extracurricular activities essay titles

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples

Extracurricular activities essay examples – introduction .

As you work through your college applications, you may come across a version of the extracurricular activities essay. Many college application requirements include an extracurricular supplemental essay. So, don’t be surprised if you need to write an extracurricular supplemental essay for schools on your list. As you brainstorm and draft, it can be helpful to read some extracurricular activities essay examples. 

In this guide, we’ve included several extracurricular activities essay examples to show you the ropes. By the end, you’ll see how to successfully complete the extracurricular activities essay. Take a look at these examples before you start your college applications. 

The extracurricular activities essay is exactly what it sounds like. You will use the extracurricular supplemental essay to write about the importance of one of your extracurricular activities. Later, we’ll look at several elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples. 

In our extracurricular activities essay examples, we’ll look at prompts from the following schools: 

• Stanford University  
• Rice University  
• Bryn Mawr College  
• Northwestern University  
• Vanderbilt University  

University of Florida

• Princeton University  

We’ll talk about what you can learn from each of our extracurricular activities essay examples. We will also explain how they contribute to each student’s application narrative. Before we jump into our extracurricular activities essay examples, let’s explore what counts as an extracurricular activity. 

What is an extracurricular activity? 

An extracurricular activity, or after-school activity , is something that you participate in outside of your regular classes. Extracurricular activities are important because they give you a chance to explore your interests outside the classroom. In fact, recent research suggests that being involved in extracurricular activities can even help a student’s engagement in school. 

When you submit college applications, you’ll include a list of the extracurricular activities you have participated in during high school. Being involved in multiple extracurricular activities can bolster your candidate profile and make you stand out in the admissions process. 

Extracurricular activities matter

If you plan to send college applications to top-tier schools, you’ll want to boost your participation in extracurricular activities early in your high school career. Colleges want to see that you have passions in and out of the classroom.

In other words, extracurricular activities can show admissions officers what you care about. Extracurricular activities can also help you learn more about what you enjoy, which can translate into potential extracurricular activities for college.

What are some examples of extracurricular activities? 

Extracurricular activities can be clubs, organizations, sports, jobs, or anything in between. As you’ll see in our elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples, extracurriculars will vary from student to student. There are four main categories of extracurricular activities: 

School-sponsored activities

• Community activities 

Independent activities

Work experiences.

Each category has its own strengths and benefits you’ll want to show in your essay. Our extracurricular activities essay examples highlight activities from each category. As such, you’ll be able to see an activity similar to yours represented. 

Let’s take a closer look at each of these categories before we dig into our extracurricular activity essay examples.

Extracurricular Activity Categories 

School-sponsored extracurricular activities include clubs, organizations or programs that are hosted by your school. These might be sports teams, special interest clubs like technical theatre, or arts programs like band and orchestra. 

Community activities

Another popular type of extracurricular activity is community activities. Community activities include volunteer work and community service. 

Getting involved in your local community is a great way to show the admissions committee how you give back. 

These kinds of activities can also be a great topic for your extracurricular activities essay. They can include hobbies, learning new skills, or taking online courses in your favorite subject. 

Independent activities help showcase your passions and interests. These types of extracurricular activities would be perfect to explore in an extracurricular supplemental essay, especially since they fit less neatly into the activities list on the Common App. 

Many high school students have work experiences they can highlight in their college applications. Work experiences could include part-time jobs, internships, or shadowing opportunities. 

Talking about your work experiences in your extracurricular supplemental essay can be a great way to show off your time management and professional skills to admissions officers. 

Depth over breadth

However, you don’t have to participate in dozens of extracurricular activities to stand out in the college application process. It’s more important to develop depth than breadth in your extracurriculars to showcase your commitment and dedication.

In other words, it’s much more impressive for you to have a handful of extracurricular activities on your resume that you are deeply committed to than a long list of clubs and organizations that you don’t care about. 

The best extracurricular activities for you will be the ones that match your interests and goals. Don’t just join every club at your school to fill out your resume. Instead, seek out extracurricular activities where you can explore your interests, learn new things, and grow over time. 

Writing about Extracurricular Activities for College

Now that we’ve explored some extracurricular activity options that will be perfect for your extracurricular activities essay, let’s discuss how to write about your extracurricular activities on your college applications. 

Most schools use a holistic process to review college applications. This means that they will evaluate you based on your entire candidate profile . This includes test scores , GPA , essays , and extracurricular activities.

Because more students are applying to colleges than ever before, you’ll want to do everything you can to stand out in your college applications. Writing about your extracurricular activities for college can help show the admissions committee who you are, what’s important to you, and what makes you a unique applicant. 

Focus on the narrative

Use the extracurricular activities essay to tell a story about your experience. You can describe what it felt like, what it looked like, or how it helped you learn more about your own interests and goals.

When you are writing about your extracurricular activities for college, you’ll want to provide specific details about the type, length, and responsibilities of your involvements. If you’re unsure where to start, try making a list of all the extracurricular activities you have participated in since freshman year. Write down the role you had in this activity, how much time you spent doing it, and what you learned because of this involvement. 

For more tips on how to write about extracurricular activities for college, check out this article . In it, you’ll find 39 essay tips from admissions experts on how to write a great college essay, including how to write about extracurricular activities for college. 

What are some examples of extracurricular activities essay prompts? 

Before we review our extracurricular activities essay examples (along with the reasons why these are college essays that worked), let’s look at the extracurricular activities essay prompts from Stanford, Rice, Bryn Mawr, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, UF, and Princeton. 

Although the general idea is the same, each college will have a slightly different version of the extracurricular activities essay prompt. You’ll see the differences in our extracurricular activities essay examples below. 

Stanford University

If you plan to apply to Stanford University, you should know that one of the Stanford supplemental essay prompts is as follows: 

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. 

This extracurricular activities essay prompt is intentionally broad. You’ll need to select just one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences to describe in this Stanford supplemental essay. 

This Stanford supplemental essay prompt is your opportunity to showcase one of your many involvements. It also gives you a chance to elaborate on why it is important to you. If possible, select an extracurricular activity or work experience that you have not already discussed at length anywhere else in your Stanford application.

Rice University

This essay prompt on extracurriculars from Rice University is fairly straight forward. You can see the exact wording below: 

The extracurricular activities essay prompt or Rice is the same as the one for the Stanford application. Like we mentioned above, you’ll want to highlight an activity that is not mentioned elsewhere in your application. 

There are three Bryn Mawr supplemental essays that are required for admission. The first of the Bryn Mawr supplemental essays is about your extracurricular activities: 

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences in the space below.

This prompt is the same as the ones for the Stanford application and Rice application. Our suggestions for those essays also apply for the first prompt of the Bryn Mawr supplemental essays. 

Northwestern

Here is the Northwestern essay prompt: 

Vanderbilt  

If you are applying to Vanderbilt, you should know that the Vanderbilt application requires that you answer this extracurricular activities essay prompt: 

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.

Both the Northwestern essay prompt and the Vanderbilt application prompt are the same as the ones for Stanford, Rice, and Bryn Mawr.

The UF application includes the following extracurricular activities essay prompt as part of the required University of Florida essays: 

During high school, what is the most enriching long-term or ongoing activity in which you have participated outside of the classroom? Tell us about it – Why is it enriching to you? What have you gained or learned by participating in it? How do you plan to continue this type of activity in the future?

Unlike the prompts for the Stanford, Rice, Bryn Mawr, Vanderbilt, and Northwestern applications, this extracurricular activities essay prompt asks you to answer direct questions about your experience. 

You’ll want to choose an activity that is the most significant, long-term activity that you have participated in during high school. Then, you’ll want to explain why it was enriching, what you learned in this activity, and how you plan to continue with this type of activity in college and beyond. 

You’ll see how to answer these questions in our extracurricular activities essay examples. 

The Princeton extracurricular activities essay prompt is as follows: 

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences that was particularly meaningful to you.

This prompt is similar to the ones above, but it does make an important distinction. You’ll want to choose an activity that was meaningful to you, which means you will need to spend part of your essay describing why you found this experience particularly impactful. We’ll take a look at how to do this in our extracurricular activities essay examples. 

Which schools require an extracurricular activities essay? 

In addition to the extracurricular activities essay prompts we highlighted above, many colleges include an extracurricular activities essay as part of their college application requirements. 

Each of these schools’ college applications require you to write an extracurricular activities essay: 

• Georgetown University
• University of California schools
• Howard University 
• Amherst College
• Purdue University

Even though we won’t look at extracurricular activities essay examples for these colleges, the extracurricular activities essay examples we do highlight can help give you inspiration as you work on your college applications. 

Now, it’s time to examine some extracurricular activities essay examples. Our elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples include Stanford essays examples, Rice supplemental essays examples, Bryn Mawr supplemental essays, Northwestern essay examples, Vanderbilt essay examples, UF supplemental essay examples, and Princeton essay examples. 

Following each of the extracurricular activities essay examples, we’ll provide an analysis on why these are college essays that worked. 

First, let’s kick off our extracurricular activities essay examples with the Stanford essays examples. 

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples: Stanford University

Here’s the first of our elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples: 

Stanford Essay Examples

In February of 2016 my neighbor texted me and asked me to tutor her third grader in math. My first thought was “Third grade math?! This will be easy.” I was wrong. The girl I tutored is dyslexic and had ADHD, so working with her challenged me in a new way. I had to devise ways of teaching where she could understand it but also remain focused for long enough to accomplish it. I had to practice my patience in a way I never have before, and I have become a better person because of it. By the end of our work together, she was excited to play the math games I made up and she was so proud every time she understood a question or a concept. I am so thankful for that opportunity.

Why this essay worked

This sample of the Stanford essays examples works for several reasons. First, the author describes how the activity challenged them to come up with new ideas as a math tutor. This shows the admissions officer how thoughtful and creative this person can be in different situations. 

In this essay (one of our Stanford essays examples), the author shows how they developed key skills, like patience, through this extracurricular activity. Highlighting new skills that you have learned through your extracurricular activities is a way to stand out from the crowd.

Showcasing personal growth, like the author did above, also shows the admissions team you are willing to change and better yourself when faced with challenges. 

How To Write The Rice Supplemental Essays

Now, let’s turn to Rice supplemental essays examples. Below, you’ll see another version of the elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples. 

