You want to tell a story about yourself and how you’ve developed as a person. Overall, your discussion of extracurricular activities should be short, sweet, and to-the-point. If you’re not satisfied with their answers, go back and revise by adding details that elucidate what you want your reader to understand. Graphics Editor and Editorial Writer (9th - 11th)East Side High School NewspaperDesigned graphics (backgrounds, typesets, layouts, digital drawings); wrote and proofread peer articles; updated print newspaper to digital format. Student (10th)Brown University’s Online Pilot Course: Making an Impact Selected participant in Brown University’s Leadership Institute, analyzed social change model of leadership development and applied lessons to GCLI. 2 of my WHAT I PUT ON MY COMMON APP video, and I focus on the top 10 activities that Common App makes you list on your application. Since the character count is limited, staying focused is key. Lead Decorator (12th)La Familia Club, school club devoted to increasing cultural awareness about the Latinx communityOrganized community cultural events about Latinx cooking and holidays, coordinated creation of traditional Mexican art mural installation on campus. Over the four years of high school, many students are involved in a wide variety of activities, so remembering all the details can be difficult. Founder/Leader (10th - 12th)Engaged Art Afterschool Program, self-started event for youth to learn about and make artOrganized art-related activities for elementary school aged students every day, researched teaching pedagogy, provided positive feedback to encourage kids. What’s an example of a question an admissions officer might understand differently than the student does? Starting Point Guard (10th - 12th)Varsity Girl’s Basketball Team, Foothill Academy500+ hrs. Graffiti Removal Team Leader (11th)Towson County Youth Commission, youth-led faction of the Towson government dedicated to civil serviceLead a group of classmates in coordination with the city to remove graffiti, in an effort to reduce crime based on the broken window theory. Common App Activities: How to Fit More Than 10 Extracurriculars on Your List. First, write down a list of all the extracurricular activities you listed on your application. The other two parts are the activities list and the essay. It’s time to seriously start looking at the application and what should and shouldn't be included under the activities section. Did you need to handle a long-term family or health difficulty that prevented you from maximizing your time in school? 1. Vice President (12th)Pajama Mama Club, Cypress Charter SchoolSewed pajamas each semester using recycled materials, donated the handmade pajamas to over 50 children of Alexandria’s House, a non-profit organization. Have an experience that inspired or confirmed a career choice? Co-President/Co-Founder (11th-12th)Cookies for Cancer, fundraising organization for families who can’t afford chemotherapyOrchestrated & publicized bi-weekly bake sales, led club members, maintained accounting, raised $2000 for the Children's Cancer Research Fund. The activities list and the personal statement are the central ways to stand out on a college application. Follow these pointers for crafting a rich and memorable Common App activities page. Volunteer (Summer 2015, 2016)Special Olympics World Games, annual sports event for children with special needsRan the information booth, gave parking directions, escorted athletes to venues, organized shuttles, helped athletes navigate the activity booths. But What If You Don’t Have 10 Activities… We'll mostly discuss the activities list in this conversation. What you should do if you have no ECs. College Admissions. But What If You Don’t Have 10 Activities… However, college admissions officers are interested in quality over quantity. ), The NYU Acceptance Rate & More Vital Info About NYU Admissions, The Stanford Acceptance Rate & Vital Info About Stanford Admissions. President (10th-12th)Robotics Club, Bryson High SchoolRecruited club members, organized seminars for freshmen, and coordinated team preparation for various competitions. Cleaned and distributed instruments for use. During this process, you should also be reflecting on how these activities have shaped you as an individual, the lessons you’ve learned, and specific moments or memories that have helped you grow or develop. How did you spend your free time in high school? Essay, How to Ask for a Letter of Recommendation: Step-by-Step Guide for Students, How to Format a College Essay (Step-by-Step Guide), 80+ Extracurricular Activity Examples for the Common Application, Click here for 10 tips on how to up-level your list of activities. Helped prepare lunch, entertain, and tutor students in math and science 25 hrs/wk, 4 wks/yr. This is especially true when your list of activities exceeds the limit set by the Common App! They’re also particularly interested in leadership roles, so don’t leave out any officer positions or captaincies. School Tour Guide (9th - 12th)Northview Academy Student Ambassador Club, application based position Toured prospective families and visitors around campus and presented information about course offerings, facilities, student life, etc. Declared Time Commitment: 2 hours per week, 16 weeks per year. Leader (11th)Books on Global Health Equity and Social