college admission essay

college admission essay

The Importance of Extracurricular Activities in College Admission

1. Introduction

This age-old question is often asked by high school students. What makes extracurricular activities so important that it could affect a college admission decision? The reason is colleges are not only interested in the academic knowledge that you may have but also the potential growth that might occur while you are studying there. Extracurricular activities are a way to demonstrate that you have the ability to engage in a job or a project and see it through from inception to completion. It develops a crucial aspect of your personality and one that the college is very interested in: leadership. By taking an active role in an activity or a sport, you begin to foster growth in the ability to make critical decisions. You also become more confident in taking on these decisions given that they will have a more significant impact on the project. Leaders are not born, they are made, and it is the process of making a leader which is of interest to the colleges. Here at UCR, one of the students applying for an engineering major was actively involved in a project that took 2 years to complete. The student was a part of a lower division robotics competition. He and his team made two robots in the first year of the project to take to the competition. Unfortunately, both robots were completely destroyed in a series of unfortunate events. The team did not give up, however, which shows great determination, a sought-after trait in leaders. They decided to make a more comprehensive and user-friendly robot to improve their performance in the game. This took an additional year to complete. This student is now someone who has taken on a decision in leadership. He will be leaving the country to go study engineering in Germany. He has already demonstrated his great leadership to his team and will attempt to do the same in the robotics community in Germany. This is exactly the type of person the college is interested in. Extracurricular activities are the only area in the college application where you are able to demonstrate unique versions of this quality. Everyone has the potential to be a leader, but it is only through the strategic development of one’s potential. This is a skill that is heavily prominent in the activity area. Whether you are a leader in a club, on a sports team, or a volunteer group, leadership is crucial and no activity can be successful without good leadership. This is consistently being demonstrated as a very high statistical portion of leaders in the activity areas go on to take leadership roles later in life.

2. Section One: The Role of Extracurricular Activities in College Admissions

Schools look for evidence in extracurricular activities that show dedication, perseverance, and commitment during the recruiting process. Active participation in productive extracurricular activities can indicate a student’s seriousness and provide a good platform to demonstrate leadership, planning, and initiative. There are endless benefits and advantages of extracurricular activities if they are taken seriously. These activities will show the better and positive side of your personality that will assist in grooming you amply well to face the competitive world out there. Extracurricular activities provide a channel for reinforcing the lessons learned in the classroom, offering students the opportunity to apply academic skills in a real-world context, and are thus considered part of a well-rounded education. Student time in the classroom is being crowded out by increasing pressure to perform well on standardized tests, and this is pushing schools to cut time for recess and time in special area classes, including social studies, arts, and physical education. The No Child Left Behind Act has put pressure on schools to raise academic achievement, and many have responded by cutting extracurricular programs. Students from all age groups and schools/colleges stand to benefit in many ways given the alarming trend of increasing pressure from studies and less time or opportunities for relaxation and enjoyment. The environment today is very competitive and complex. It is difficult for parents, teachers, and students to fully understand the implications and benefits of one activity or a learning experience over another. But it is still important that the right opportunities are provided to enhance a student’s capabilities. Today’s well-informed parents are looking for a more holistic education for their children. They recognize the importance of extracurricular activities in helping their children to develop a well-rounded personality with all the positive attributes and traits to make a successful impact in life.

3. Section Two: Benefits of Participating in Extracurricular Activities

Participating in extracurricular activities, this is a common question among college applicants. For years, the general view has been that much of the benefit of extracurricular activities is to an applicant, socially or personally. But of late, many admissions officers have confirmed that involvement can give slight advantages to applicants who are academically qualified. It is best to develop a spike and have a few areas of in-depth involvement. What this means is that it is better to be very involved in a few activities than to be just mildly involved in many. It would be better to be the captain of the school chess team, participate in the math club, and do volunteer work than it would be to say that you are involved in student government, an academic honor society, and play a secondary role in the athletic or academic area. Admissions officers are in search of a specific skill set of students. It is easy to spread oneself too thin, and it is invaluable to know when to say no. Because many areas of involvement require dues of some sort, it is not uncommon to find that an activity has steered an involved student away from his academic goals. This is a trap. Extracurricular involvement should never distract an individual from his primary goal of a quality academic foundation. If something is taking too much time, and a student is beginning to put less and less effort into his studies, it may be wise to cut the cord. One’s academic performance in high school is the single greatest factor in the college admissions process. Always remember that extracurricular activities are a wonderful thing, but moderation is the key. In the next section, I hope to outline some of the ways that an applicant can benefit from involvement in certain activities, and what colleges are really looking for in the students of today.

4. Section Three: How to Highlight Your Extracurricular Involvement in Your College Admission Essay

When writing the part about your extracurricular work on your college admission essay, you have to first think about why this is the case of you being asked to do this. Typically, a college looking at your application is going to be asking themselves one of two questions: Will this student be involved on our campus and if so, what will he contribute to our campus community? Writing about your involvement in extracurricular activities answers both of these questions. Colleges are interested in students who will be active members on campus and will be involved in various student organizations. Since you have already established that you have a commitment to a certain activity, the college will feel that you are likely to continue this involvement on their campus. Also, writing about the specific role that you played in your extracurricular activity gives the college an idea of what you have to contribute. Whether it is a leadership role or a simpler role as a member, you have had an impact on this activity and have something to show for it. Colleges are looking to bring in students who will have a positive impact on their campus, so it is important to portray this during your college admission essay.

5. Conclusion

Another very important aspect of considering extracurricular activities in college admissions is the increasing competition between college students to gain acceptance to prestigious post-graduate programs and professional schools. With the broad range of student abilities, national and international awards and honors, and a GPA or test scores of “acceptable,” admissions departments are struggling to differentiate between students. This is especially true for medical, business, or law schools where the baseline requirements for acceptance are only slightly lower than those for Ivy League undergraduate programs. These admissions departments are more likely to stick to the traditional method of a point system in grading applicants and giving heavier weight to extracurricular activities, hoping to create classes of students who have proven they are leaders or have shown a dedication to community service on a level deeper than just the acquisition of volunteer hours. It has been shown that extracurricular activities as a part of undergraduate life can have considerable effects on a student’s self-development, choice of career, and his or her future success in the workforce.

In conclusion, it is clear from the number of factors that are considered in admitting new students to college that extracurricular activities are an important consideration not only in the admissions process, but also in the development of well-rounded, successful students. The academic emphasis placed on grades and standardized test scores has led to an increase in the number of students who have perfect 4.0 GPAs and 1600 SAT scores. Admissions departments, in order to create incoming classes with a wide range of interests and experiences, are using extracurricular activities as a main factor in making differentiations between students. This is clear when looking at the number of students who participate in extracurricular activities as compared to the number of students who are admitted to college. Approximately 25% of accepted students were involved in some form of student government, as compared to 17% of admitted students not involved in these activities. The differences are similar in other activities – such as part-time jobs, varsity sports, and community service – with participation rates of admitted students ranging from 10-20% higher than those who were not accepted. These statistics show that extracurricular involvement is an important consideration in college admissions.