15 Excellent Extracurricular Activities That Matter to College Applications
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If you’re in your senior year in high school and are looking to enter college very soon, now’s the best time to prepare for a new and exciting journey ahead. Your college years could be the most crucial time in your life as you build foundations for your career and future.
But apart from choosing the right degree program to enroll in, it’s equally important to consider joining and pursuing extracurricular activities.
While some people may not realize the importance of extracurricular activities, they actually benefit college students by helping them discover new interests, form new friendships, and gain new skills.
Students might gain confidence and leadership abilities from these activities. Students that participate in extracurricular activities might benefit academically as well.
Students can apply skills they learn in the classroom through extracurricular activities, which reinforce real-life application. Colleges can see via extracurricular activities that a student is passionate, can stay with a project for a long time, and takes the initiative to study and develop outside of the classroom.
Why Are Extracurricular Activities So Important?
Before you join the very first club or organization that will be exposed to you, it’s important to completely understand what’s in it for you if you participate in extracurricular activities. Realize their importance below:
Extracurricular activities make you attractive to employers.
Employers in today’s competitive employment market are seeking candidates who have skills beyond their academic background. In turn, colleges and universities would want to admit incoming students who have this zeal to participate in other things, not just academics.
While they value the certificates and diplomas you have, they are looking for far more than your brain skills. Thus, they want to make sure you’ve developed talents and skills that are not learned or limited in classroom settings.
Participating in extracurricular activities can help you develop these abilities. Whether you have gained creativity, marketing, or social skills, these are things that may be available when you join student organizations and clubs, compared to discussions in classrooms.
The key is to join an extracurricular activity that will help you gain the skills that are in demand among modern employers today.
Extracurricular activities develop your time management skills.
Time management is a must-skill for future employers, no matter what industry you’ll work for in the future. Time management is best learned when you have to juggle school, extracurriculars, homework, and everything else.
As a high school student, you may have already started brushing up on this skill, but you need to master it even more in college.
A lot goes on in the lives of college students: clubs, athletics, and academics. Students who participate in extracurricular activities will naturally develop good time management skills.
Having the ability to manage several tasks and responsibilities will give them an advantage when they finally handle multiple tasks or projects in real-life work settings.
Extracurricular activities let you learn more about your interests.
Extracurricular activities allow you to understand and get to know yourself more. It’s a road of discovery as you realize what your passions and hobbies are. They could sometimes bring clarity, especially if you’re unsure of your college degree or academic goals.
Engaging in extracurricular activities might assist you in discovering your passions and pursuing your interests. Applying to colleges and jobs might be considerably simpler if you already know what you want to accomplish.
Extracurricular activities develop life skills.
Extracurricular activities promote holistic growth. Tight schedules and curricula lead to many life lessons being forgotten. There are many learning opportunities that you might miss out on if you’re not proactive with extracurricular activities.
This is an avenue and time to start honing your life skills like gratitude, humility, perseverance, compassion, empathy, and so on.
In addition to the academic skills you learn in the classroom, extracurricular activities can help you gain new abilities that are advantageous for both college and your career. Joining a club or team, for example, can teach you how to work with others to accomplish a shared goal.
As an alternative, volunteering for a local organization might help you develop your communication and leadership skills.
Extracurricular activities boost your self-confidence.
Students gain confidence as they do and experience more in their college years. Students will learn how to work hard, have fun, and achieve their objectives via their extracurricular activities. This gives them confidence and lays a solid platform for future advancement.
Extracurricular activities give you the essential skill of balancing your non-academic and academic goals.
Now that you’re on board with how important extracurricular activities are for college students, it’s also key to learn how to balance them with studies and academics. The activities in a student’s life should be balanced; whether it’s their studies or extracurricular activities.
While spending too much time on extracurricular activities might cause a lack of attention in the classroom, spending too much time on academics can lead to burnout or fatigue. As early as college, students should learn to balance both and excel in them.