Justice, advocacy-focused peer discussion groupResearched global health equity/social justice , assigned weekly readings for group discussion, brainstormed questions to generate input from members. Common App Activities Section Examples. When listing extracurricular activities, some students are tempted to list every activity they’ve ever participated in, even if it was for an insignificant period of time. Volunteer (June 2012 - August 2012)Boys & Girls Club, youth tutoring/mentorship afterschool program Served as mentor for K-8 grade kids. You should also include the dates participated in each activity. Independent study? The goal here is not to choose the activities that will impress admissions officers. Volunteer (9th)Doha Beach Clean ProjectParticipated in beach cleanups and environmental education for locals and expats, spread the word about organization events in school and local community. Developed, designed, and maintained club website. Use every inch to demonstrate your impact beyond the classroom. The activities section is one of the most important parts of your application, particularly if you are applying to very selective colleges. Tufts Syndrome: Everything You Need to Know. The one that always comes to mind is the place on the app where you can list your siblings. I happen to think the activities list is one of the most underutilized spaces on the college application. to serve others through talent. Working? So go with your gut when you make your initial list, and try not to rearrange it more than once! Treated patient simulator. (Comment replies give helpful examples of how to phrase ECs) How to write your Common App and UC Activities Lists. Be honest and brief when you explain your reason. For the Common App, you have 5 slots for honors and awards, and 10 slots for your extracurricular activities. Only fill out all 10 if you’ve made significant efforts in each of those activities listed. President (August 30th 2015 - June 9th, 2016)National Art Honors SocietyOrganized and ran meetings, set up field trips, brainstormed and created group art activities, wrote and sent newsletter to members (5 hrs/wk, 20 wks/yr). Tutor - (10th)Creekside Elementary Afterschool Tutoring ProgramPersonally asked to tutor six special education 5th grade students at an elementary school, who did not pass the STAAR test (2 hrs/day for 3 wks). Follow these pointers for crafting a rich and memorable Common App activities page. The Common App gives you ten slots for activities, but that doesn’t mean you’re required to use every one. Hired Quartet (11th-12th)Symphony Orchestra III, well-known touring orchestra in Virginia StatePerform for professional gigs, from mayor’s banquet to Boy Scout ceremonies; often hired to play at community centers, local churches, and hotels. Intern (September 2013 - June 2016) Steward Mental HospitalUsed art as therapy for those with Bipolar depression/schizophrenia, set up patient art shows, taught art lessons, organized field trips for patients. Exactly how did you contribute to the fundraiser? Branch out of your comfort zone and what did you learn? Rockstar. Instead, the point is to show admissions officers what matters to you. Usually, students are limited to writing only about 150 characters when describing an extracurricular activity. Volunteer (10th-11th) Alzheimer’s Family Services Center Taught watercolor classes to Alzheimer’s patients; encouraged greater patient participation & creative expression to mitigate the effects of dementia. If you can frame this correctly, then this will be a strength during the college admissions process. Depending on the application and school to which you are applying, there may already be a place for you to write about any “holes” in your activities. Academic/Personal Mentor (9th-12th)Henderson Youth Center, community resources for underprivileged youth in Henderson CountyResponsible for helping 11-12 year olds on school work and planning activities, all while enhancing their self-esteem, social skills, and respect for others. At this point, it’s fine to list anything that comes to mind. Leverage this during college applications. Ideally, you should have at least 2-3 activities demonstrating significant involvement, but it’s okay to include a few other less significant activities. Student (Summer 2020)Harvard University Summer School, synchronous online class on Public SpeakingObtained confident & powerful public speaking techniques, explored professional speeches, mastered improvised speech, & incorporated theatrical skills. Organized and ran meetings, set up field trips, brainstormed and created group art activities, wrote and sent newsletter to members. When writing about your extracurricular participation, it is most important for you to consider how you have been changed by your experience. Here's a sample Common App activities list. Why: What was your ultimate goal for this activity? Trained everyday afterschool. These examples should help you write a great Common App activities list: DECA Executive Vice President. Start by listing all activities, hobbies, interests, awards, employment, summer experiences, etc. Did you accomplish it? Chief Volunteer (10th-11th)Tutor of Peers in Education, cross-cultural tutoring program between American and Korean studentsDeveloped study plans for tests, taught fundamental math skills to 3 underprivileged