Rice Supplemental Essay Examples

With an interest in business, it is hard to pass up the chance to become a part of the business club at my school. This competition-based club allows members to learn detailed ways to start and manage a business. Although my curiosity urged me to participate, the thought of writing 30 pages with a fast-approaching deadline seemed daunting. Prior to this program, I had very little knowledge on the basic principles of business management, however, through research and a bit of persistence, I learned countless fundamentals of business. Although I was awarded a medal and recognized as a State Finalist in the International Business Plan category, the most valuable thing I earned was the drive of an entrepreneur which taught me that even the most difficult of tasks can be accomplished if they are done with continued determination. 

Getting straight to the point

This is one of our Rice supplemental essays examples. In it, the author mentions their academic interest right away. This helps the reader understand the forthcoming connection between the extracurricular activity and this person’s interests. 

If you’re working with a tight word limit, like the one in the Rice supplemental essays examples, you’ll want to be concise with your details. The Rice supplemental essays examples only give you so many words to work with, so you have to make the most of them. In this essay, the author summarizes the purpose of their extracurricular activity quickly. This provides the reader with more context about their involvement without taking up too much space. 

This is an example of college essays that worked because the author shows what they learned as a result of their involvement in this activity. This highlights the author’s potential success in a college setting. 

How To Write The Bryn Mawr Supplemental Essays 

Like the two extracurricular activities essay examples above, the Bryn Mawr supplemental essay is another version of the elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples. 

Bryn Mawr Essay Example

After watching my grandfather suffer from heart ailments, it was particularly meaningful to have the opportunity to conduct echocardiography research with a pediatric cardiologist. During my summer internship at a Health and Science University, I designed and built heart models to mimic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) disease and investigate strain comparisons in a 2D and 3D model. 

Continuously designing and analyzing my own experiments has not only taught me the value of diligence, patience and replication in the laboratory setting, but it has also instilled in me the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills that will enable me to tackle difficult, and sometimes unknown, problems with sound reasoning and confidence as I serve the underrepresented to eliminate health disparities. 

This response is one of the college essays that worked for several reasons. The author of this essay explains the personal significance of this extracurricular activity. This gives the reader more information about who this person is and why this activity is meaningful to them. 

Additionally, the author uses their response to explain what they did during their internship as well as the values and skills they learned from this activity. They even go the extra mile to describe how they will use these values and skills to reach their goals in the future. 

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples: Northwestern University

The following essay is another of our elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples. 

Northwestern Essay Example

After having been a Girl Scout for over 10 years, I can confirm that the most common questions I get asked are, “When are you selling the cookies,” or “Can I get [insert favorite cookie here]”. However, Girl Scouts means so much more to me than simply selling cookies for a few months.

Being a part of Girl Scouts has entailed, as the Girl Scout Law indicates, “being a sister to every Girl Scout”. When I first joined the organization as a Brownie, I didn’t think I would interact with the older girls at all. However, I soon began to admire my older Girl Scout sisters and looked up to them the more time I spent with them. As an Ambassador now, I try to show the same level of leadership by mentoring and working with younger girls, building a strong relationship with them and helping them on their journey to the higher ranks (as well as through life).

As a Girl Scout, I have also learned to enthusiastically help my community. Whether it be through providing assistance at food pantries, cleaning up litter, donating to the homeless, or singing carols in retirement homes, Girls Scouts has taught me the importance of helping others in need around me and improving the state of the world.

So, yes, being a Girl Scout does mean selling cookies. But, more importantly, Girl Scouts has meant growing into a confident young woman, being a mentor, and providing service to better the world.

Focus on depth of involvement

This sample comes from one of our Northwestern essay examples. In it, the author mentions the length of their involvement in the Girl Scouts and their progression from a junior member to a senior member. 

Like we mentioned earlier, it’s important to have extracurricular activities on your list that show depth, especially in your Northwestern application. In other words, the longer you participate in an activity, the more significant it is to your college applications. 

This is another example of college essays that worked because the author can describe how they eventually moved into a leadership role and what that new role entails. If you are a leader in your organization, be sure to mention it on your Northwestern application and in your essay. 

Finally, the author concludes with a description of who they are and what this activity has taught them. We saw similar versions of this conclusion in the extracurricular activities essay examples above, which goes to show that these are college essays that worked.  

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples: Vanderbilt University

Next, let’s look at Vanderbilt essay examples. This essay is one of the longer samples of our extracurricular activities essay examples. Please note that the name of the program described has been removed for anonymity.

Vanderbilt Essay Examples

I silently sat in the passenger seat of my mother’s car with a churning feeling in my stomach. My legs bounced wildly, and my body was tense. My anxiety came from the fact I would be starting my first day at a pre-college program to which I was recently accepted.

When my mother dropped me off at the building where my first class would be held, I nervously walked in, surprised to be greeted by the smiling faces of my peers. Looking around, I saw faces of all shades. This amazed me, having been surrounded by people who looked like me for most of my life. As I engaged in conversation with students already present, I increasingly became more comfortable.

Though class began with typical icebreakers, we quickly transitioned into math topics, beginning with algebra and progressing into trigonometry and summations. When the professor concluded the lecture, I was shocked to find that the class had passed by so quickly. Similar sentiments arose after completing my critical thinking class in the afternoon. When my mother picked me up after that class, I enthusiastically spilled my experiences from the day.

The following six weeks of that summer (and ensuing summers) comprised of me being introduced to new perspectives. Being surrounded by peers that were different in lifestyle and socioeconomic status made me more open-minded to unfamiliar concepts and interpretations.

The brother and sisterhood I formed with my peers made me way less dependent on my twin sister and increased my confidence in my beliefs and individuality.

Additionally, being taught by university professors in rigorous subject matter instilled in me a newfound passion in exploring challenging topics. This program has assisted in developing me into a more well-rounded, cultured individual not only through exposure to a research program at the university hospital, but through enrichment activities during the school year (watching plays, attending politic and STEM-based talks, and experiencing cultural shows). Though I was initially apprehensive in applying to this program, I now look back at the program as life-altering and am thankful for the experience. Three years ago, I was just a “twin” who did well in school, however today I am an individual with my own unique views, eager to learn the endless knowledge the world has to offer me.

Unlike the extracurricular activities essay examples above, this essay puts you right in the middle of the story. This can be an effective way to grab your reader’s attention as they review your Vanderbilt application. 

Additionally, this is a great example of college essays that worked because the author describes self-growth because of their involvement. In this sample from our Vanderbilt essay examples, the writer explains the new skills they learned and details the type of experiences they had while in this extracurricular activity. 

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples: University of Florida

Now, let’s look at UF supplemental essay examples. This essay is a little different from our previous extracurricular activities essay examples. 

This is a slightly elevated take on the elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples prompt. It asks you to do more than just explain your involvement in an extracurricular activity.

UF Supplemental Essay Examples

“Thaka-dhimi thaka- janu! Strike your foot higher! Sit more! Discipline yourself!”

To most, these phrases and commands would have sounded like gibberish. But to me, it meant beauty and grace. It meant dedication and determination. It invoked a sense of community and contentment. It meant Bharatantyam.

From the ripe age of 5 years old, I’ve had the opportunity to learn an Indian Classical Dance form, Bharatanatyam, from my mother. I took this opportunity seriously in tenth grade. Once I chose to commit fully to Bharatantyam, it was life changing. 

Bharatantyam has transformed me for the good as a person. Countless hours spent in practice disciplined me. Preparing mentally for a more sophisticated piece or dance item allowed me to expand my brain’s depth. From a physical standpoint, one can see that Bharatantyam is a beautiful dance that harmonizes your brain and body. 

Viewing Bharatanatyam from a scientific standpoint is what made it so much more enriching. Watching a video from my mother’s guru, I began to understand the neurological benefits of both dancing and watching Bharatantyam. Viewing that clip gave me a revolutionary idea: treating neurological diseases for senior citizens through Bharatanatyam.

I began to perform at senior assisted living facilities around my city. Many of the seniors I performed for weren’t able to even stay awake for it. While at times discouraging, small moments of joy kept me going. Every smile I received from my audience and every conversation I had with the seniors were the reasons why I kept dancing.

Now, I plan to expand this activity more at UF. Creating a non-profit in which dancers have paid performances and donate that money to neurological research institutes is how I believe I should start. With UF’s resources, I easily see this idea becoming reality.

Extracurricular activities essay prompt

With this extracurricular activities essay examples prompt, you must answer all three parts of the University of Florida essays question to complete your UF application. 

Like the extracurricular activities essay examples for Vanderbilt, this sample from our UF supplemental essay examples puts you right in the middle of the story. It starts off with a quote, grabbing the reader’s attention. This sample of the University of Florida essays also shows you the length of involvement this author had in the activity while highlighting aspects of their unique culture. 

This is one of our college essays that worked because this response details the author’s experience, growth, and future goals. On top of that, this sample from our UF supplemental essay examples further strengthens the writer’s UF application by connecting their experience to how they hope to continue this activity at UF.

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples: Princeton University

This sample from the Princeton essay examples is the last of our college essays that worked.

Princeton Essay Examples

Serving as a Student Government leader at my college has taught me the power of student voice and collaborative leadership. During my Junior year, I began attending Senate Meetings and was elected as a Senator a few months later. I began proposing solutions to problems my college faces, from lack of STEM programming to low voter turnout rates to poor multicultural outreach programs. I created student committees to tackle these problems, the most recent being a committee working to bring a series of local STEM professionals for our artist-in-residence series. I was appointed as a student voice to faculty committees, such as the Diversity and Equity Committee. I use this position to bring student concerns I hear from SG directly to the college board to catalyze changes in our college, such as the introduction of STEM cohort groups or providing resources for students of color.

The last of our extracurricular activities essay examples mentions the activity right away. It also mentions what the activity taught the author. Like the extracurricular activities essay examples above, this response adds specific details. Moreover, the author describes the impact of their leadership role.

In addition to describing the experience itself, this essay highlights how the author implemented solutions to the problems they recognized within their community, another key skill that will be important in college. 

How To Write A Great Extracurricular Activities Essay

In our extracurricular activities essay examples, you saw different ways to write a great extracurricular activities essay. Now let’s talk about how you can use these extracurricular activities essay examples to help you write your own.

When you write your own extracurricular activities essay, be sure to refer to the extracurricular activities essay examples above. Each of the extracurricular activities essay examples highlights a different aspect of each applicant’s candidate profile—from backgrounds to passions to academic interests and goals.