It’s important not to miss out on the learnings and opportunities that extracurricular activities offer, but at the same time, you should prioritize academics and maintain good scores.
Through extracurricular activities, would-be college students can discover new interests, make new friends, and pick up new skills. These advantages can all lead to success in the classroom and in life. Sports and other extracurricular activities may impart collaboration and teamwork skills.
Others that can assist students in gaining leadership experience include clubs and groups. Other opportunities allow students to contribute back to their community, such as volunteering.
Whatever the activity, taking part in extracurricular activities may teach kids new things about the world and themselves. But it’s important to note and emphasize that these extracurricular activities should never replace your time and energy for your studies.
Tips for Finding the Right Extracurricular Activity
You now understand how extracurricular activities can benefit students in many ways. It’s time to select the best one that can fit your interests and goals. However, when there are too many clubs and organizations available, it may be overwhelming to choose one.
Here are 4 super valuable tips during the selection process:
- Consider your interests and hobbies first and foremost. Remember that extracurricular activities should be fun, and they shouldn’t feel like an obligation or commitment that you are forced to participate in. Find a hobby that you are interested in and participate in it extracurricularly.
- Research and ask friends or family for their ideas. Chances are they might know something about you that you haven’t yet discovered yourself. By being open to suggestions, you can realize which activities to try.
- Assess your talents and skills. Perhaps you have hidden talents that you’ve always wanted to reveal and nourish. An extracurricular activity is the best setting for you to improve those skills.
- Seek advice from your advisor or counselor. They are the ones who know which ones are popular or beneficial for most students.
15 Excellent Extracurricular Activities That Matter to College Applications
Sports Clubs
For many universities and colleges in the US, sports play an integral part in college life. Admissions offices like to see potential students participating in sports. They want to retain strong teams that can continuously promote sports and participate in national or local games and matches.
What Participating on a Sports Team Means to a College
- Participating in team sports may demonstrate a person’s ability to work well with others and pursue goals that go beyond personal success. Participating in extracurricular activities may show motivation, dedication, and time management abilities.
- Athletes can often continue pursuing their passions at some level after they get to college because there are sports weeks and other sports-related events.
- Participating in team sports, like basketball or football, also demonstrates to universities your ability to work well with others. The time commitment and effort required to improve talents in sports is often rather high.
- Admissions officers take notice of your involvement in sports on your college application and may allow you to stand out from other applicants.
- Lastly, participating in sports demonstrates to universities that you can follow instructions and get along with classmates. This shows that you possess the self-control and teamwork abilities necessary to excel in a collegiate setting.
Don’t Forget!
Make sure to include any team captain experience you may have had on your application since this further demonstrates your leadership qualities. When completing your college application, don’t forget to include any awards, trophies, medals, or tiles that you and your team have received.
Health Clubs
High schools may have health clubs intended to allow high school students to be more keen on their well-being. These clubs may hold fitness activities, physical hygiene practices, or health spas.
Most likely, being a member of this organization would be valuable if you are applying to an undergraduate healthcare program.
Through a range of exercises, contests, and events, it’s a fantastic chance for you to hone your leadership, communication, and collaboration abilities while assisting in the preparation of your future in this profession.
Joining a health club may be a great opportunity to show how passionate you are about healthcare and how dedicated you are to learning more about it.
Leadership Activities
Every high school has opportunities where students can develop their leadership skills. Most often, leadership abilities are requested in college applications.
A student will stand out from other applicants if they participate in activities that demonstrate their leadership abilities. Little or large leadership initiatives are possible. It demonstrates a student’s disposition toward accepting responsibility. Whether you participated in a summer camp or a boy’s scout club, all these allow you to develop your leadership abilities.
It makes no difference how big or little of a team you have managed. Young people can develop their leadership abilities by organizing a sleepover with friends or taking charge of a school group project.
