How To Choose Extracurriculars That Will Actually Make a Difference
Students in the U.S. have a plethora of options when it comes to picking up extracurriculars: there’s debate classes, coding clubs, mentorship programs, and endless other options. Ambitious students seek extracurriculars they think will make a difference in their college application and success, whether through the experience, “prestige,” or networking opportunities.
Unfortunately, these same students frequently make the mistake of choosing extracurriculars based purely on brand name or the perceived general “prestige” of the activity. Students do this to pack their resume (they’re often known as “resume builders”) and impress admissions officers. You may have done this, or likely know someone who has. Unfortunately we know many students who are pulling 80+ hour weeks at school in part to squeeze in their third instrument, second charity, and fourth club “presidency,” or an expensive summer program that happens to have Harvard’s logo. Many of them are miserable.
The really bad news is that their suffering is probably not helping their college application nearly as much as they think. Scattershot resume stuffing does not appear to be an effective college admissions strategy.
I know why students (and their parents) do this to themselves, but I’m sometimes disappointed that the strategy is not better-considered. College admissions officers jump up and down, waving their arms to discourage students from just stuffing more extracurriculars. They’re not looking for the student who is simply willing to endure the most suffering in high school. They look for uniqueness, passion, and great potential. They’re looking for someone who can go into a field (biology, history, business, etc), and become a game-changer. They’re looking for a story of someone who knows what they want to do, is self-motivated to do it, and has the capability to pull it off.
If you have not read their guidance, do it now:
The great news is that all of this can be demonstrated in your extracurriculars. When considering your options, spend time reflecting to understand what really motivates you–what you care about. Admissions officers want to read about students that will make a difference and have a vision for what they want to study. By pursuing passion you demonstrate a deep focus in the subject area, rather than a scattershot of “impressive-looking things”.
If you're passionate about robotics, and want to study engineering, build robots! Learn about how they will be used in the future and write about their applications. If you’re going to take on extra study, study some mechanical, electrical, and/or software engineering. Join competitions such as FIRST robotics. “My school doesn’t have FIRST robotics!” Even better: start the club.
If you want to study government at the Harvard Kennedy School, it should be natural for you to be in Model UN and Debate Team, and to be writing essays (which you can submit in contests for scholarships, etc) as you have genuine fun thinking about government problems.
The “generally impressive” student who is smart but just spent their high school career suffering to stack accolades and ribbons will not stand out. There are thousands of these. Because admissions rates are lower than ever, admissions officers have the luxury and the curse of picking among too many qualified students. They therefore are looking to tell a story: “What is this student going to do with their education?” If you have shown that you know what you want to do, and can tell a story about how a given school can help you do that, you’re in much better shape.
If this feels too good to be true, do your own research–college admissions officers don’t have a reason to lie to you, so read what they’re saying. You’ll see they agree. Once you pivot your college admissions strategy to focus on doing what you actually like, life’s going to be better, and your college admissions chances will go up.
