It’s generally not the activity or the organization that impresses a college – it’s the quality of your participation and your commitment to it over time. Sure, it’s impressive when someone raises all the money to build a school in a developing country, and goes there to help with the construction – but it’s not the fund raising or the school that’s impressive. Some activities carry more “weight” than others, I’m sure, but what is really important is that you follow a passion (even if it’s drawing and publishing cartoons, or becoming a black-belt-underwater-basket-weaver…………) and do it with character and commitment.
No one can tell you what activities and organizations to join to impress highly selective colleges. There is no secret to getting in. Highly selective colleges are interested in your grades, level of difficulty of course work, test scores and YOU! There are not specific activities and organizations that impress them more than others.
Any activity that you are genuinely and meaningfully engaged in will give the college an honest sense about who you are. I recommend you participate in organizations that really interest you. Don’t just join clubs or groups to impress someone else. Do it to contribute to the larger good, to test out a career field, or to expand your understanding of the world and your life’s purpose.
The most impressive activities/organizations that colleges are interested in are those that a student has been engaged in for a long duration. This reveals a students consistency, promotions within organization or passion for organization. All activities should show growth, not merely having many activities and all are respected.
Yes, highly selected colleges are keenly aware of all of the activities and organizations available to students. One of the most important things is to keep in mind that colleges are not impressed with activities that cost a lot of money or that are prearranged by some sort of a corporate firm. The best thing students can do is explore activities and programs that offer something of interest and of substance. Usually these programs require an application, are not well advertised and cost little to no money.
Pose this question to the colleges and they all will claim that they are looking for quality, not quantity. There are some things, however, that seem to make a bigger impression. I have noticed that a position like Student Body President makes an impression (probably because there is only one at each school). The same goes for any national win where a student beats out large numbers of contestants. For the rest of us mortals, however, the most important thing is that your activities show some sort of passion for something that matters. Dabbling in this or that is not the same as 4 years as a member of the varsity debate squad. Try not to create an identity for yourself from a series of good deeds, because these schools have seen every game out there. Be yourself, and participate in what feels right to you. The most impressive thing you can do is to show who you are by how you spend your time.
Colleges are impressed by students who take leadership opportunities to new heights not by particular activities or clubs. If you have a passion and can take it to a state or national level, that make an impression. If you create a club or organization to meet a need or fill a void in your school or community, that’s impressive.
Here is my video response to the question.
There are a great number of “urban myths” about this subject. The truth is the best activities/organizations are the ones that you are truly passionate about. If you love sculpture then that is the best activity for you. I would say the more important issue is how much initiative you take to deeply pursue the activity or organization. It’s absolutely fine to choose something “out of the box” to pursue, but make sure you are fully engaged in the activity and that you take on leadership where possible. Yes, we’ve all heard that every college needs a bassoon player, but that may not be your passion. Choose what you love and dive deep into it!
The answer here is to think about quality versus quantity. Admissions counselors do not want to see a hundred clubs and organizations on your resume that you just happened to join all at the same time. Rather, what they would like to see is depth and commitment. Your best bet is to seek out activities where you have a sincere interest. Whether its volunteering in your community, joining a club or organization or playing a sport (just to name a few), if you have identified opportunities that help build your brand, then you will be more likely to stick with them and seek out leadership roles.
It is difficult to say which activities and organizations impress which colleges, because students and admissions officers are individuals with their own priorities and interests. However, if there is one type quality that I have seen as important in the last admissions cycle, it was the degree to which a student showed not only his or her passion but also leadership. Is an athlete a team captain? Is a debater a team leader? Is a student a writer for the online paper, or the editor of that paper? Regarding specific organizations, I hear that groups such as governor’s schools are very impressive. However, elite schools have too large a volume of candidates from which to select. In a particular admissions year, certain credentials may be more or less valuable to that college.
The question isn’t what activities “impress” college, but rather which activities interest you? Colleges aren’t impressed by particular activities per se — they are impressed by your commitment, talent, and passion for an activity! It doesn’t matter if you are one of the “smart kids” who love Model UN or one of the ‘artsy kids” who love Drama Club or one of the “athletic kids” who spend hours in the pool swimming laps. What counts is that you show a deep commitment to doing something that you love. And remember — that could mean something that you love to do outside of school like ballet, writing comics, skateboarding, or community service!
