In a statement made in Summer 2020 from over 300 College Admissions Deans about what they care about, they said: “We have never had specific expectations for any one type of extracurricular activity or summer experience and realize that each student’s circumstances allow for different opportunities. As an admissions counselor from U Chicago shared at an info session, “As soon as you figure out what you think we’re looking for, we’re gonna change our minds.” Colleges want to see the reflection of who you are and what interests you, not what you’re trying to guess that they want you to do. The lack of interest is what makes that particular EC nothing special for you, and you’d be better off finding something else. If you’re worried about the amazing specialness of an activity or opportunity, it means you’re really not that into it. If so, everyone would be doing those.Īsk yourself: Does it seem interesting to you? Is it something that you can get behind and feel like what you are doing is worthwhile or meaningful to you or others? If so, yes, it can be good for your application. The bad news? There is no magic formula or combination of “best” extracurricular activities that will guarantee you get admitted to your favorite colleges. Do you moderate a subreddit? Do you spend a substantial amount of time running a meme page? Do you spend hours conducting your own Internet research about a topic you love? They want to know that, too. Are you a professional speedcuber? Let colleges know. If you help out at your parents’ business or care for a grandparent, include that! Do you work as a cowboy, like a real, working, horse-riding, rounding-up cowboy? Definitely put that down. Those are all good activities, but they aren’t a requirement. Considering the opportunity that the Activities Section of the application affords you, be proud of your extracurriculars! Despite what you might have heard, you do not need to cure cancer, be a violin prodigy, have thousands of volunteer hours, be president of multiple clubs, or be in a sport to go to college. Here’s the good news: activities that are meaningful and important to you can actually improve your life and make you a better person while making you a stronger college applicant. As if you didn’t have enough on your plate.īut think about it like this: there are lots of students who have grades and scores similar to yours, but none with the exact combination of interests that make you you. Colleges want you to not just be a great student and an amazing test taker, but also someone who spends their time doing meaningful activities. I mean if you’re at any stage of the college admissions process, you already know the word “extracurriculars” is important. That also means that kids feel a lot of pressure to have the most impressive, superhuman extracurriculars possible. It’s also a broad category, and as a result, there’s a lot of room for creativity and individuality. It’s an important part of your application. Then I receive tons more about how many extracurriculars are necessary and whether a kid’s chances will be hurt because they haven’t performed at Carnegie Hall, been speaking Mandarin since they were five years old, or cured cancer. “How good are my extracurriculars?” is one of the most common questions we get on r/ApplyingToCollege.
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