students in Siheung, established interpersonal connections with tutees. But I’ll keep it short so we can get to the examples. "Family Responsibilities" on Common App. As you think about how to strategize your Common App activities list, make sure to take these 4 key factors into consideration. For the 2020-21 application cycle, the Common Application essay prompts remain unchanged from the 2019-20 cycle. We hope they inspire you and help you to write your own unique essay for your college application. But read over your list and see if you think admissions officers will get an accurate picture of you as both a high school student and a person. Co-founder and Vice President (10th-12th)Feed2Food, outreach organization providing food/shelter for homeless people in Kansas CityHelped alleviate homelessness and develop relationships by collecting toiletries and handing them out to the homeless in Midtown, Westport, and Armour Hills. Always remember to elaborate and show the meaning of each relevant extracurricular activity. If you make your response meaningful, you’ll be one step closer to achieving your college dreams. By how much more did you raise than last year’s fundraiser. What events related to the activity made a significant difference in your life? HEY GUYS! These certainly are life experiences about which you can write. Here's a sample Common App activities list. Overview for the Common App. Math Tutor (Summer 2020)Self-started tutoring business Dedicated one-on-one tutoring for arithmetic/geometric sequences and series, trigonometry identities analysis, and factorial/exponential combinations. Read our guide on How to Write the Common App Essays Types of Activities and Positions Held. Before you commit to writing about a particular extracurricular, it is important to brainstorm. Received Div.1 at 2016 Solo and Ensemble Contest. The Best Common App Activities Example for Students Posted on July 23, 2018 July 23, 2018 by AdmissionEssayCom When I was 14, my friend and I participated in the athletics competition. A student who founded the Spanish club and ran a successful fundraiser to sponsor a field trip is not the same as the student who attended meetings “sometimes, when they felt like it. Junior World Affairs Council President (9th-12th)Academy of Global Studies, 4 year research program combining a published thesis and capstone projectResearched impact of education on child marriage for girls in India, synthesized data, published and presented findings to peers and program professors. The Common App has space for students to list ten activities, but you should not feel obligated to fill out all ten. Head of Media Team (10th)MUN Club, Meadows SchoolRecruited and assigned team members as photographers, writers, editors, and marketing advisers. Examples of great action verbs include:led, managed, coordinated, developed, initiated, (re)designed, achieved, analyzed, authored, trained… You ge… Academic Interviewer (11th-12th)Student Ambassador Club, Hillside High SchoolPersonally talked to undecided students about their plans for the future both academically and non-academically, provided guidance and moral support. Volunteer (Summer 2019)Migrants’ Rights Advocacy Center, org campaigning against exploitation of worker rights in QatarTranslated and spread information regarding rights in Nepalese and provided health aid, organized fund drive to financially support workers’ families. This will help you prepare to write introspectively about extracurricular activities in your essays. 40,000 and gathered over 100 clothing items, Learned Android Studio programming to develop an Android App, MyClassicHelper, which connects students with available tutors at their high school, Employed as a competition mathematics teacher for 20 middle school students; taught studentsalgebra techniques to solve MathCounts problems, Tutored 20 elementary and middle school students in mathematics and reading fundamentals, Trained pianist; performed at four recitals every six months; earned all-county honors in 2020. Organized and ran meetings, set up field trips, brainstormed and created group art activities, wrote and sent newsletter to members. Intern (10th - 12th)Ovarian Cancer Lab Published journals, conducted independent projects, facilitated cell maintenance, attended lab meetings, collaborated with fellows and graduate students. Causes include: homelessness (Urban Ministries), climate change (Sunrise), animal cruelty (ASPCA). I think your activities list can make the difference in your application. How: By what means did you accomplish your goals? Instead of saying “Helped with fundraisers,” you should add specifics. Secretary (10th-12th)Working Towards The Future, national career advising and academic resource hub for high school studentsOrganized meeting discussions, informed students of financial aid opportunities, and recorded minutes for cabinet meetings (3 hrs/wk, 40 wks/yr). How Many Activities Should You List on the Common App? Admissions officers aren’t necessarily looking for leadership positions. Member (11th - 12th)The Giving Society, charity organizationRaised funds for new advocacy org each semester. Count is limited, it is your job to prove that you those... Talks and schoolwide fundraising events, chose each trimester beneficiary might seem like information. 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