The question isn’t which activities “impress” colleges, but rather which activities interest you? Colleges aren’t impressed by particular activities per se — they are impressed by your commitment, talent, and passion for an activity! It doesn’t matter if you are one of the “smart kids” who love Model UN or one of the ‘artsy kids” who love Drama Club or one of the “athletic kids” who spend hours in the pool swimming laps. What counts is that you show a deep commitment to doing something that you love. And remember — that could mean something that you love to do outside of school like ballet, writing comics, skateboarding, or community service!
Schools need to fill their sports teams, their theater, their orchestras, their newspapers etc etc. So, there is not one type of activity in particular that would especially impress them. What they are really looking for is not the student who has joined 20 clubs in High School, but perhaps the students who has founded and lead maybe just one club. They want students who have shown a deep commitment to maybe two different activities and have demonstrated talent and leadership. Schools are no longer looking for the “well-rounded” student but what they describe as the “pointed” student, so that they can put together a well-rounded freshman class.
“Stand-out students” begin the admissions process way before they actually complete their applications. What this means is thinking ahead to make sure you take a rigorous academic program and get the best grades, without overwhelming yourself in the process. It also means getting the most out of the standardized tests you can, usually accomplished through some kind of test prep. An important third ingredient is well-written essays that reflect who you are as a student and person.
competitions that gain national recognitions are normally the ones that attract most selective colleges. the time committment for each activities is also the key fact to consider. it is not able how many different activities that you have participant in the past, it is all about how do you spend your time with passion and contribution to the society.
When choosing your high school activities and organizations think about these characteristics: Leadership, commitment, authenticity and depth.
Involvement should have little to do with impressing highly selective colleges and more to do with defining your interests and expressing your passions. Entering High School really offers so many opportunities to “get involved.” Which should you choose?
There are certain very prestigious and selective programs and awards that provide evidence of experiences that impress highly selective colleges, however there is no magic activity or organization. Selective colleges are looking for students who have an intellectual passion that motivates them to do extraordinary things. This means a love of learning which means being a voracious reader.
Activities and organizations that you are very involved in impress admission committees. Your activities tell the committee what your strong interests are. It is much better to have two clubs you are extremely active in than 10 clubs you aren’t active in. Show your involvement and leadership…that counts.
The highly selective colleges aren’t interested in the amount of things you do (doing 10 things for 10% of your time each). If you only did two things for 50% each of your time, how committed were you, how did you grow and gain more responsibility in those things that you did, were you a leader in that specific activity? These are things they want to know. These colleges are also looking for spectacular things you did. How did you stand our over your peers and go above and beyond. These are the things that highly selective colleges pay attention to you. No matter what, your grades, course selection and test scores will play the biggest factor. After that though, do well on the essay(s) and then they like to see words like “leader”, “director”, “editor”, “president”, “founder”, etc.
What impresses any college including highly selective ones is what you have done with your activity or organization. How involved were you and did you play a meaningful role in the organization. How consistent is your involvement? Why is it important to you. These are the questions you should address when describing you extra curricular activities.
Colleges are looking for students who have committed themselves to an activity or organization. They are looking for leaders, not followers. It will impress the committee if you haven’t just dabbled in a bunch of different random experiences, but rather you’re involvement is sustained over time with an increasing amount of responsibility/depth of experience. Whether this activity is musical, theatrical, political, athletic, etc. does not matter as much as demonstrating by your involvement, how passionate you are about the organization.
There’s not one “silver bullet” activity or accomplishment selective colleges are looking for. Rather, they want to see sustained commitment to an activity or two, over the years. Sometimes students make the mistake of trying to get involved with every organization they can. This is not the way to go. Find a few things you are passionate about and really invest yourself.
Yes…everything. Ignore the term “well rounded!” Colleges seek students who are interesting, intellectually motivated, and passionate. This means, specifically, trying to complete a seven-page resume is useless, counterproductive, and, most often, hurtful to a student’s application. Choose activities you enjoy. If you love music, play in the bands or orchestras; if you enjoy planning and organizing events then join the student councils; if you believe in community service then perform service activities. Colleges will admit students with diverse interests and backgrounds. Clones are not needed or wanted. So, spend time doing what excites you, do that activity well, and try not to “impress” colleges with the number of activities you choose. Surely, Quality is so much more valuable than quantity.
There is no specific activity that is more impressive to highly selective schools than others. It is all measured in the framework of the student wanting to apply to their university. Whatever organization or experience that was energizing, challenging, and fulfilling to that particular candidate is the one the colleges want to know about.
Yes there are. They are the activities and organizations that are most important to you. This means that you have illustrated commitment, leadership, initiative, or passion in these activities. There are also big name awards/organizations like National Merit or Intel Science that all highly selective colleges and universities adore.