When it comes to the extracurricular portion of your college application, leadership experiences are crucial. Children will use this talent for the rest of their lives. Above all, children who possess this ability will be able to influence others.
Academic Clubs
If you’re studious and brainy, it’s the best option to join academic clubs. Depending on the school, some offer STEM clubs, English clubs, and so on. Clubs or teams you were on in high school are the finest extracurricular activities for college grades.
These academic organizations have given you the opportunity to further your interests or broaden your knowledge of a certain subject.
It demonstrates your keen interest in the subject matter or your desire to develop certain abilities when you list these academic teams and groups on your application.
However, no matter how tempting it is to join multiple academic clubs, it’s essential to choose just one and flourish in it. It’s preferable to limit your application to the most important ones.
Don’t Forget!
On your college application, mention extracurricular activities like academic teams and organizations that relate to the degree or job you plan to pursue. Information about your position in these groups should also be included, particularly if you held a captaincy or leadership position.
Social Work
If you love volunteering and being active in social work, it’s a wonderful college preparation to join social work extracurricular activities in your high school. Engaging in social work with non-governmental organizations and self-help groups may be highly advantageous when applying to colleges.
What Volunteering in Social Work Means to a College
That could serve as the main component of your college application. This action has the potential to have a big impact.
- It demonstrates that you are capable of formulating a strategy and working toward enhancing society.
- Students who are proactive in social work are deemed to be proactive contributors to society. Colleges are pro-community services. No matter what volunteering or social work you’ve joined, it’s best to include them in your college applications.
- Admission heads are positive that these active students can be able to organize student organizations for community service, and they perform volunteer work worldwide.
Engaging in volunteer work and community service may highlight your potential contributions to the school community beyond academics, giving prospective employers an idea of what to expect from you.
Camp Counseling
Students who help fellow students through counseling can speak volumes for admission staff in universities or colleges.
High school students may get invaluable experience developing a variety of abilities, such as communication, leadership, cooperation, and responsibility, by working as camp counselors. These talents can be applied in both personal and professional contexts.
Don’t Forget!
The admissions committee looks for each of these competencies. In order to show the value you can contribute to campus life, be sure to highlight your experiences and successes as a camp counselor on your university application. Enumerate your experiences in counseling during camps and group activities.
Debate Clubs
Logic and reasoning are important skills for students. These are the skills that you can develop when you join debate clubs. Moreover, taking part in debates is an excellent method to enhance your speaking and communication abilities.
Would-be college students can take part in debate clubs at school. It will provide them with a platform to discuss a certain topic and express their ideas. This is the best avenue to express ideas, feedback, and honest opinions.
It enables you to express yourself, which is valued in college life. Children can learn a lot about diplomacy and debating on this platform. You will have a better chance of getting into college if debate is included in extracurricular activities.
Work Experience
Experience in the workplace, whether it be freelancing, part-time, or full-time, is another extracurricular that enhances a college application. Even if the employment has nothing to do with your field of study, admissions committees may be greatly impressed.
No matter what kind of work, it’s still an experience that has developed your real-life skills.
Managing your time well and being enthusiastic about acquiring employment skills at a young age are demonstrated by your ability to balance work and high school coursework. Having a job also teaches you the value of dependability, teamwork, and a strong work ethic.
A summer job or internship where you advance to a managerial position demonstrates to admissions committees your ability to work hard and consistently achieve success.
Political Club
If you love to be proactive in politics in your high school, it’s worth joining a political club. If you submit details about your political activism on your application, admissions offices may take notice.
In local communities and high schools, there has been an increase in student activism. You have to mention on your college application any involvement you may have had in local political activities or student government.
Extracurricular activities such as this demonstrate to universities your awareness of current affairs and your willingness to defend your rights and values. You can support your college application by mentioning your passion for getting involved in politics.
Don’t Forget!
Make careful to explain why political engagement is important to you and the sorts of activities you engage in when you include it in your application. You might also talk about the political topics that you are most passionate about and what drives you to act on them.