Read every prompt carefully

Remember, some colleges might have different ways of approaching the extracurricular activities essay, which will be evident in the essay prompt. Like some of the extracurricular activities essay examples above, you might be working with a shorter or longer word limit. You also may have specific questions you need to address when elaborating on your extracurriculars.

There’s no specific formula on how to write a great extracurricular activities essay. However, here are a few tips to help you write a strong response that will stand out from the crowd. 

Additional Tips for Writing Extracurricular Activities Essays

Choosing which activities to write about and how to present them is key to writing a successful extracurricular activities essay. Reading some elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples can help you learn how to structure your own essays. You’ll likely need to write about your extracurriculars to complete your college application requirements. So, use this as a chance to show the admissions committee what matters to you. 

In this guide, we’ve reviewed extracurricular activities essay examples from some of the top colleges in the nation. We hope this helps you as you write your own extracurricular activities essay. 

Three tips to help you write your extracurricular activities essays: 

1. demonstrate your passion . .

Like we saw in the extracurricular activities essay examples, this is your opportunity to show what’s important to you. Use your essays to demonstrate your passion. 

2. Show your dedication. 

Many of our extracurricular activities essay examples discussed how long the author was involved in the activity. Show your dedication to your hobby, club, or organization through your essay responses. 

3. Match your extracurricular activities essay examples to a school’s mission or values. 

There are plenty of applicants who can fill out all the college application requirements. However, to truly stand out, you’ll want to show the admissions office why you are a great fit for their university. Match your extracurricular activities essay examples to a college’s mission or values to prove that you are committed to attending that university. 

Other CollegeAdvisor Resources on Extracurricular Activities 

If you need help figuring out how to get involved, watch our webinar for tips on how to join new extracurricular activities in high school. For more ideas on which extracurricular activities might be right for you, check out our article on 38 high school extracurricular ideas for college applicants. 

38 High School Extracurricular Ideas for College Applicants

Wondering how to showcase your extracurricular activities in your college applications? Check out our guide for more information on how to approach extracurricular activities in the college admissions process. 

How to Showcase Extracurricular Activities In Your College Applications

Finally, check out our panel for additional tips on how to craft your activity and extracurriculars list for college. 

Crafting Your Activity and Extracurriculars List

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples – Final Thoughts 

We hope that our guide on extracurricular activities essay examples (and college essays that worked) help you prepare your own extracurricular activities essay. If an extracurricular activities essay is part of your college application requirements, be sure to refer back to our extracurricular activities essay examples for guidance.

As you likely noticed from our extracurricular activities essay examples, college essays that worked tend to highlight students’ passion. This is even more true when it comes to extracurriculars. Don’t feel daunted by the extracurricular supplemental essay requirement. Instead, use it as a chance to highlight how you engage deeply with the world around you. 

Not all prompts are the same

Remember, the prompt to your extracurricular activities essay might look different than the ones we highlighted in our extracurricular activities essay examples above. Even if your prompt is different from our ‘elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples’, you can still use them to brainstorm ideas for your own extracurricular activities essay. 

Do you need help with other college application requirements? CollegeAdvisor.com can help. Register today to get one-on-one support as you begin your college application process.

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College essay resources

How (and why) to write a college essay about your extracurricular activities | guide + examples, what to write about.

Brad Schiller

😢 Won’t anyone think of the college admissions readers? 😢

In our work as college essay coaches , we’ve lately been delighted to learn that many people are in fact worried that college admission officers might be bored — specifically due to redundant college essays that rehash all the stuff that’s in the Activities List in prose-form.

Ugh! That would indeed be horribly boring. (And it does indeed happen.) 

[Shaking head.] Poor admissions readers.

But — little nuance — you don’t have to rehash what you put in your activities list. You could instead expand upon what’s there by either: 

• Talking more about the impact you had and the actions you took to achieve that impact ✨, or 
• Showing how the activity relates to your personal brand as an applicant who will succeed in college and beyond. ✨

Bottom line: writing a Common App Personal Statement (or supplemental essay) about a meaningful extracurricular activity is often a great idea. Read on for how to do it right.

In fact, many college applications specifically ask students to describe an activity or work experience — proof that colleges are interested in learning more about them. 

What you *don’t* want to do: Redundancy & the dreaded “it makes me feel alive” trap 

While the idea that you shouldn’t write about activities in college application essays is a pernicious rumor, as college essay coaches , we must admit that this territory does come with some real danger. 

The danger is that, instead of writing an essay that sheds light on how you’ll succeed in college and beyond , you talk about the activity in a way that adds little to nothing over what’s already in your Activity List. 

Here are some approaches that have been known to tempt those facing the terror of the blank page:

• “I love soccer so much. The thrill of the game is my favorite thing. I feel so alive when I’m on the field. One time, I scored this amazing goal. [Brilliant writing describes this amazing goal in gorgeous detail.]”
• [Same as above, except substitute “music” for “soccer” and “in front of an audience” for “on the field,” and so on.]
• “Debate is my passion. I began in ninth grade knowing nothing. But I worked hard at it, and won my first award as a freshman, even though it was only 9th place. As a sophomore, my skills really improved. I came in 3rd in the Semi-All Around [editor’s note: does that sound like a believable award?]. Finally, my junior year, I came in first in the National Regionals!”

Let’s analyze.

In the first two types of essays (the “[activity] makes me feel alive!” essay) the problem isn’t necessarily writing style. You could write a beautiful piece of prose about that amazing, game-clinching goal, with drama and stakes, reveals and surprises, and soul-plumbing moments on par with something out of Squid Game . 

But if the essay doesn’t say anything about your potential to succeed — elements we’ve boiled down to the 5 traits (more about them below) — it’s not going to matter to the college. 

Lots of students love music. Lots of people are passionate about sports. 

Those things aren’t enough (on their own) to make anyone stand out. 

The last type of essay is more of an obvious clunker. This student may be brilliant at Debate, but they can’t write for their life! The issue here is that they’re just laying out everything they’ve done — the admissions officer isn’t learning anything new. All of it would fit better in their Activities List.  

At least this example shows that college essays aren’t about “showing off.” You don’t need to have insane accomplishments to write a great essay. (Great accomplishments shine better in Activities Lists — although even there, it’s easy to undersell yourself. Here’s how to sell yourself in Activities Lists .)

Rather, it’s perfectly possible to write a great essay about a smaller moment or experience, so long as the essay focuses on your character traits, and how they’ll help you succeed. 

Speaking of which, let’s move on to ...

What you *do* want to do: Show how your activity connects to your potential for success 

Alright. Here’s the good stuff.

Yes, you can absolutely write about your extracurricular activities (including paid work). You can do this to great effect either in your personal statement or in a shorter supplemental essay (or even both!). If you still don’t believe us, here’s an example of a student who got into Harvard by writing about an extracurricular activity. 

Here are some reasons why activities make great essay topics:

• Fun! You probably enjoy these activities, so you might likewise have fun talking about them.
• Experience! Even if you don’t love the activity (maybe a job), you spend a lot of time at it, so you likely have lots of interesting experiences to choose from.
• Authenticity! Activities are usually something that can represent the “real you” easily.
• Potential!! Activities are great for showing off the 5 Traits that colleges look for in essays. 

That brings us to the 5 traits.  

If you’ve read almost any of our other articles, you know that the 5 traits that colleges look for in applicants are:

• Drive (aka Grit)
• Contribution
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Diversity of Experiences

These traits show you’re someone who has it in them to succeed. They’re more important than any one success or achievement. Because, if we’re being honest, one success or achievement in high school isn’t that impressive. But having a trait within you that leads to success? That actually is impressive. 

Let’s rewrite those essay types above with the 5 traits in mind:

• “I couldn’t believe it. My soccer team was discussing whether or not to schedule an extra practice during the upcoming long weekend. “Of course, yes,” I was thinking. But, shockingly, the room was not with me. A quick consensus formed around no added practice. It was my tipping point — I finally saw that I needed to convey to this team that settling for mediocre was not an option, and that none of us would regret doing what it takes to win.”
• “Nobody is musical in my family. Piano is something I made happen all by myself. I begged my mom for my first lessons as a freshman. The lessons soon got me fascinated by music theory, which I started studying on my own, since our school doesn’t teach it. Later, I found a Saturday class where I now study it.”
• “I started Debate Club just because I thought I needed an extracurricular activity for my resume. It didn’t mean much to me. It was only at the end of freshman year when I delivered an unsurprisingly lackluster performance in our final trials — and saw the look of disappointment on my teammates’ faces — that I realized I was letting everybody down, most importantly myself. After that, I …”

Let’s analyze. 

These examples turn the admissions reader from outsiders to insiders. 

Your Activities List was a teaser trailer, heavy on the special effects and with the greatest moments edited together to pack a wallop. Now, the college wants to know more . They’re metaphorically willing to cough up movie fare and schlep out to the theater (of course donning a covid mask) to learn the full story of what created this awesome list.

In an essay centered on one or more activities, they want to see what actions you took that led to these accomplishments. They want to see what traits within you caused you to take those actions. They want to see if you have what it takes to succeed. 

For the soccer example , we’ve tossed the game-clinching goal cliche out the window. Instead, we’re focused on rare, valuable traits — in this case Drive (aka Grit). This person gets things done. No matter what. Who would you rather have on campus? A student who’s great at soccer and has scored some extraordinary goals? Or … the person who rallied an apathetic team into adding work and improving their results? 

In the musical example, you see both Initiative (challenging the status quo) as well as Intellectual Curiosity (being excited about learning). This person doesn’t just love music, they made that love of music happen, and they got deep into it. What a cool type of person to admit to a college!

Finally, in our Debate Club example , you’re seeing some Contribution (giving back, helping others) in the form of a person wanting to do better by teammates, as well as perhaps some Drive and Intellectual Curiosity , both of which likely come into play later in the essay, as this person turns their performance around. 

Another thing you might want to do: Tell a fuller version of the impact you had and how you achieved it   

Another way we, as essay coaches , have seen students successfully discuss an activity is when the 150 characters allotted for each of your activities isn’t quite enough to tell its story. 

Let’s take this Activities List description as an example:

• Won a series of 6 deadly contests without losing my humanity. Subverted VIP expectations and made possible the redemption of a teammate gone evil. 

