Quantity or Quality? Help with Extracurriculars!

Hey, I'm in the midst of setting up my college application and I'm a bit lost on the extracurriculars part. How many extracurricular activities should I aim to list? Is it better to have a long list of varied activities or a shorter list of activities where I have had significant involvement? Just want to make my app as impressive as possible!

Your question is a very common one and it's great you're thinking critically about how to present your extracurricular activities. The short answer is: quality over quantity. Highly competitive colleges want to see significant involvement over passive membership.

It's better to have a few activities where you've shown consistent involvement and leadership over several years. This could mean you've taken on responsibilities, made notable contributions, or had a positive impact. Detailed descriptions of these experiences and accomplishments can be very compelling.

To give an example, rather than listing being a member of 10 clubs, consider focusing on your role as president of the debate club where you organized events, led weekly meetings, and took the club to regional and state championships.

Do note that most successful applicants to top colleges usually have around 8-10 extracurriculars, but many of these are seasonal, like sports, and they’re highly-involved in a few. Keep in mind, these activities could include part-time jobs, organised sports, voluntary work, running a small business, or personal creative projects. In essence, anything that you devote time to outside of your academic pursuits can be considered an extracurricular activity.

Ultimately, what admission officers look for is depth of participation rather than breadth. They want to see where your specific interests lie, the dedication you put into these interests, and what qualities you've uncovered during these experiences.