Extracurricular Activities

“We’re looking for a commitment to and a passion for an activity outside of the academic setting — we’re looking for depth rather than breadth.” Nanci Tessier,  a College Admission Director

Many people wonder what extracurricular activities students should be involved in.  Some students try many different activities.  They try sports, choir, student government, music, student clubs and so on.  But many college admissions officers say that it is the commitment and leadership that count.  It is not how diverse a student’s interest is.  Freshmen may want to explore what they will find interesting.  But sophomores should concentrate on one or two activities that interest them and explore leadership opportunities.

There is nothing worse than joining a club just to put in the college applications.  What college admissions officers look for is how students used the extracurricular activities to broaden the horizon and learn important things in life from the experiences.  So, I suggest that students get involved in activities that are related to their intended majors in college and to their future career.  Students interested in becoming a doctor should become involved in volunteer activities helping the under-served in the community.  No matter what extracurricular activity students choose, students should become deeply involved and show their commitment to the activities with many hours of service and leadership.

College admissions officers want to indiviuality and consistent commitment.

Please let me know how you think about this issue with your comments.

Leadership and Communication Skills

There was a student who had perfect SAT scores, excellent GPA and was a really good pianist.  He applied to many top colleges in the country.  He did not receive admission to some of the schools.  There were two reasons for his less than desired result.

First, he did not show any leadership in his application.  He was living in his own world during high school.  No clubs, no student government offices.  He was  interested in leading his life, but not in leading others.  The second reason was that he did poorly during the interviews.  Not all schools require interviews, but many recommend having interviews.  Interviews are great opportunities to tell the admissions committee what kind of person you are.  GPA, SAT scores only give a limited picture of you.  Personal essays and interviews help complete the picture.

Grades and test scores are not everything.  There will be more posts in the near future about interviews.