(Yes, this is Squid Game , and no there are no spoilers up there. I mean, you know one of them is going to win, right? It’s a very mild spoiler. Email us if you’re upset.)

Well, there might be a lot more to say here about this person’s participation in the Squid Games. About …

• Drive — How they kept at it despite long odds (game #2 springs to mind).
• Initiative — How they found new ways to defeat the odds (bringing in a welcome spirit of camaraderie in an otherwise dog-eat-dog atmosphere).
• Contribution — so many examples.
• Diversity of Experiences — if emerging victorious from the Squid Games doesn’t give you a unique outlook, I don’t know what does.

If you’ve got some great accomplishments under your belt, why not elaborate beyond 150 characters? There’s almost certainly much more to explore that admissions officers would find impressive.

Just make sure that you’re focusing on your actions and how they relate to one or more of the 5 traits. Avoid going on overly long about your deep feelings for the activity or simply recounting “facts,” such as awards or achievements (that clinching soccer goal) — the college wants to know what enduring traits are behind those fleeting achievements.

More articles on Prompt.com’s admissions-boosting methods:

• Work with a college essay coach
• Strong essays increase your chance of admission by up to 10x
• Don’t let influencers influence your college essays
• Should I apply test-optional?
• Early admissions: Everything you need to know
• College Essay Help Center

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How to Write a Strong Extracurricular Activity Essay

Written by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Written: 4/23/24

Landing a seat in your dream university requires more than just showcasing your academic abilities; it's about highlighting your life beyond the books, your sources of inspiration, and the experiences that have played a crucial role in shaping your individuality. 

A great way to show off your many sides is by skillfully writing an essay about your extracurricular activities. This piece of writing offers a unique opportunity for admissions officers to peek into your world outside of academics by highlighting your passions, unwavering commitment, leadership prowess, and personal evolution. 

This comprehensive guide will delve into the intricate yet rewarding process of crafting an engaging and compelling extracurricular activity essay. It will help you figure out which activities are best for you to focus on, and it will also give you a bunch of interesting questions to get your creativity going.

We’ll also provide you with a curated list of extracurricular activity essay examples, Acting like a guide and a good example for you to follow as you write.

By being thoughtful, real, and creative, your essay about your outside-of-school activities could be the special thing that helps you get into the college you really want.

Keep reading to learn how to turn your passions and experiences into an engaging narrative that truly reflects who you are.

How to Choose Which Extracurricular to Write About

Selecting the most suitable extracurricular activity to write about for your college application essay requires careful consideration and introspection. Each choice holds the potential to shape the narrative of your essay and provide valuable insights into your character, values, and personal growth. 

To ensure a comprehensive exploration of this topic, let's discuss a few factors you should consider when choosing which extracurricular to focus on:

1. Personal Significance

When contemplating which extracurriculars to highlight in your essay, take the time to reflect on the experiences that have had the most profound impact on your life. Consider the activities that have shaped your character, influenced your values, and ignited your passions. 

It could be a community service project that opened your eyes to social injustices, a musical instrument that became your creative outlet, or a sports team that taught you the value of teamwork and perseverance. 

Choose an activity that resonates with you on a deeply personal level. This will enable you to authentically convey your emotions and the growth you have experienced.

2. Depth of Involvement

While showcasing a long list of extracurricular activities may be tempting, prioritizing quality over quantity is important. Admissions officers are interested in understanding how deeply you are engaged with an activity, as it demonstrates commitment, dedication, and the potential for impact. 

Evaluate the level of your involvement in each activity and focus on the one where you invested significant time and effort. This could involve leadership roles, taking on challenging responsibilities, or contributing to the activity's growth and success. 

By selecting an extracurricular where you had a meaningful and substantial involvement, you can provide a more detailed and insightful account of your experiences.

3. Leadership and Initiative

If you have taken on leadership roles or demonstrated initiative within a particular extracurricular activity, it can add an extra layer of depth to your essay. Admissions officers value applicants who display leadership qualities and the drive to initiate positive change. 

Reflect on instances where you assumed leadership responsibilities, whether it was captaining a team, organizing events, or spearheading projects. Share how you influenced others, made strategic decisions, and motivated team members to achieve common goals. 

Highlight any innovative ideas or initiatives you introduced and the impact they had on the activity and its participants.

4. Unique Experiences

Consider highlighting an extracurricular activity that stands out from the crowd. While popular activities like sports or clubs can still make for compelling essays, choosing a less common or unconventional activity can help your essay stand out and capture the reader's attention. 

Think about unique experiences you have had outside the mainstream activities, such as starting a niche interest group , participating in an underrepresented sport, or pursuing an uncommon hobby. These experiences can provide a fresh perspective and reveal different aspects of your personality and interests.

5. Alignment with Your Goals

When choosing an extracurricular activity to write about, consider its alignment with your future goals and aspirations. Admissions officers are interested in understanding your passions and how you plan to pursue them in college and beyond. 

Select an activity that showcases your dedication to a particular field of study, career path, or cause. Explain how your involvement in the activity has shaped your understanding of your chosen path and provided valuable insights into the skills, knowledge, and experiences required to succeed in that area.

Demonstrate how the activity has fueled your ambition and inspired you to make a meaningful impact in the future.

6. Overcoming Challenges

Admissions officers appreciate stories of resilience and personal growth. Consider discussing an extracurricular activity in which you encountered obstacles or adversity and how you overcame them. Reflect on the challenges you faced and the strategies you employed to navigate through them. 

This could involve overcoming physical limitations, balancing demanding commitments, or addressing conflicts within the activity. You can showcase your determination, adaptability, and problem-solving skills by sharing the lessons you learned from these challenges.

7. Diversity of Experiences

If you have been involved in multiple extracurricular activities, consider showcasing a variety of experiences to demonstrate your versatility and well-roundedness. Admissions officers value applicants who have explored different interests and engaged in diverse pursuits. 

Discuss how each activity has contributed to your personal growth and provided you with unique perspectives and skills. Show how your various involvements have influenced and complemented each other, highlighting the valuable transferable skills and insights you have gained from navigating different domains.

8. Impact on Others

Consider the impact your participation in an extracurricular activity has had on others. Admissions officers are interested in applicants who excel individually and contribute to the growth and well-being of their communities. Reflect on the ways your involvement has positively influenced others. 

This could involve mentoring teammates, organizing community service projects, or supporting fellow participants. Share specific examples of how your actions have made a difference, emphasizing the values of compassion, empathy, and leadership you have demonstrated.

By considering these factors when selecting which extracurricular activity to write about, you can choose the most compelling and meaningful topic for your essay. Remember, the goal is to provide a genuine and insightful portrayal of your experiences, passions, and personal growth. 

Through thoughtful introspection and effective storytelling, you can craft an engaging and impactful essay that leaves a lasting impression on admissions officers.

What Structure Do You Need to Use for Extracurricular Activity Essay?

When writing your extracurricular activity essay, consider two clear structures to effectively showcase your experiences. First up is the "Powerwall" approach, inspired by Elon Musk's presentation style for the Powerwall. Here's how it breaks down:

• Start by identifying the problem you faced in your extracurricular activity. Keep it simple and straightforward.
• Explain why overcoming this challenge was important. What were the stakes?
• Describe exactly what you did to tackle the problem. Be specific about your actions.
• Clarify your role in the situation. Why were you crucial to the success?
• Finally, share the impact you had and any lessons you learned. Show how your work mattered.

If you didn't encounter any specific challenges but still want to highlight your experiences, try the "Uncommon Connections" approach. This one focuses on making unique connections between your activities and your personal growth, interests, or values. 

It's all about showing what's meaningful to you and why. Whichever approach you choose, the goal is to communicate your initiative, leadership, and impact within your community in a straightforward way. Use concrete examples and clear language to make your essay stand out to admissions committees.

How to Brainstorm Beliefs for Essay

To nail your extracurricular activity essay, follow these steps: complete the BEABIES Exercise, identify a challenge, explain its importance, describe what you did, highlight your role, and show the results. Let’s take a closer look at each of these tips. 

1. Complete the BEABIES Exercise

Allocate some time, approximately 15-30 minutes, to complete the BEABIES Exercise. Think of it as assembling all the necessary ingredients before cooking a meal – essential for a successful outcome.

2. Identify a Challenge

Reflect on your extracurricular engagements and pinpoint a specific challenge you encountered. Whether it was navigating social dynamics or overcoming logistical hurdles, choose an issue that resonates with you.

3. Explain Why It Matters

Elaborate on the significance of the challenge you identified. Why was it crucial to address this? Provide context to underscore its importance, whether it impacted your community, organization, or personal growth.

4. Describe What You Did

Delve into the actions you took to tackle the challenge head-on. Offer detailed insights into the strategies you employed, initiatives you spearheaded, or contributions you made to address the issue effectively.

5. Talk About Your Role

Highlight your individual role in addressing the challenge. Articulate why your contributions were indispensable to the project or club's success, whether through leadership, initiative, or a unique skill set.

6. Show the Results

Lastly, showcase the outcomes of your efforts. Discuss the tangible results, positive changes within your community, or valuable lessons learned as a result of your actions. Use concrete evidence to illustrate the impact of your contributions.

By following these steps, you'll be well-prepared to craft an essay that demonstrates your leadership, problem-solving abilities, and commitment to making a difference. Keep your writing clear and concise to ensure your narrative resonates with your reader.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Extracurricular Activity Essay

In this section, we'll discuss key mistakes to avoid when writing your extracurricular activity essay. From being too vague to neglecting self-reflection, we'll cover common pitfalls and how to steer clear of them. Let's dive in.

Being Too Vague

When writing your extracurricular activity essay, it's crucial to avoid being vague or generic. Instead of simply stating that you participated in "various activities," provide specific details about each activity. 

For example, if you were involved in a community service project, describe what the project entailed, how you contributed, and what impact it had on the community or on you personally. By providing concrete examples, you paint a clearer picture of your involvement and its significance.

Quantity Over Quality

Admissions committees are more interested in the depth of your involvement in extracurricular activities rather than the sheer number of activities you participated in. 

Rather than listing a long string of activities without much detail, focus on a few key experiences and explore them in depth. Discuss the skills you developed, the challenges you faced, and the lessons you learned. This allows you to showcase your growth and accomplishments more effectively.

Missing the Point

It's essential to carefully read and address the prompt provided for your extracurricular activity essay. Make sure you understand what the prompt is asking and tailor your essay accordingly. 