Colleges often view community service as prestigious acts. Students even evince academic gains from volunteering in their communities and it gives them a chance to apply academic learning to real life situations. By becoming a volunteer students will also expand their scholarship and grant opportunities. A student can receive non-monetary recognition that will enhance their student resume. There are also many honor societies and by being a member will show highly selective colleges that you are a valuable student.
This question has a whiff of how do I “package” myself to please top tier admission counselors. Be yourself and follow your interests and passions and your talent in these areas will shine through. Colleges and universities are getting turned off by the inauthentic student who chooses activities only to increase his odds of gaining acceptance to a highly selective institution. The result is that these schools are seeing the same type of extracurriculars (NHS, INTEL FInalist, Hospital Volunteer, etc). Admission Committee’s are building a class, each student with his own personality and genuine interests.
Passionate involvement in a few activities, which demonstrate leadership and initiative will impress colleges. Becoming an Eagle Scout is an example of such an activity.
I believe that what schools look for is community service and well rounded students. I believe they also like to see a student who has an interest and tracks that interest through high school, whether it be art, music, robotics etc…
Rather than looking for extracurriculars that you hope will impress the highly selective schools, find and pursue activities that are meaningful to YOU. Colleges want to see that you can cultivate and pursue extracurriculars in which you have an authentic investment and participate in them over time simply for their own rewards…not because they might impress the admissions office. Activities and organizations that you participate in should be about helping you grow as an individual and become an active member of your community. Your experiences and what you gain from them will influence your life long after your undergraduate career is behind you. That’s what really matters.
Stand out by doing something different. Too many students see what they think some students did to be successful and try to follow in their foot steps. Follow your interests and passions. Try something new, challenge yourself to do something creative and then reflect on what you have learned. There is no “magic” activity that will get you in, it is what you have learned about your self in the process.
Activities on a state or national level. And I am not talking about National Honor Society. If you stand out on a statewide or even a national level for your organization, that will help you to stand out for these colleges.
I’ve heard that admissions offices look most favorably on philanthropic activities aimed at disabled woodland creatures, so you should think about starting a charity for three-legged squirrels…
The short answer is No. It’s not what you do; it’s how far you take it.
I’m not sure that there is any one activity or organization that will impress colleges, highly selective or not. There are two things that I think make an organization or activity stand out for any student. The first is that you are passionate about that activity or organization. Whatever it is, you should be doing it 100%. Whatever you do, it should say something about you; that this is something you truly love. Secondly, demonstrate a level of commitment and loyalty to that activity/organization. Attend meetings and activities organized by that organization/club. If you are able to, be a leader in that activity. One last note: Don’t join an organization/activity just to put it on your application. Colleges are also looking for authenticity and transparency in your application. They are experts at reading application and can spot a student who is trying hard to market themselves. Be yourself…including your activities.
There isn’t a singular activity (by name) that highly selective colleges are looking for. What they are looking for is leadership or innovation, and for your passions to come out in your application. As far as leadership goes, it is important to get involved in clubs, activities, and athletics early on in your high school career. This increases the likelihood of getting voted as an officer or captain later as an upperclassman. I see a lot of students trying to scramble and add to their college resume late in their high school career, and colleges can usually see through this. If there is not an club or activity that you are interested in, start one. Some of my most successful students, saw a need in the school or community, and started a community service program to address that need. Being innovative gets the attention of selective colleges and scholarship committees. Truly being involved in Community service, changing ones community, (beyond just the getting a few hours in here and there) is another way to get the attention of admission committees.
Yes and no.
Highly selective colleges are looking for unique individuals that want to make a difference. That being said, there’s not a specific organization or activity that you should be doing. Instead, focus on something you’re passionate about. If you see a social wrong that you can help to right, do it. If you see a gap that needs to be filled, fill it. Ultimately, you want to focus on those things that move you.
The specific activities are less important than the nature and extend of your involvement in whatever you choose. Each activity says something about you, but a wide range with limited depth may say little more than that that you cannot focus—and that is not good. A smaller number of thing to which you are committed, in which you have had a chance to show leadership or initiative, is preferable and will serve you better. Too, the way they connect with the rest of your application helps create a fuller picture of who you are, what matters to you, and what you will be able to contribute to their school community the admissions office is trying to build. Commitment and passion are more important than any particular type of activity.
Colleges love community service, everyone can join a sports team or participate in FBLA. It takes a caring person and a particular kind of student to have a passion and caring for their own community. It shows that you have an innate sense of good about oneself and that you are are not selfish.
