Your extracurricular activities are an important part of your college application, and they provide an opportunity for you to showcase your interests, passions, and leadership skills to the admissions committee. When describing your extracurricular activities on your college application, it’s important to be specific and provide concrete examples of what you have done and achieved. Here are some tips to help you effectively describe your extracurricular activities:
- Use descriptive language:
Don’t just list your extracurricular activities; describe what you did and how you contributed. For example, instead of saying “I was a member of the debate team,” say “I participated in the school’s debate team for three years, researching and preparing for weekly debates on current events and policy issues. I served as captain in my senior year, leading the team to a state championship.” - Highlight your accomplishments:
Don’t be shy about highlighting your accomplishments and any awards or recognition you received for your extracurricular activities. For example, “I received the President’s Award for Excellence in Mathematics, recognizing my dedication to the subject and my strong performance in math competitions.” - Emphasize your leadership roles:
If you held any leadership roles in your extracurricular activities, be sure to highlight them. Explain what your responsibilities were and how you demonstrated leadership. For example, “As captain of the varsity soccer team, I organized team practices and developed strategies for games, leading the team to a conference championship.” - Describe your commitment:
Admissions committees are looking for students who are dedicated and committed to their extracurricular activities. Describe how long you have been involved in each activity and any special efforts you made to contribute. For example, “I have been a member of the school’s volunteer organization for the past four years, organizing and participating in monthly service projects in the community. I also started a chapter of the organization at a local elementary school, leading weekly service projects and engaging more students in community service.” - Use concrete examples:
Rather than making general statements about your extracurricular activities, use concrete examples to illustrate your experiences and achievements. For example, “As a member of the school’s environmental club, I organized a beach clean-up that attracted more than 50 volunteers and removed over 500 pounds of trash from the shoreline. I also led a campaign to reduce plastic waste in the school, working with the administration to eliminate single-use plastics in the cafeteria and increase recycling efforts.”
By using descriptive language, highlighting your accomplishments, emphasizing your leadership roles, describing your commitment, and using concrete examples, you can effectively describe your extracurricular activities on your college application and showcase your interests and skills to the admissions committee.