Avoid going off on tangents or including information that isn't relevant to the prompt. By staying focused on the specific topic or question provided, you demonstrate your ability to follow instructions and communicate effectively.

Forgetting the "Why"

In addition to describing your extracurricular activities, it's important to explain why they were meaningful to you. What motivated you to get involved in these activities? What did you enjoy about them? How did they align with your interests, values, or goals? By sharing your personal connection to the activities, you give the admissions committee insight into your passions and priorities.

Not Reflecting on Growth

A crucial aspect of writing an effective extracurricular activity essay is reflecting on your growth and development. Don't just focus on what you did; also, discuss how your experiences shaped you as a person. 

Reflect on the challenges you faced, the lessons you learned, and how you grew as a result. This self-reflection demonstrates maturity, resilience, and self-awareness, all of which admissions committees value in applicants.

Exaggerating or Faking

Honesty is key when writing your extracurricular activity essay. Resist the temptation to embellish or exaggerate your accomplishments, and avoid fabricating experiences that didn't actually happen. 

Admissions committees are adept at spotting insincerity, and being dishonest can seriously damage your credibility and chances of admission. Instead, focus on presenting your genuine experiences and achievements in the best possible light.

Ignoring Basics

Don't overlook the importance of basic writing skills such as grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Careless errors can detract from the overall quality of your essay and create a negative impression. 

Take the time to proofread your essay carefully, or even ask someone else to review it for you. Paying attention to these details demonstrates your professionalism and attention to detail.

Being Too Formal

While it's important to maintain a professional tone in your extracurricular activity essay, don't be afraid to let your personality shine through. Write in a natural, conversational style that reflects your voice and perspective. 

Avoid using overly formal or stilted language that can make your essay sound robotic or impersonal. Instead, imagine you're having a casual conversation with the reader and write in a tone that feels authentic and engaging.

Rushing Editing

Finally, don't rush the editing process when writing your extracurricular activity essay. Take the time to revise and polish your essay until it's the best possible representation of your experiences and achievements. Look for areas where you can improve clarity, coherence, and organization, and make sure your essay flows smoothly from beginning to end. 

Don't hesitate to seek feedback from teachers, counselors, or peers, and be willing to make revisions based on their suggestions. Remember, your essay is an opportunity to make a positive impression on the admissions committee, so invest the time and effort needed to make it stand out.

By paying attention to these common mistakes and taking the necessary steps to avoid them, you can write a compelling and impactful extracurricular activity essay that effectively highlights your experiences, accomplishments, and personal growth.

Extracurricular Activities Essay Prompts

To help you kickstart your writing process, here are ten thought-provoking prompts:

• Can you share a story of an extracurricular activity that has brought about a significant change in your life? How did it alter your outlook and contribute to your personal development?
• Can you delve into your experience of holding a leadership role in an extracurricular activity? How has it shaped your leadership style and impacted your personality?
• Can you narrate how an extracurricular activity influenced your future career aspirations? Can you draw connections between your pursuit and your future goals?
• Have you ever faced a considerable challenge or failure while participating in an extracurricular activity? Can you share your journey of overcoming this challenge and the lessons it imparted?
• Is there an extracurricular activity that has played a crucial role in your personal growth? Can you discuss this journey of transformation and the factors that contributed to it?
• Can you elucidate on an extracurricular activity where you demonstrated a significant level of commitment and dedication over a long period of time? How did this consistent engagement contribute to your development and learning?
• Has there been an extracurricular activity that has allowed you to step outside of your comfort zone? Can you share your experience and how this helped you grow personally and academically?
• Is there a unique or unusual extracurricular activity that you have participated in? How has this activity contributed to showcasing your individuality and distinguishing you from others?
• Have you ever started or founded an extracurricular club, event, or initiative? Can you elaborate on the motivation behind it, the process, the challenges faced, and the impact it had on you and your community.
• Is there an extracurricular activity that has enhanced your understanding of a particular subject or field of study? Can you explain how this activity has deepened your academic interest or provided practical insights beyond the classroom?

Engaging in extracurricular activities not only enriches our lives outside the classroom but also provides us with invaluable experiences and lessons that shape our character, aspirations, and worldview. 

Whether it's leading a team, overcoming challenges, or exploring new horizons, these activities offer a unique platform to discover and showcase our true potential.

Extracurricular Activity Essay Examples

To help you grasp what an outstanding extracurricular essay looks like, let's dissect two examples and analyze why they make an impact:

1. Strings of Unity: My Dance with the Violin

“Every evening, as the sun set, the mellifluous notes of my violin would resonate through our home. I was six when I first held a violin, and it felt like an extension of my soul. Over the years, I practiced diligently, mastering complex compositions and performing at numerous recitals.

However, my most cherished moments were when I played at local nursing homes. Witnessing the joy and nostalgia my music brought to the elderly was profoundly rewarding. Inspired, I initiated "Melodies for Memories," a program where young musicians performed for seniors, bridging the generational gap through music.

The violin taught me discipline, empathy, and the power of connection. It wasn't just about playing notes; it was about touching hearts and creating moments of shared joy.”

Why This Essay Was Successful

Here are a few things that made this essay successful:

• Vivid Imagery : The essay paints a beautiful picture of the writer's relationship with the violin, making it easy for readers to visualize and connect with the narrative.
• Community Impact : By highlighting performances at nursing homes and the "Melodies for Memories" initiative, the writer showcases their commitment to community service and the positive impact of their passion.
• Personal Growth : The essay emphasizes the values and skills gained from playing the violin, such as discipline and empathy.
• Concluding Thoughts : The conclusion ties back to the central theme of connection and shared joy, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

This essay effectively conveys the writer's deep connection to the instrument, showcasing personal growth, community impact, and the transformative power of music.

2. Beyond the Board: Life Lessons from Chess

“The chessboard was my battleground, a place where strategy, patience, and foresight converged. Introduced to chess at age eight, I was captivated by its intricacies and the mental agility it demanded. As I delved deeper, I realized chess was more than a game; it mirrored life's challenges and decisions.

I began teaching chess to underprivileged children in my community, hoping to equip them with critical thinking skills. Through "Checkmate Challenges," our monthly tournaments, I saw these children grow in confidence, strategy, and resilience.

Chess taught me that every move has consequences and foresight is crucial. It reinforced the importance of patience, strategy, and learning from mistakes. Through chess, I not only honed my cognitive skills but also discovered the joy of mentoring and making a difference.”

This essay was successful because it included:

• Engaging Start : The essay begins with a powerful statement, drawing readers into the world of chess and its significance to the writer.
• Community Involvement : The writer's initiative to teach chess to underprivileged children showcases their dedication to community upliftment and the broader impact of their passion.
• Life Lessons : The essay effectively draws parallels between chess and life, highlighting the invaluable lessons the writer has derived from the game.
• Concluding Reflection : The conclusion emphasizes the dual benefits of chess: personal growth and the joy of mentoring

Both essays effectively communicate the writers' passions and the profound impact these activities have had on their personal growth and community involvement.

To gather inspiration from more successful essay examples , check our extensive database!

FAQs: Extracurricular Activities Essay

Writing about your hobbies for an essay? Here are some common questions and answers to help you out.

1. How Do You Write an Extracurricular Essay with a Word Count of 150 Words?

Crafting an extracurricular activity essay with a 150-word limit is both a test of your brevity and your ability to make a powerful impact. To start, you need to isolate a singular, significant moment or achievement from your chosen activity. 

This should be something that is both personally meaningful and serves as a representative snapshot of your broader involvement. Then, hook your readers right from the first sentence, making them intrigued to learn more about your story. 

You might paint a vivid picture, share a quick anecdote, or open with an interesting question. Afterward, give the reader a brief context or backstory about the activity to ground your story. This is where you quickly explain what the activity is and why it matters to you. 

Next, it's time to dive into the crux of your essay—your specific role and the impact it had. Highlight the challenges faced, the initiatives you took, and the results achieved. Be careful to maintain clarity and brevity, avoiding unnecessary details that could detract from your central message. 

Finally, wrap up your essay by tying your specific experience to a broader theme, value, or life lesson, which serves to highlight the significance of your involvement beyond the activity itself.

2. How Long Should an Extracurricular Essay be?

The length of an essay can fluctuate depending on specific application instructions. However, most hover around 150-300 words. Regardless of the word limit, remember that clarity and conciseness are your guiding principles. 

Every sentence you write should serve a specific purpose, contributing meaningfully to your overarching narrative and effectively portraying a holistic picture of you as an individual. Avoid fluff or filler content; instead, focus on delivering a tightly woven narrative that showcases your passions, commitments, and personal growth.

3. Can an Extracurricular Activity Essay Focus on More Than One Activity?

While you can mention multiple activities, focusing on one that has had the most significant impact on you is generally better. This allows you to provide a deeper, more detailed account, revealing valuable insights about your character, passions, and learnings.

Writing an exceptional extracurricular activities essay is a journey that requires introspection, authenticity, and excellent storytelling. As you embark on this journey, remember the goal is to bring to light not just what you did but who you are as a person, showcasing the experiences that have enriched your life. 

So, start reflecting on your experiences, unleash your creativity, and let your story resonate with the admissions officers.

4. Why Do Colleges Require Extracurricular Essays?

Colleges require extracurricular essays because they offer a more rounded view of applicants, going beyond mere academic accomplishments. Admissions officers want to understand who you are outside the classroom.

They're interested in your passions, long-term commitments, leadership experiences, and personal growth—all aspects that may not be apparent from your grades or test scores alone. 

5. How Do I Write About Extracurricular Activities in a Personal Statement?

When it comes to incorporating extracurricular activities into your personal statement, the goal is a seamless integration that enhances your overall narrative. It's important to discuss the activity in a way that highlights not just what you did but also how it contributed to your personal growth and future ambitions.

Elaborate on your involvement, detailing the specific roles you took on, the challenges you faced, and the skills you've gained. Then, explore how these experiences tie into your personal evolution and future goals.

Final Thoughts

Writing an extracurricular activity essay is more than just recounting what you did; it's about sharing a slice of your life that speaks volumes about your character, passions, and growth. It's about crafting a narrative that not only shares your experiences but also provides a window into the person you've become as a result. 

Whether you're speaking about the time you spent backstage in theatre productions, the hours you dedicated to the robotics club, or the weekends you spent volunteering at a local shelter, remember that the best essays are authentic and come from the heart. 

