Hey everyone! As I'm working on my Common Application, I'm unsure how to best approach the activities section. How do you decide which activities to include and which ones to leave out? And how do I come up with a concise description that highlights my main contributions for each activity?
Hey there! Deciding which activities to include and how to describe them can be a bit daunting, but don't worry, I've got some tips for you.
1. Prioritize your activities: Start by listing all of your extracurricular activities and ranking them based on their significance to you and your accomplishments. You may use the 4 Tiers of Extracurriculars framework (Tier 1 being the most prestigious, Tier 4 being the least) to help you evaluate the activities. Aim for a mix of Tier 1-3 activities, focusing on those that reflect your most developed skills, achievements, and passions. Remember, quality is more important than quantity! If you want to learn more about extracurricular tiers, check out this post on CollegeVine's blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/breaking-down-the-4-tiers-of-extracurricular-activities.
2. Consider your "spike": Think about which activities showcase your unique talents, interests, or "spike." Colleges are often looking for students with a clear area of expertise, which sets them apart from even other talented, qualified applicants, so try to emphasize activities that reflect whatever it is that makes you unique.
3. Be selective: You have only 10 activity slots available on the Common App, so you'll need to be selective. Weed out the activities that had less involvement, limited achievements, or low relevance to your spike or personal narrative.
4. Characterize each activity: When describing your activities, aim to be concise, clear, and compelling. Use strong action verbs that convey your role and impact, and avoid using generic terms. Make sure to emphasize your main contributions, accomplishments, and the skills you developed. Here's an example: "Co-founded school's chapter of XYZ Club, organizing monthly tutoring, and increasing membership by 75%." This description highlights the applicant's leadership, initiative, and ability to inspire growth. You can find some examples of good activity descriptions, and what made them work, on CollegeVine's blog: https://blog.collegevine.com/the-common-app-analyzed-4-successful-activity-entries-explained.
5. Prioritize the description's content: Remember that you only have 150 characters (including spaces) for each activity description. Prioritize key details, by focusing on leadership roles, significant achievements, and unique accomplishments.
Take your time to reflect on your extracurricular activities, and consider which ones have truly had the most profound impact on your personal and academic development. Being thoughtful about your choices will help you create a powerful and well-rounded activities section that showcases your unique experiences and qualifications. Good luck with your college apps!
CollegeVine’s Q&A seeks to offer informed perspectives on commonly asked admissions questions. Every answer is refined and validated by our team of admissions experts to ensure it resonates with trusted knowledge in the field.