Do colleges look into/focus on your involvement of extracurricular activities???Answered
I’m in 11th grade and thus far, haven’t partaken in many extracurricular activities through the school, including sports, clubs, etc. Although this is true, I am involved in some extracurricular activities outside of school (mostly at home), and I am wondering if colleges focus on your enrollment in extracurricular activities, because I would have very few on my records/transcript.
Well, I have an Etsy business I own and produce products, which I believe shows that kind of leadership and responsibility trait. So, I would count that, and what about hobbies? Would they be considered extracurricular activities, like art and music/instruments?
I think the Etsy business is great! It definitely shows responsibility. However, unless it's a really large business or perhaps non-profit, I don't think it'll be weighed as highly as say, a leadership position in a sports team. It depends on how selective the college you're looking at is. Hobbies likely won't be counted unless you've done an activity involving them. For example, if you're interested in playing an instrument, being part of band/orchestra or even just playing at a hospital works.
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Reading about you running an Etsy business sounds like an excellent activity for colleges to see. I personally only mentioned my hobbies if they related to my major or if they got featured somewhere (my school uses student-made works for pamphlet covers and also has a magazine).
I think that depending on how selective the college is and how good your grades are, that really affects how much they decide to focus on your extracurriculars. It's also noteworthy to mention that they really like seeing you stick with an activity for a long time.
I only started volunteering after my junior year ended and racked up 100+ hours which is pretty solid. I didn't participate in any clubs, sports, etc. at my school (rip). My one thing was volunteering at my local shelter (majoring in Graphic Design). However, I did get into a lot of AP and Honors courses, which makes me think that colleges perhaps looked over my lack of extracurriculars (for reference I have a 3.98/4.51 unweighted/weighted GPA). I applied to 4 colleges and got accepted into all of them, but the most selective one still had a 50% acceptance rate.
I really hope this helps!! Good luck with your senior year!!!
Extracurriculars are important for colleges apps and colleges do look into your involvement especially your important ones. Colleges also do value and look into the theme of your extracurriculars. Since you have done some activities outside of school, do they have anything in common? I believe you can still join clubs your senior year as well.
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Could you specify what extracurricular activities you're doing at home/out of school? Though extracurriculars through the school are more common, extracurriculars outside of school can also be valued in admissions. For example, showing leadership in a volunteering position or having a paid job works in your favor.