Use this opportunity to let your experiences shape your story, let your passions shine through, and let your unique voice echo in the admissions officer's mind. 

Your experiences make you unique, and this uniqueness can help you stand out among the sea of applicants. So, embrace your individuality and let it guide your journey as you write.

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Your chance of acceptance, your chancing factors, extracurriculars, how to write an extracurricular activities essay.

Hey, I'm working on an essay about my extracurricular activities. Can someone share tips on what to include and how to structure it? Any examples of well-written essays about extracurriculars would be a great help too. Thanks!

Writing an extracurricular activities essay can be a fantastic way to showcase your achievements, interests, and dedication while also displaying your personality and what makes you unique. Here are a few tips on what to include and how to structure it:

1. Choose a specific activity: Instead of writing about multiple extracurriculars, pick one that you're truly passionate about and has had a significant impact on your personal growth. This will help you focus your essay and provide a more engaging story.

2. Begin with an introduction: Introduce the activity and explain why it's important to you. I always think an anecdote that captures how you engage with the activity or maybe your first experience with it will make an engaging hook that grabs the reader's attention and makes them eager to learn more.

3. Show, don't tell: Provide specific examples of your experiences in the activity to illustrate your dedication, growth, and impact. Use anecdotes and vivid language to bring your story to life. For example, if you organized an event for a club or led a team to victory, describe the challenges you faced and how you overcame them.

4. Highlight your skills and achievements: While describing your experiences, emphasize the skills and qualities you developed as a result of your participation. Connect these skills to your personal growth and how they will transfer to your future success in college and beyond.

5. Reflect on the impact: End on a reflective note by discussing the impact of the activity on your life and personal growth. How has it shaped your character, interests, or long-term aspirations? Be candid and thoughtful about how the experience has affected you.

As for examples, you can find various well-written essays on extracurriculars through a simple online search. This post should be a good starting point, though: https://blog.collegevine.com/extracurricular-activity-essay-examples

Remember, the key to writing a compelling essay is to be genuine and focus on conveying your passion for the extracurricular activity. Be sure to proofread and revise your essay, and consider seeking feedback from a teacher, counselor, or trusted friend to make it even better. Good luck!

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Sat / act prep online guides and tips, amazing extracurricular activity examples for college applications.

Extracurriculars

Extracurriculars are a great way to participate in an activity you enjoy and meet new people, and they can also be an important part of your college application.

What makes an extracurricular activity particularly impressive to colleges? How do your extracurriculars measure up?

Read this guide to see four amazing extracurricular activities examples. I'll discuss why they're exceptional and how you can participate in similar activities to boost your own college application.

What Are Extracurricular Activities and How Are They Useful?

An extracurricular is any activity you participate in outside of class. It can be associated with your school, such as a sports team or club, or completely separate. They also include any jobs or internships you have had, as well as volunteer work you have performed. Extracurriculars cover a wide range of activities and interests, from painting to science to helping the homeless and more.

Why would you want to participate in an extracurricular? There are several ways they can benefit you:

They Let You Do Something You Enjoy

Extracurriculars let you participate in an activity you enjoy, whether that's playing football, painting, or another activity. Practicing this activity regularly will help you get better at it, and you may be able to develop new skills that you find useful in the future. Doing something you enjoy not only makes you happier but can also give you a much-needed break from schoolwork.

They Introduce You to New Friends

Students often make many friends through their extracurriculars because they see other members regularly and have a shared interest.

They Are Important for College Applications

Extracurriculars can also be included in your college applications to show your interests and talents. Read on to learn more about the importance of extracurriculars when applying to college.

How Are Extracurriculars Important for College Applications?

Extracurriculars can be a key part of your college application. Most applications have a section where you can list all the extracurriculars you were involved in. If a certain extracurricular is particularly important to you, you can also write about it in your personal statement and have the people writing you letters of recommendation discuss it so that it is a more prominent part of your college application.

Why do colleges care about extracurriculars? Colleges like to admit students who are involved in their communities, interact well with others, and work to develop their talents and passions. A student who participates in extracurriculars is more likely to do each of those things than a student who has no extracurriculars.

Also, there is more to college than simply going to class; colleges are full of opportunities to be active, interact with others, and give back, and schools want to admit students who will keep their campuses connected and interesting. Great extracurriculars can also help you stand out from the thousands of applications colleges receive by highlighting a particular skill or interest of yours that makes you unique and memorable.

How competitive your extracurriculars need to be depends on how selective the colleges you're applying to are. For Ivy League and other top schools, strong extracurriculars are usually required. For more information, check out our guide that explains how to develop extracurriculars that will help you get into Harvard and other top schools. If you're applying to your state school, you likely don't need your extracurriculars to be exceptional, but if you do have awesome extracurriculars and decent grades, then you have an excellent chance of being accepted.

What Makes an Extracurricular Activity Great?

While colleges like to see a student with extracurriculars, not all extracurriculars are considered equal. There are specific qualities that colleges look for in extracurriculars that will make them more impressive and boost the applicant's resume. Having one amazing extracurricular on your college application is more impressive than a list of activities you had little interest in or impact on. One great extracurricular can give your college application a significant boost.

However, getting an amazing extracurricular is not as simple as choosing a particular sport or club you think colleges will find impressive. When applying to college, what activity you do is not nearly as important as why you are doing it or the effort you put into it. There are three qualities admissions look for in particular when they review extracurriculars:

Leadership experience includes any time that you have been responsible for leading a project or guiding, motivating, or instructing others. Colleges want to admit students who have a history of leadership experience because they are hoping those students will continue to be leaders and have a significant impact on the world in the future.

You don't have to be team captain or club president in order to get leadership experience. You can show your leadership skills by helping to organize an event, mentoring younger members, or developing a fundraiser.

Are you participating in that activity because you truly want to or just because you want to include it on your college application? For colleges, there is a huge difference between the two. Admissions officers want to see you doing activities you are interested in and passionate about, not just as a way to impress others. Passion is a critical contributor to success, and colleges see genuine passion as an indicator that you are more likely to succeed than someone who's just going through the motions.

Great extracurriculars show what your passion is. This can be accomplished by having multiple similar extracurriculars (such as being part of multiple science clubs), or showing a deep commitment to a particular extracurricular, often by pursuing it for many years and spending a significant amount of time on it.

Colleges measure impact by looking at how you influenced the activity you participated in and how it influenced you. The strongest extracurricular examples clearly show that you have changed and improved as a result of participating and that you also had a lasting impact on the activity as well.

Colleges want to admit people who will have a positive and lasting impact on their school, so they look for students who already have a history of this in their extracurriculars. Having an impact on an extracurricular can include recruiting new members, expanding a club's focus, or developing a way for the club to reach more people. Colleges also want to see that your extracurriculars made you a better person. Are you more responsible? A better team player? More confident?

Colleges love to see confident applicants.

To get a better idea of what good extracurricular activities are, read on to see examples of outstanding extracurricular activities.

Great Extracurricular Activity Examples

Below are four fictional examples of great extracurricular activities. For each, a paragraph is written from the student's perspective. Most college applications don't allow much space to discuss your extracurriculars, but you will likely want to include a more condensed version of the same kind of information. For a more in-depth take on this topic, take a look at our guide on how to write about extracurriculars on your college application .

Each example also includes a breakdown of what makes it a great extracurricular, as well as ways for you to pursue similar activities.

Example 1: Elizabeth the Ballerina

I took my first ballet class when I was three years old, and ever since then I have known that I want to be a ballerina. During the school year, I would take ballet classes six days a week, and beginning in middle school I spent summers at intensive ballet camps. When I was 14, I was accepted into the Joffrey Ballet's pre-professional program, one of the most competitive youth ballet troupes in the country. I have now spent three years in the pre-professional program, which involves practicing and performing roughly 30 hours a week. I have also auditioned and been selected for roles in 8 company productions that are seen by hundreds of audience members each night. I have loved ballet nearly my entire life, and I plan to continue working as a ballerina and mentoring children and teenagers who are interested in ballet.

Why It Stands Out

The main thing that causes this extracurricular to stand out is Elizabeth's clear passion for and dedication to ballet. Elizabeth has been practicing ballet since she was a toddler, and she practices many hours each week. She gives specific numbers (30 hours a week, 8 company productions), to help admissions officers get a clear idea of her work and the impact it had.

She makes her talents clear by stating that she was accepted into a competitive program and was chosen to perform in company performances. This helps show that she is exceptionally skilled ballerina and helps her stand out from other applicants who may just pursue dance as a fun hobby.

Finally, Elizabeth states that she would like to teach others about ballet and act as a mentor. This both shows her leadership abilities and lets schools know that she would like to continue her extracurricular as a college student.

How to Have a Similar Extracurricular

Is there a hobby or activity you have practiced for multiple years? You don't need to have practiced it as long as Elizabeth has, but sticking with one extracurricular for a long time can show colleges you have a deep interest in it.

This activity doesn't necessarily have to be an official club or sport either, having a hobby you are passionate about and practice regularly also counts as an extracurricular. If you've been interested in art since you were young, you can expand that into a strong extracurricular by taking art classes, getting your work displayed in your community, and developing a program or class that introduces kids to art.

Example 2: Scott the Volunteer Leader

I have been a member of my high school's volunteer club since my freshman year. During my first year, I enjoyed tutoring elementary students and painting houses with the club, but I thought students should have more options for volunteering. As a sophomore, I spoke to club leaders and proposed five new locations where students could volunteer including a hospital, animal shelter, and homeless shelter. After getting my suggestions approved, I contacted the organizations and arranged for them to form volunteer partnerships with the school. This included developing activities volunteers could do, getting the organizations approved by the school, and arranging volunteer times and transportation. Other students in the volunteer club were excited about having a bigger impact, so I continued to look for new opportunities for volunteers. I am currently president of the volunteer club and in charge of developing new volunteer activities. Under my direction, the volunteer club has grown from 30 to over 100 members and quadrupled the number of places where students can volunteer. I'm proud that our club is continuing to grow and help more people each year.

This extracurricular clearly shows that Scott is a leader who knows how to take initiative and get things done. Scott clearly describes the work he did to expand and improve the volunteer club, from proposing ideas to club leaders to working with organizations to establish volunteer programs.

