The Importance of Extracurricular Activities
Your Roadmap to
College Admissions Success
Lee Bierer – President/Coach
Good grades and high test scores alone will not gain you entrance into the most selective colleges. College
admission directors are looking for candidates who will enrich their college communities. Therefore, colleges
want to know how you spend your time outside of the classroom, and specifically how you have made an impact
or significant contribution to both your high school community and the community in which you live. They will
look at your resume, or your "brag" sheet, to see exactly which extracurricular activities you are engaged in over
time. Extracurricular activities count! But they have to be of a certain nature.
Colleges are not looking for the "Jack of All Trades Master of None." They are not particularly interested in the
student who dabbles in many activities, but is not known for any one in particular. They are also not looking for
what I like to call "Serial Joiners," students who join different clubs year after year and who then drop out of
those clubs year after year. Colleges are specifically looking for consistency, commitment, responsibility, and
leadership in your extracurricular activities. Instead of "well rounded" students, colleges seek angular students,
or specialists. So that means you only need to pursue a few areas of interest-those in which you are talented in
and that you love, throughout high school. If you are interested in sports (e.g. football) and writing (e.g. poetry),
perhaps all of your extracurricular time is spent on these two endeavors. You might be the quarterback of your
school's football team, write for the sports section of the school newspaper, organize fundraisers to pay for new
school athletic equipment; you may also write poetry and publish it in the school's literary magazine or start the
school's literary magazine.
Make sure that you are spending significant amounts of time on each activity. One hour per week clubs are
considered superficial. Find extra hours in the week to plan something new for the club. Also, make sure you are
participating in these activities you enjoy during all four years of high school. A college admissions director often
does not look favorably on a student who starts community service in 12th grade!
Also, summers count! You do not want to spend your 12 weeks of summer working on your tan. Think of long
programs you can do (8-10 weeks) of summer school, travel/study abroad, employment or an internship in a
field you are interested in, or a unique program that matches your interests.
Whatever you do with your extracurricular time, you want to always keep in mind how you are making an impact
on your community. In other words, if we were to pluck you out of your school setting tomorrow, what would be
missing? So you need to ask yourself what am I good at? What do I love to do? How can I help my
school/community/peers use these unique skills and talents that I possess? Some schools do not offer much in
the way of clubs and community service, so I say if you can't find it, found it! Being a pioneer—especially one
who thinks outside the box—is very attractive to the most selective colleges. Extra curriculum is a great vehicle
for demonstrating initiative, leadership and good citizenship.
7226 Jardiniere Court
Charlotte, NC 28226
lee@collegeadmissionsstrategies.com
704-907-5685
www.collegeadmissionsstrategies.com
So go out there and make an impact!
Many assume that extracurricular activities are limited to school clubs. Wrong! Extracurriculars include anything
from volunteering to athletics, from a part time job to internships or to playing in a band. Extracurricular activities
help reveal who you are as a person. They highlight your non-academic interests and illustrate that you can
manage your time and priorities. Furthermore, extracurriculars show your contributions, responsibilities and
your ability to maintain a commitment. Essentially, extracurriculars stress that you are an initiator both inside
and outside of the classroom, and colleges are looking for students with unique abilities to add to their campus
personality.
What Makes a Good Extracurricular Activity?
A good extracurricular consists of three elements: commitment, genuine interest, and leadership. By honing
your activities with these three points, you are on your away to becoming a desirable applicant!
While you may feel the pressure to have a long list of extracurricular activities to build your college resume,
colleges are honestly not interested in seeing you do everything. More is not necessarily better. The most
important aspect of your extracurricular activity list is your commitment and passion. It is much more desirable
to participate and contribute to one activity for an extended length of time than to be on the membership roster
for ten clubs for one month. Colleges will see through your motives for joining all those clubs at the last
minute. Therefore, it is important to begin getting involved in extracurriculars as early as possible.
Second to commitment is a genuine interest. Get involved in something that you are truly passionate about.
You want to be involved in an activity because you are enthusiastic, not because it looks good on an
application. Colleges will be able to tell if you are just “padding” your application.
Finally, leadership positions are also important. Seeing that you have assumed a role of responsibility speaks
highly of your character and ambition. Pretend you are an admissions officer and you must select between
Applicant A and Applicant B. Applicant A is an occasional writer for the school newspaper. Applicant B is the
editor-in-chief of the school paper and delegates tasks amongst her staff. As an admissions officer, which
applicant is more attractive? Applicant B because she showed initiative and leadership.
What If I’m Not Involved?
Fret not; if you are not involved in any activities yet, explore your school and community for activities that pique
your interest. Once you find an activity you are interested in, stick with it. You don’t have to be editor-in-chief or
captain of the team, but you do want to make valued contributions to the club, sport, etc., to demonstrate your
initiative and commitment to admissions officers.
Extracurriculars in a Nutshell
Your extracurricular activity should expand upon a genuine interest. Start early and stick with it. Remember,
quality is better than quantity, and leadership over membership.
Moreover, by illustrating your participation in activities outside of academics you demonstrate that you are well
rounded. Bottom line is that well-rounded students are better candidates for admission because they
demonstrate that they can handle both life and academics.
7226 Jardiniere Court
Charlotte, NC 28226
lee@collegeadmissionsstrategies.com
704-907-5685
www.collegeadmissionsstrategies.com