No, not in the way that you think. It’s important to highly selective colleges that you are involved in some type of active or organization. One or two is just fine. The most important part is that they see longevity. To be a part of 30 organizations for two month each is not as impressive as being apart of two organizations for four or six years.
Colleges want to see that you have a passion for something. There is no one specific magic thing you should do to get into a college, but what they do love is consistency and dedication. Whether it’s horseback riding, sports, the violin, colleges want to see that you stuck with your activity throughout high school because you love to do and aren’t simply trying to impress them. This being said, being well-rounded is a great quality too, but being a dilettante is not. You want to go deep rather than broad, but having only one activity isn’t the best either. Community involvement/ volunteerism is a trait colleges love to see, but rather than try and stick it into your application, see if there’s a way to work in what you love to do with helping others. Athlete? A sports camp for elementary schoolers would be a great way to give back. If you’re a musician, try giving a concert to the elderly at a home. Colleges want to see that you go beyond what you are simply told to do. If you take initiative with whatever you do, that’s great!
Parents and students often assume that highly selective college admission offices are seeking renaissance men/women. But, colleges are seeking a well-rounded community, not necessarily well-rounded individuals. Highly selective colleges are particularly impressed by students who have demonstrated a depth of involvement in a particular area of passion. Students who parlay their passion into a service project or school leadership role are especially impressive. My advice regarding extracurricular involvement for every student: push your passions for personal gratification, not college entrance.
Yep. But, here’s a quote to live by, from the Dean of Admissions at Amherst, from an interview on NPR.
The way to impress admission staff members of highly selective colleges is to be AUTHENTIC. Being involved with activities/organizations for which you have a true passion is impressive. Sadly, too many students and their parents try to find the “magic formula” of involvement, when in fact, doing what you love is what allows you to speak enthusiastically about it during interviews, and write effectively about it when doing essays.
Yes, highly selected colleges are keenly aware of all of the activities and organizations available to students. Unfortunately, many times students are not aware of all of the activities and organizations that impress the highly selective colleges. One of the most important things is to keep in mind that colleges are not impressed with activities that cost a lot of money or that are prearranged by some sort of a corporate firm. So, the question is what the students do? The best thing is to explore what they’re most interested in and seek out various activities within that area of interest. For example, many students are not aware that there is only one journal in the country that publishes student papers, and that is the Concord Review. While it is highly selective, students who submit history papers often end up going to the best schools in the country. The reason for this is because colleges assume that if you are good enough to be selected for something so elite than you are good enough for their college. Keep in mind that students can start as early as middle school. For example, there is an Arrow Space camp they can attend as well as countless opportunities for girls in terms of leadership, writing, art, etc. The best thing to do for any student is to stay away from the run of the mill activities that everyone else is doing because in the end that does not help them stand out.
The campuses of highly selective colleges are like stand-alone communities, and students are its citizens. Thus, the quality of campus life is highly dependent on the contributions of its student inhabitants. You may hear admissions officers mention “leadership” as a desirable quality; consider it as people taking the initiative to make life better. High school and community opportunities exist to support student experiences in leadership at several levels: local, state, national, even international. It’s up to the student to reach beyond the familiar to help realize a vision, perhaps supported by the resources of an established activity or organization. It’s not the activity or organization itself, it what one does with it that matters. .
Any activity that you commit to for consecutive years that has you involved in a leader-type position will impress highly selective colleges.
Highly selective colleges are interested in the focus and commitment a prospective student has made to her or his activities. Does s/he excel in a particular talent? Has s/he founded or created a club, organization or activity at school or in the community? What leadership skills have been developed through these activities? What intellectual and personal growth can be clearly attributed to involvement in one or more activities? What impact on others has the student had through activities and organizations? How does the student evaluate his or her participation? Does s/he plan to continue to develop in this or similar activities in college?
You may have heard that squash is the “big thing” for kids to have an edge in the admissions process, or that playing a hard-to-find instrument like the bassoon is your ticket to admission at the college of your dreams.
Leadership, evidence of intellectual curiosity and genuine commitment.
What I continue to hear from college admissions is that they would much rather have a student have less activities but show much more in-depth involvement in them. It is much more important the student does activities that resonate with their interests and NOT do activities just to build a resume for “highly selective colleges.”
