This informal CPD article ‘Extracurriculars in US University Applications’ was provided by UES Education, specialists in international university and school admissions, working with top schools across the UK and Europe to provide a bespoke service for those who want the best possible application support in the UK.
Extracurricular activities are a crucial area of knowledge for schools, counsellors, and teachers guiding students through U.S. college applications. In the UK, activities are an important part of school life, but do not figure greatly in the university application process. However, they hold much more weight in US applications, as US colleges view themselves as holistic communities, rather than purely academic institutions.
Focusing on extracurricular activities
It can be tempting for students to get involved in every activity going, hoping to enhance their US university applications. However, this is not the best strategy. US universities are looking for students deeply involved in a few activities that are meaningful to them, about which they feel passionate, and in which they have shown involvement over time. It’s also good for students to deepen their involvement in an activity by taking on additional responsibilities and learning new skills within it. For example, a student might start playing football as a child, join a school team as they grow older, eventually become team captain, then volunteer as a coach for younger children. Or a student might take ballet lessons as a child, then branch out into jazz and contemporary dance, earn important parts in performances, then join a community dance troupe. These sorts of upward trajectories clearly show commitment and growth within the chosen activity.
US admissions officers will review activities from the final four years of school (years 10-13), but ongoing involvement in activities begun in childhood is viewed favourably. With this in mind, it can be a good idea for counsellors to encourage students to continue activities they have maintained over time, as long as the students are still invested in the activities and finding them enjoyable.
The importance of leadership and community
Extracurriculars that show leadership and community service also play an important role in students’ applications. To demonstrate leadership, students need not necessarily be involved in activities directly linked to leadership, like a summer leadership programme or being head of a society: there will be ways to show leadership within any activity. For example, a student interested in drama could write or direct a play; a student interested in charitable work could organise a fund-raiser for a cause that is meaningful to them.
Similarly, students can define community quite broadly. School activities like peer mentorship, serving as prefect, or responsibilities in a boarding house like organising house drama or music can be seen as improving the school community. Volunteer activities in the wider community are also good for US applications, but students should be sure to get involved with a cause that they are truly passionate about, and that fits in with the overall ‘story’ of an application. For example, a student who loves nature and has been on a sustainability committee at school might serve their community by volunteering at an animal shelter or community clean-up, but volunteering in something like a running club or home for the elderly just to tick the community service box might seem incongruous.
How to showcase extracurricular activities
Students can showcase their extracurricular activities in two main ways: in the activities section of the Common Application (the main US university application portal), and in their essays. In the activity section, students list up to 10 activities; the description of each activity is limited to 150 characters, so students will want to pack in as much specific, active, positive information about each activity as possible. Additionally, each US college will set its own institution-specific supplementary essays on a range of topics, and in these, applicants will often be asked to write about their most meaningful extracurricular. Other common essay question types ask about how students contribute to their community or about something meaningful from their background or life experiences. These sorts of questions could also be good spaces to showcase important activities.
Conclusion
By encouraging students to get involved in activities they are passionate about, and to deepen their involvement in them over time, as well as encouraging them to showcase them effectively when application time comes, counsellors and schools can set them up for success in US applications.
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