Often students ask us, why are extracurricular activities important for college applications? We’re here to provide some insight into this.
What counts as an extracurricular activity?
Sports activities, internships, projects ,arts, culture clubs, student newspaper, student government body, participating and volunteering for community-based projects with the upliftment of the community being the agenda and many more fall under this category of extracurricular activities.
These activities are usually conducted above and beyond the working hours of school. They are even the most enticing events of summer camps.
Extracurricular activities provide cognizance about the essence of the students apart from their grades and test scores. While evaluating, the college admissions officer is looking for not only your exam scores and grades but yes, your extracurricular activities.
Let us list down some benefits of these extracurricular activities on your applications:
- Extracurriculars define you.
Colleges are looking to define you and your capabilities using the information you provide on your application or essays. Extracurriculars are utilitarian in such instances. They exhibit your passion and interest apart from your academics. Both of which are crucial in determining who you are as an individual.
- Speaks about the student’s niche.
Whether you choose a personality activity, leadership activity, academic activity or service activity speaks volumes about your approach towards life and even answers the essence, presence, and absence in your life. These are pivotal in establishing a mental image of the students in the evaluator’s mind.
- They exhibit several cognitive skills of the student.
The drive, commitment, talent, interest, and time-management skills are well showcased in these sections of the application. The conduct of the activity, the conduct of the student, the approach the student had while engaging in extracurriculars are fundamental details the admissions officer is going to pick and note while reviewing your application.
- Assess your leadership skills.
Most officers want students who would have the potential in embarking on a journey wherein they can leave a lasting impression. Leadership plays a pivotal role in this area and extra-curricular activities help build and lays emphasis on this quality of the student.
- Extracurriculars lay a platform for the students to explore and sharpen their knife.
Participating in these events and the takeaways from them shape you as an individual which is essential throughout your life, including your college years. Participating in these activities gives students the opportunity to explore their interests better, and even rule out some activities that they thought would be interesting for them but didn’t turn into such with time.
- Helps manifest a speciality.
Exploring and focusing through the interests of students help develop a specific speciality for students. This is the biggest advantage and significance of extra-curricular for students. Meaningful, sustained, persistent involvement of students in these activities relating to their core interest can help in manifesting their speciality.
- Impact on college
The officer can judge and picture the kind of contribution and impact you would have on your peers and the college as a whole through these extracurriculars. This is what accounts for the unique affair you would have at the college.
- Extra-curriculars dive deeper into the student’s purpose.
The admissions committee evaluating your application is keen to obtain some noteworthy answers to questions like- did this project help expand the student’s intellect? Did it build his/her character? Does it help support a family, public or good cause? Does it add any meaning to the student’s way of life? And many more. These questions can prove to be beneficial for a student as well. By incorporating such angles in their applications, they surely would obtain an edge over the other applications.
An ongoing relationship with Credge guarantees that we will be there to monitor the execution of your game plan and adjust the path towards success. We help you make the right decisions, optimize your outlook, maximize your chances for admission, and enhance subsequent chances for success in college and beyond.