Travel Activities
Depending on the sort of travel you’ve done, it may be a good idea to include travel experiences on your college application. This is an extra-curricular activity that enables students to discover themselves outside of their comfort zones.
While a family vacation might not be the ideal experience to emphasize on your application, traveling abroad for research or volunteer work might be a great way to integrate travel into your college application.
If you’ve traveled to other countries or areas of the world, you may discuss how you learned new skills—like taking up a new language or experiencing a new culture.
Colleges should get a favorable impression of you from your travel essays. For example, you don’t want to come across as boastful about all the trips you’ve taken.
Don’t Forget!
If you want to include your travel experiences on your college application, it’s a good idea to highlight the lessons you learned or the ways they changed your life.
Student Council
If you’re proactive in student council, this can also elevate your college admissions. It shows your experience and passion to help others as you represent and speak for your fellow students’ needs, wants, and opinions on issues about the school.
Participating in this extracurricular will help you develop critical thinking, leadership, communication, and teamwork skills.
The majority of students involved in this extracurricular activity have comparable activities such as event planning, teacher collaboration, presentation skills, and student body decision-making included on their resumes.
Swimming Club
Joining a swimming club in your high school shows how much you value physical fitness and community service. This activity is a fantastic idea to include in your resume for college application, but it should complement other ones to make your application stand out.
You can join and continue with swimming club activities and help the club in the university or college improve, as you suggest ways for the club to be more efficient.
Coding or Website Development Club
If you have existing computer skills, it’s a great asset to be joining coding or website development clubs in high school. Chances are there are similar clubs and organizations in colleges, too.
There could be a lot of clubs that your club can join. You’ll acquire knowledge and abilities that you can apply in college and beyond.
To elevate this endeavor, consider honing your coding abilities and creating an online course, application, or website. Going above and above in these coding competitions/camps can help you get accepted into colleges by demonstrating your desire to put your knowledge to use in solving real-world problems.
Internships
A fantastic approach to demonstrate to universities that you have some experience in your chosen subject is through internships. Business students may, for instance, do an internship in marketing or another department of a nearby company, which would be good to include on a college application.
These activities demonstrate your commitment to your area and show that you have some professional hands-on experience. By doing this, you can make sure that your application is the first one the admissions office sees while searching for college applications.
You shouldn’t be concerned about omitting an internship from your college application if you haven’t had any. These are the types of possibilities that not all high schools may offer their students.
If you’re returning to school or applying to colleges while working to obtain a degree for professional progress, you’re more likely to have internship experience. One of the many significant extracurricular activities you might list on your application is an internship.
Business Experience
Another invaluable extracurricular activity for future college students is business experience. No matter how small or big this gig can be, it proves to admission staff how passionate you can be.
Most especially if you’re applying for business-related programs, this experience allows you to stand out from others.
A child may learn negotiating techniques, communication skills, and much more from business. Since the game is dangerous, children who launch businesses at a young age will likewise grow to be achievers and risk-takers.
Technological-Related Activities
Another crucial extracurricular activity to list on your college application is technological proficiency. While typing proficiency, familiarity with widely used software, awareness of online etiquette, and proficiency in conducting online research are among the fundamental talents that universities often look for in applicants, having additional abilities can make you stand out.
Having skills in computers can go a long way in your college application. Possessing technological talents indicates that you have invested the time and energy necessary to master a difficult skill. These abilities can also come in handy in college, particularly if you choose to major in computer science.
Having technology talents on your application lets universities know that you’re open to picking up new abilities—a trait that admissions officers frequently search for in applicants.
Extracurricular pursuits can have a big impact on a student’s growth. They provide students the chance to have fun, meet new people, and pick up new skills. Engaging in extracurricular activities allows students to acquire vital life skills, including leadership, teamwork, and communication.
Consider the extracurricular activities above and witness how they can aid your college applications.