Like Elizabeth, he gives concrete numbers to show his impact on the volunteer club and how he contributed to its growth . The fact that he worked to expand the volunteer club and provide more volunteer opportunities for other club members also shows that he cares about volunteering and believes it can have a positive impact on both volunteers and the people they help.

Scott's extracurricular is great because he took initiative and worked to improve it, even before he had a leadership position. You can do the same thing with any of your extracurriculars. Is there a club you enjoy but think could be better? Perhaps you are part of an art club but wish members had more opportunities to showcase their work.

You could contact a local library or cafe and organize a display of artists' work for the community to enjoy. Perhaps you're on an academic bowl team and wish there were more competitions. You could contact other schools and set up an invitational tournament to help teams get more practice competing. The main point is to take initiative and lead a project that will improve your extracurricular, no matter what that activity is.

Example 3: Jessica the Scientist

When I was 15 years old, I decided to get a part-time job to help pay for college and have some spending money. Because I was already part of my school's Science Olympiad team and plan on majoring in microbiology, I applied to be a lab technician at a local science lab. My work primarily consisted of preparing chemicals and cleaning equipment, but after speaking to my supervisor about my interest in microbiology, I was able to begin conducting some simple experiments for the lab. This past summer I became a full-time intern at the lab and took on additional responsibilities. I asked to work with a team doing a microbiology project that studies self-assembly properties of polypeptides. During my internship, I ran different chemical tests and analyzed data results for potential use in cancer research, and I have continued that work into the school year.

From the above paragraph, it's clear that Jessica's passion is science. She is a member of science clubs, she plans on majoring in biology, and she applied for a job in a science lab. Jessica took a not-too-exciting job, where she mostly cleaned lab equipment, and was able to grow it into an internship where she contributes to cancer research. That's a pretty impressive accomplishment for a high school student. She took initiative to increase the responsibility of her part-time job and turn it into something that has a meaningful impact and gives her useful experience for her future.

Jessica's part-time job didn't start off all that impressive; she worked to increase her responsibilities and impact. You can do the same with any job or activity you have. Think of ways to expand your role, or ask your boss or club leader if they have any ideas. For example, if you're a lifeguard, you could start a program that teaches kids basic first-aid safety at the pool.

I have a friend who worked at a grocery store in high school and planned on being a dietitian. She created a monthly group where kids whose parents were grocery shopping could stop by a part of the grocery store, have some snacks, and learn about which healthy foods they should eat. That's a great way to take a typical high school job and turn it into an extracurricular that shows motivation, hard-work, and leadership skills.

Example 4: James the Soccer Player

When I started high school I thought it would be a good idea to join a sports team since my family had just moved to the area. One of my classmates suggested I try out for the soccer team. I made the junior varsity team and stayed on it for two years until I joined the varsity team as a junior. I love playing soccer and the feeling I get knowing I'm a member of a team. Being part of the soccer team helped me make friends and feel like I was part of the school's community. Because my soccer team helped me so much, as a junior I proposed a mentoring program where experienced team members helped freshman players adjust to high school. The mentors would make sure the freshman weren't feeling overwhelmed, had people to talk to, and found activities and classes they liked. The program was a great success, with many members commenting on how much they enjoyed it. This year, I helped three other sports teams implement the program. Doing this has helped me become more confident and better at public speaking. My high school dean has also asked that I speak to other teams in the hopes that, eventually, each of my school's sports teams will have a similar mentoring program.

Unlike Elizabeth, the highly-skilled ballerina, James is not one of the top high school soccer players in the country. While making varsity team does show he's talented at playing soccer, there are thousands of high school varsity players across the country, and unless you are playing at a national level, simply being a varsity athlete is not enough to make an extracurricular outstanding. What makes James' extracurricular exceptional is not his soccer skills but the mentoring program he started for athletes.

James took his experience of being the new kid and used it to help others avoid feeling lonely and isolated in high school. He decided to create a program that helps new students and bonds the team together. This shows leadership, as well as consideration for others. Colleges want students foster a positive atmosphere by working well as part of a team and being the kind of person other students want to be around. James' commitment to his mentoring program makes him seem like that kind of person. He also states how working on the mentoring program made him a more confident person . Similar to previous examples, James took initiative to start a new project, and he continues to lead and expand it.

James' extracurricular shows that you don't have to be the best at a certain activity to have it be a strong extracurricular. James wasn't team captain and didn't make the varsity team until he was a junior, but he still had a significant impact on improving the soccer team and helping out other students at his school.

If you aren't the top athlete or best science student at your school, you can have a strong impact in another way. A great way to do this is to foster relationships among your classmates. If your school has several science clubs that don't often interact with each other, you can suggest hosting a science event together that can include cool science demonstrations for kids and help the science clubs become more connected. You can also start a mentoring program similar to the one James created.

How to Create Your Own Great Extracurriculars

In none of the above examples was a student handed an amazing internship or club membership; they each had to put in time and effort to create exceptional extracurriculars. It will likely be the same for you. By following the steps below, you can develop great extracurriculars that will show the passion, impact, and leadership abilities that colleges love to see. If you have already chosen your extracurriculars and simply want to strengthen then, you can begin at step #4, although you may still find reading the previous steps useful.

#1: List Your Interests

Colleges want to see you participate in extracurriculars that you are passionate about, not ones you are only doing to impress others. Doing an extracurricular you are interested in will also make it more enjoyable (which is really the point of an extracurricular) and will likely also make you more willing to pursue leadership opportunities and increase your impact.

Make a list of all your interests. This can include your favorite classes, hobbies you enjoy, sports you've wanted to try, or what you plan on studying in college, basically anything you think you would enjoy spending more time doing.

#2: Research Extracurriculars

Once you have your list of interests, find extracurriculars that relate to them. Look at clubs and sports your school offers, local jobs and internships for teens, and volunteer opportunities, and make a list of extracurricular activities you might be interested in. If you need ideas, we have a complete list of extracurriculars that includes hundreds of different options.

If you need more help, ask your guidance counselor, classmates, or local community members. You can also try doing an internet search for "your interest" + "your hometown" to find nearby activities you can get involved with. If your school doesn't offer an extracurricular you're interested in, you can start a club yourself, which is a great way to show initiative and leadership.

#3: Choose and Narrow Your Extracurriculars

If you are able to, choose several extracurriculars that you think you will enjoy. After participating in them for a few weeks or months, you can narrow them down to one or a few that you feel particularly passionate about and want to devote more time to. Colleges are more interested in depth than breadth, so having a few extracurriculars that you put a lot of time into and have a significant impact on is more impressive than a laundry list of clubs and sports you don't really care about.

Narrow down your interests in order to choose the best extracurriculars

#4: Increase Your Impact

Now that you've chosen your extracurriculars, it's time to strengthen them to help your college application stand out. First, look for ways to increase your impact. Like the examples mentioned above, this can include recruiting more members, creating new events, expanding the club's focus, and more. Try to leave your extracurricular better than it was when you joined it.

#5: Gain Leadership Skills

After you have started to have a larger impact, work to become a leader in your extracurricular. This doesn't always mean being club president or team captain. You can gain leadership skills by mentoring other members, leading a project, or developing a new activity.

Once you've started applying these five rules, you'll be well on your way to developing a great extracurricular to include on your college applications.

What's Next?

Want to learn more about community service? We have a guide that explains what community service is and how it can benefit you.

Are you thinking about doing an extracurricular or volunteer work in a foreign country? Read our guide on volunteer abroad programs and learn if they're really the best option for you.

Not sure if you want to go to school in a big city or small town? Read our guide to learn if you should go to a rural, urban, or suburban school.

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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Blog > Essay Advice , Supplementals > How to Write an Extracurricular Activities Supplemental Essay

How to Write an Extracurricular Activities Supplemental Essay

Admissions officer reviewed by Ben Bousquet, M.Ed Former Vanderbilt University

Written by Kylie Kistner, MA Former Willamette University Admissions

Key Takeaway

This post is one in a series of posts about the supplemental essays. You can read our core “how-to” supplemental post here .

What is an Extracurricular Activities supplemental essay?

Extracurricular supplemental essays are one of the most common kinds of supplemental essays. As you can probably guess, they ask you to write about an extracurricular activity—obviously!

But you might be wondering why schools ask you to expand on an extracurricular activity when you’ve already taken the time to curate your Common Application activities list. Since the Common App activities list only gives you 150 characters to explain your activities, Extracurricular essays are the perfect opportunity to show how you’ve interacted with your community through one of your activities.

Simply describing your extracurricular activity, however, probably isn’t enough. Admissions officers don’t need to hear about the logistics of your club soccer team's travel schedule or the detailed interpersonal dynamics of the restaurant you work at. They’ve heard those stories again and again.

What they really need to hear about is you . As a high school student, the way you spend your time outside of school says a lot about you. Admissions officers know that your time is limited and precious. Seeing the activities or causes you’ve dedicated yourself to reveals a lot about what’s important to you.

1: Vanderbilt: Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you.

(Psst: Want to know how to answer this prompt specifically? We have a post breaking down the Vanderbilt supplemental for you.)

2: Colorado College: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (no more than 250 words)

Extracurricular essay strategy.

As with any supplemental essay, it’s important to approach Extracurricular supplementals strategically. In particular, your Extracurricular essays should do two main things.

Show magnitude, impact, and reach.

When admissions officers evaluate an applicant’s activities list or Extracurricular supplemental essay, they are looking at these three criteria. Let’s take a second to define each term:

Magnitude: How big of a deal is your extracurricular?

Impact: How are you and others affected by your extracurricular?

Reach: How many people do you reach by participating in your extracurricular?

Now, your Extracurricular essays don’t have to be manifestos about how great you are at your activity. In fact, they shouldn’t be.

But when it comes to your supplemental essay strategy, a good way to approach your Extracurricular essays is by writing meaningfully about how your extracurricular has helped you have an impact on the world. Since colleges want to admit students who positively influence the world around them, your extracurricular essays can help you show how you do just that.

Reflect on personal meaning and influence.

The best extracurricular essays are ones that revolve around personal meaning and influence.

Colleges ask you to respond to Extracurricular prompts because they want to know more about how your activities meaningfully impact you and the world around you.

A supplemental essay that only goes into details about your activity without reflecting on its meaning or influence doesn’t do enough to make your case for admission.

Let’s look at a quick example.

In Debate Club, I led my team to victory in the final round. We were debating about climate change solutions, and I brought it my all.