Activities and organizations that will impress highly selective colleges, or any college for that matter, will be as varied as the admissions staff reviewing the information. What may impress one may not impress another. However, as a rule, unique and different experiences, i.e., things they don’t see every day, will stand out. Also, activities that may be common but that the student has taken to the highest level or made an unusual impact are more likely to impress. The best advice is to stay true to who you are and don’t participate in something solely because you think it will impress others.
i think colleges are more impressed by passions rather than activities/organizations. I do believe they want to see you doing authentic activities rather than paying for expensive programs that are just for privileged kids. Please find internships and other ways to get experience. Please join non-profits that do work that you share. Please start your own business or student organization. Please try something you never thought of trying. That is what matters. Selective colleges want kids who are deeply involved and committed to pushing themselves and their communities.
Commitment and passion!
First of all, remember that your most impressive credentials are your GPA, the rigor of your course load, and your standardized test scores. NEVER sacrifice any of these credentials for extracurricular activities, EVER.
There are a number of activities that will definitely stand out to a college-competing at the Olympics, being a solo (and successful) recording artist, having the lead in a Broadway show, running a profitable business based on an original idea etc. However, for the vast majority of applicants, who will not fall into any of these categories, the most important thing is to be involved in activities in which you show initiative, accomplishment and growth. Try and find activities you enjoy by 9th grade and pursue them throughout high school. See if there’s a way to broaden your interest-if you’ve founded a high school club, is there a way to establish branches in other schools or join a countywide council of students interested in the same subject? Try to seek opportunities outside of your high school. If you’re interested in politics, in addition to being on the Student Council, maybe you could work for a local or state candidate, write a political newsletter or even blog about political issues for a local newspaper. Selective colleges get thousands of applications from students who are president of two high school clubs, have won an award in Model Congress, play a varsity sport and have organized a fundraiser for a charity in 11th grade. See what you can do to stand out and think outside the box.
I’m sure that a few may disagree with me, but I believe it is more important that you have longevity with an activity/organization rather than what said activity/organization is. Find clubs/organizations that truly interest you, stick with them, and try to get a position as an officer down the road.
There are two aspects to your extracurricular involvement that help you stand out from the crowd. These are leadership and depth of commitment. Regardless of the activity, holding a leadership role is a sign of future involvement and success at the college level. In addition, colleges like to see that you have committed a good deal of time to a few activities rather than attending a meeting or two of a long list of clubs. Revealing a leadership role in activities that date back several years is beneficial to you. Beyond leadership, many activities and organizations have regional and national awards related to participation. Recognition of your service and commitment can increase the value of your application. Also, look for activities outside of your immediate school surroundings. Consider the thousands of others applicants to each school you apply to. How many of them will be members of National Honor Society, key Club, and the Band? What activities did you participate in that make you unique? Starting your own activity or organization is always an option. This also reveals an entrepreneurial spirit.
Most important is developing activities in which you have real interest. Colleges like to see depth of commitment to activities, so settle on a few activities in which you have shown growth/leadership. In terms of organizations, of course, highly selective colleges will welcome academic honors as well as depth of activities.
As summer approaches, I will focus my answer on this important time of year. Utilizing the summer break is critical to a successful application process. Admissions officers look for engagement in activities 12 months of the year, not just during the school year. So, what you do with your summer’s matters. There is no right or wrong way to spend this time, but let it be unique to your own situation, goals and needs – just make sure you do something! Studying at Harvard, Stanford or Yale is not all highly selective universities look for or care about – though many have very well known and highly reputable summer programs that look great on college applications – participation in these type of programs doesn’t get you in. Some students spend the summer focusing solely on test prep or taking classes at a local community college or online (MOOC’s, too). Others work full-time or part time, and there are some students who travel, volunteer, go to camps or focus on a sport or sports. Most students do a combination of one or more of the above over the summer months, and the ability to demonstrate balance of a set of meaningful activities is a great characteristic to be able to highlight in your application.
Yes & here are a few:
Sponsored Meaning Explained
EducationDynamics receives compensation for the featured schools on our websites (see “Sponsored Ad” or “Sponsored Listings” or “Sponsored Results”). So what does this mean for you? Compensation may impact where the Sponsored Schools appear on our websites, including whether they appear as a match through our education matching services tool, the order in which they appear in a listing, and/or their ranking. Our websites do not provide, nor are they intended to provide, a comprehensive list of all schools (a) in the United States (b) located in a specific geographic area or (c) that offer a particular program of study. By providing information or agreeing to be contacted by a Sponsored School, you are in no way obligated to apply to or enroll with the school. Your trust is our priority. We at EducationDynamics believe you should make decisions about your education with confidence. that’s why EducationDynamicsis also proud to offer free information on its websites, which has been used by millions of prospective students to explore their education goals and interests. close