaper.
This further increases your chances of getting accepted into a college, so include it in your college application if you were a part of the student newspaper club.
Culture clubs
Being a part of a culture club means that all students, without any exceptions, are welcomed to join to learn how to set goals, work together and feel proud of their accomplishments. Stereotypes are not approved in this club and will gain the committee's interest as they want people who give a voice to our population, not people who limit it.
Technological skills
You can also gain technological skills by joining a tech community, learning a new language program, or volunteering to help people with less technology experience. In this way, you will show the admissions committee that you will do anything to widen your technical knowledge and help those needing these skills.
Travel
Traveling does not mean mentioning a trip you had with your family or friends. It implies an exchange trip where you go to another country to study for a whole semester. Traveling for learning purposes can be considered an extracurricular activity, so mention that on your application. While it has its benefits, you have also grown as a person and learned how to live independently, which interests the admissions committee; how far can you go on your own?
Conclusion
All in all, you have worked very hard to be in the position you are in right now, and you want to impress the admissions committee. While maintaining a good GPA is fascinating, to make them look at your application for more than just a minute, you should show them what you have done besides your study life: your extracurricular activities.
Even though extracurriculars seem like hobbies to you, they are just as important as your educational accomplishments. Any extracurricular activities mentioned above increase your chances of being a part of the university you have worked so hard for. With that being said, seize the opportunity!