How to describe student council experience on Common App?

Hey, I was wondering how other applicants described their student council role on the Common App activities section. What kind of description did you use to emphasize your impact and responsibilities? Thanks!

When describing your student council experience on the Common App, it's important to be concise and specific about your impact and responsibilities. Consider breaking the description into three parts: your role, accomplishments, and impact.

Start by mentioning your role and the time commitment in the designated boxes. For example, if you were the Vice President, you could write, "Vice President, 15 hrs/week, 36 weeks/yr." Clearly stating your position helps admissions officers understand the level of responsibility and time investment required.

Next, focus on your accomplishments or key responsibilities. Use action verbs and try to quantify your impact as much as possible. For example, instead of writing "organized events," you could describe a specific accomplishment like this: "Led planning and execution of annual school-wide dance, increasing attendance by 25% and raising $3,000 for local charity."

Lastly, highlight any impact you made on the student council, school community, or beyond. If you were involved in any initiatives that had a lasting effect, make sure to mention them. For example, "Spearheaded student-led initiative to implement mental health awareness week, resulting in increased counselor appointments and stress-reduction resources for students."

Putting it all together, your description might look like this: "Vice President, 15 hrs/week, 36 weeks/yr. Led planning and execution of annual school-wide dance, increasing attendance by 25% and raising $3,000 for local charity. Spearheaded student-led initiative to implement mental health awareness week, resulting in increased counselor appointments and stress-reduction resources for students."

Remember to stay within the 150-character limit for the description, which might mean cutting some words or using abbreviations when necessary. Tailor the description to your unique experience, and make sure to focus on the most significant aspects of your student council involvement. Good luck!