What Colleges Really Look For in Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities like clubs, sports, part-time jobs, volunteering, or hobbies can foster new interests and help your teen discover more about themself. If you're not sure whether your teen is even headed to college yet, that's OK. High school is a time for teens to try new things, build skills, and figure out what they care about. Extracurricular activities matter for more than just personal growth. Employers and colleges pay attention to them, too.

While grades and test scores are important, colleges also want to see the person your teen is becoming and the skills they've learned outside of class. They want to know what makes them unique, and the extracurricular activities they participate in will help them stand out.

Highlights

• Quality over quantity: There's no magic number of activities colleges want to see. What matters is what your teen actually gets out of the experience, not how many things they're signed up for.
• Follow interests: Extracurriculars are a great way for your teen to explore what they like and just as importantly, figure out what they don't. Trying things out (and sometimes dropping them) is part of the process.
• Build skills: Activities help teens develop skills like teamwork and communication. These skills carry over into the classroom now and into their careers later on. Colleges also look at a student's activities for signs of leadership, initiative, a willingness to take risks, etc.

What Extracurricular Activities Are Best for College-Bound Students?

The best extracurricular activities are those that already match your teen's interests and passions. Rather than joining many different groups or the most prestigious clubs, they should focus on the ones that spark their talents. After-school activities offer a fun way to explore interests and develop friendships. This may be one reason why more than 80% of adolescents ages 12–17 take part in at least one extracurricular activity. The following list of extracurriculars for college covers the main categories of options.

School-Sponsored Activities

School-sponsored extracurriculars are supervised programs based on an activity, goal, or purpose. While they're not part of the regular curriculum, they can certainly be educational. Most high schools offer an array of programs, including:

• Sports teams
• Band/orchestra/choir
• School newspaper or yearbook club
• Student government
• Special-interests clubs, such as drama club
• Competitive academics, such as math league

Think of school-sponsored activities as a way to complement your teen's regular classroom studies. If your teen likes a specific subject or aspect of a class, find out if their school offers a related program. For example, they could join the school newspaper if they enjoy writing or math club if they have a knack for algebra. Colleges are interested in extracurricular activities because they provide a clearer picture of who your teen is and what their strengths are. Admissions officers like to see school-sponsored activities on applications because it shows an interest in a field of study beyond the classroom and demonstrates growth of leadership skills.

Community Activities

Community groups and organizations may have programs available for high school students looking to engage in their community in a meaningful way. Some options that could be available in your community include:

• Community service
• Local clubs and sports teams
• Community arts or music groups

Getting involved with community issues, political discussions, or leadership opportunities can show admissions committees that your teen is passionate about making a difference. It also shows them their values and if they're aligned with the college's values. By participating in these organizations long-term, your teen can demonstrate their commitment level and work ethic, which is an important skill to have.

Volunteering for a local group or nonprofit is a great way to showcase what your teen is passionate about as well. For example, if they're interested in veterinary technician programs, volunteering at an animal shelter will demonstrate their passion for helping animals and increase their chances of being accepted into a veterinary technician program. Volunteering in the community shows colleges that your teen will be an active, valuable participant in campus life.

Independent Activities

Your teen can also participate in activities at home that help develop their skills outside the classroom. Some of these include:

• Taking specialized online courses, such as coding
• Engaging in related hobbies, such as painting or building
• Learning new skills, such as computer software programs
• Hosting an online podcast
• Starting a small business

Their choice of independent extracurricular activities shows their creativity, passion, and commitment to learning. Colleges like to see a willingness to learn on applications. By demonstrating that they are curious and willing to work hard for what they want, they will stand out from other applicants to admissions committees. Many activities your teen enjoys can enhance their college applications. If they love to make pottery and create new projects every week, this shows dedication, persistence, and creativity.

Work Experience

Work experience—whether it's full-time, part-time, or freelance—is another extracurricular worth adding to a college application. Even if the job is not related to an area of study, it can really impress college admissions committees. Roughly 1 in 3 high school–age teens will have a job at some point in a year.

Balancing work with high school studies shows that your teen has good time management skills and is excited about developing job skills early on. A job commitment also helps them learn the importance of teamwork, reliability, and work ethic. If they work up to a managerial position at their summer job or internship, this shows admissions committees that they are capable of sustained commitment and excellence. If your teen has a part-time job or does volunteer work, make sure they include it on their college application. Support them in framing the experience so that it's clear that your teen has been intentional about building skills. For example, they can highlight how they juggled multiple priorities, worked quickly when needed, managed for quality, and implemented feedback, for example.

How to Help Your Teen Get Started With Extracurricular Activities

It's ideal to start with extracurricular activities as early as possible in high school. This shows a long-term commitment and gives your teen time to potentially earn a club leadership role, which looks great on a college application. That being said, it's never too late to get involved with extracurricular activities.

Begin the search for activities by:

• Joining clubs or groups that friends belong to
• Checking your teen's school's website for clubs and opportunities
• Reaching out to local organizations, such as a church, community center, or town hall
• Checking national organizations' websites, such as the YMCA, Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, or Junior Achievement
• Searching online for specialized courses of interest or visiting your local community college

When choosing extracurriculars, keep these factors in mind:

• Career paths your teen may be considering
• Your teen's intended college major or minor
• Any passions or hobbies your teen already enjoys

Still can't find anything? Your teen can always start their own club, group, or business. Making extracurricular activities a part of the high school experience can enrich your teen's life now and set them up for success in the future.