While that example elaborates on an extracurricular activity, it doesn’t make any effort to reflect on why the activity or the writer’s actions were important. Let’s look at a better excerpt:

My Debate Club was in the finals, and I was our last hope. But we were in luck: the topic was “climate change solutions,” something I’m deeply passionate about. By harnessing the support of my team and the weight of my environmental activism, we didn’t just win the finals. I also became more confident in my ability to advocate for change.

This second version speaks more to meaning. It goes beyond a simple explanation of the activity to expand on 1) why the activity was important and 2) what it meant to the writer.

Now that you have a few strategies under your belt, it’s time to start writing.

How to Write an Extracurricular Supplemental Essay

Step 1: Read the prompt closely.

If you’ve read any of our other supplemental essay guides , you might be familiar with this step. You may even be sick of hearing it. But it’s important to carefully dissect the prompt so you know exactly what admissions officers will be expecting you to address.

In the case of Extracurricular Activities essays, reading the prompt is essential. I’ll use the Vanderbilt and Colorado College prompts as an example.

Notice that the Vanderbilt prompt asks you to “briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you ,” while the Colorado College prompt simply says, “Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.”

So what’s the difference? The Vanderbilt prompt asks you specifically to discuss how your activity has influenced you, but the Colorado College prompt gives you more freedom with what part of your activity you can focus on.

Step 2: Choose your extracurricular activity based on the values, impact, or lessons you want to show.

Remember that your personal statement, supplemental essays, and other application components work together to form a cohesive application narrative . Your essays should each show one of your best strengths, and together they should communicate your overall personal brand.

As you choose which extracurricular activity to write about, be sure that you’re thinking strategically about what you want your activity to say about you to an admissions officer.

Here’s a chart that might help you out. I’ve filled out an example first row so you can get the hang of it. Try filling in your own information to see what sticks.

Step 3: Outline.

Okay, let’s say that you’re the debate team member we met earlier and you’re working on the Colorado College prompt. Since the prompt doesn’t specify which aspect of your extracurricular you should focus on, you get to choose what you think will be best.

Let’s also say that your personal statement already talks about your role on a team, so you want to supplement your personal statement (this is a supplemental essay, after all!) by focusing instead on how this activity has advanced your passion for climate justice.

Before you begin writing, it might be a good idea to outline what you want to write about to make sure your essay covers everything you want it to.

Here’s an example outline to get you thinking.

I. Introduction: Introduce the activity and lay out what’s at stake.

II. Body: Discuss impact, personal meaning, or reach.

III. Conclusion: Reflect on the activity and drive home how it showcases your chosen strength.

Clearly organizing your essay in a way that gives concrete details while focusing on meaning will help admissions officers understand the importance of your activity.

Extracurricular supplemental essay mistakes

Writing a thinly-veiled Academic Interest essay instead of an Extracurricular essay

Because you’re applying to college to be a student, some applicants think that you need to write about an extracurricular experience related to your academics. This kind of essay might include topics like debate, robotics club, Model United Nations, coding experience, independent research, and more.

Co-curricular activities that are related to your academic interests aren’t off-limits. But you do have to be careful not to overstate the academic importance of your activity. If admissions offices want to know more about one of your academic interests, then they’ll ask you to answer an Academic Interest prompt.

But because they’ve asked you to write an Extracurricular supplemental, then you’ll need to keep your focus on the “extra” part of “extracurricular.”

Going into too much detail at the expense of personal meaning.

I know—it’s hard not to unleash your passion and expertise when writing about your favorite extracurricular activity. Doing so can demonstrate its importance to you and your knowledge of the subject.

But the problem with going into too much detail is that it can outshine the true purpose of a supplemental essay, which is to show personal meaning and school fit.

Focusing on a superficial “non-extracurricular.”

If you’re not quite sure what extracurricular to write about, let me give you a quick warning. You need to write about a real extracurricular activity. Some students want to put a creative twist on the prompt and focus on an “extracurricular” that is more of a personal interest than an actual activity.

A good example of a superficial “non-extracurricular” would be an essay about going on long drives while listening to music. Sure, you might be able to write an interesting essay about that. But that kind of topic doesn’t fulfill the expectations of a supplemental essay, and it doesn’t give you the information you need to make your case for admission.

Extracurricular Supplemental Essay Example

Example essay: the journalist.

Colorado College: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (no more than 250 words)

As an impressionable six-year-old, I watched Meryl Streep-portrayed Miranda Priestly shape fashion history with a single word of disgust. I longed for my words to have such an impact.

Now, as an editor-in-chief myself, I oversee daily operations of The Hallway , my high school’s newspaper. Instead of shaping global fashion trends, I impact my community by ensuring everyone stays informed.(( The writer highlights their community impact.))

My place as editor-in-chief was solidified when, in March of last year, we published a breaking story. After a tip to our newspaper email address, a fellow reporter and I uncovered an academic dishonesty scandal. We conducted interviews, dug into school files, and reviewed old test keys to discover the cheating. My reporter wrote the story, and I edited it and put it on the front page. Our story became so big that it was republished in our city’s local newspaper.(( This paragraph points to the student’s reach. They didn’t just impact their school community—their efforts also reached their city.))

Leading my team through this investigation taught me just how important journalism is.(( This paragraphs reflects on the meaning of the activity to the writer.)) Even when people might be upset with what you write, what’s most important is the truth. People can’t make decisions if they’re uninformed about the facts. And reporters can’t investigate and write those stories without the support of a leader who’s willing to put in the work, too.

I doubt I’ll ever predict what we’ll be wearing next spring. But I know that my words will continue to have a deep impact on my community, and I can’t wait to find the next big story at The Catalyst. ((The writer offers a brief but specific reference to the institution.))

Looking for more examples? We've got a bunch of other college essay examples for you to read —check them out!

Liked that? Try this next.

The Incredible Power of a Cohesive College Application

How to Write Supplemental Essays that Will Impress Admissions Officers

How to Write a Personal Statement for Colleges

20 College Essay Examples (Graded by Former Admissions Officers)

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How to write the ‘Extracurricular Activity’ essay

How to write the “extracurricular activity” college essay.

Bonus Material: Examples of real supplemental essays that worked for schools like Princeton and Yale

If you’re in the process of applying to colleges, you likely already know that many universities (especially top-tier schools like Ivies) ask you to write essays in response to supplemental prompts. 

When it comes to selective schools, these supplemental essays make a huge difference! Some schools even prioritize your supplemental essays over your Common App personal statement. 

One of the most common supplemental essay prompts asks you to expand on an extracurricular activity you’ve been involved with. This is what we call, for obvious reasons, the Extracurricular Activity essay . 

While it might seem simple, many students misunderstand what colleges want when they ask this question. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through what you need to do to write this supplemental essay in a way that gets you to stand out to elite universities. 

As universities get more and more selective, you’ll want to make sure you do everything possible to ensure your admissions application is perfect. At PrepMaven, that’s exactly what we do: for years, our expert tutors have guided students through the college application process, helping them land acceptances at schools like Princeton, Harvard, and MIT. 

Read on for our guide–backed up by years of experience–on how to approach the Extracurricular Activity essay prompt. 

Download 50+ Real Supplemental Essays for Ivy+ Schools

Jump to section: What is the “Extracurricular Activity” essay? Examples of “Extracurricular Activity” prompts What are colleges looking for in this supplemental essay? How to write the “Extracurricular Activity” essay Example of a successful extracurricular essay Analysis of a real extracurricular essay How to choose the topic for the extracurricular essay Next steps

What is the “Extracurricular” essay?

This is pretty much what it sounds like: many universities will, as one of their supplemental writing prompts, ask you to expand upon an extracurricular activity you’ve been involved with. 

But while the directions are pretty clear, what top colleges actually want from you here can be harder to figure out. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about the Extracurricular essay prompt: what the prompts look like, what admission officers want, and how to structure your essay. 

In addition, we’ll break down a real sample essay and analyze how it effectively checks all the boxes for an incredibly strong Extracurricular supplemental. 

After the “Why us?” prompts (on which we have a detailed guide here ), this is one of the most common supplemental essay prompts you’ll encounter, so you’ll want to make sure that you’re ready for this one well ahead of the application deadlines. 

Below, we’ll walk you through what these prompts look like, and what you need to do to answer them effectively. 

Examples of “Extracurricular Activity” prompts

Lots of schools ask a version of this question, but each university has their own spin on it. Take a look below for some examples from the 2023-2024 application cycle: 

Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are. (Harvard) Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time – what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study? (300 words, Carnegie Mellon) What academic areas are you interested in exploring in college? (200 words, Emory University)

As you can see, each of these looks a bit different, but really they all want to know the same thing: what interests you, and how have you gotten involved with it?

What are colleges looking for when they ask about extracurriculars?

Simply put, they want to see whether you’re really passionate about something. Almost nothing is as impressive to college admissions officers as real, demonstrated passion for some particular interest. 

In our broader guide on the college application process , we talk about the importance of highlighting your extracurricular profile for elite colleges’ admissions committees. While that happens in your Activities List, of course, the Extracurricular essay is your biggest opportunity to show them how you’ve engaged deeply with a particular activity. 

But admissions officers don’t just want to see you’ve been involved with something .

What they want to see in your extracurricular profile are: 

• Initiative 

These may feel like buzzwords (they are), but they really are how admissions committees evaluate your extracurricular profile. 

Did you just compete in a robotics activity, or did you win a state championship? The former is nice; the latter is excellence . 

Did you start volunteering at a local homeless shelter this year, for an hour a week? That’s good, and colleges will appreciate it. But compare that to someone who’s been volunteering for years, dedicating multiple hours a week to the same task: that’s dedication . 

Leadership is more or less self-explanatory: did you participate, or did you hold specific positions, with demonstrated (positive) effects on the club/team/organization you were a part of?

Initiative can be murkier, but it basically has to do with how much effort you had to put in to pursuing your extracurricular in the first place (this often intersects with the other three categories). For example: did you join an existing club, or found your own because of your intense desire to pursue what interests you?

In a nutshell, then, the extracurricular essay prompt gives you the rare and valuable opportunity to show admissions committees one or more of these traits. As you write your essay, think about it in those terms: how can you show your excellence, dedication, leadership, and/or initiative in whatever activity you choose to write on. 

Below, we’ll run down what one of these essays needs to have to wow admissions officers. Although this guide should give you the information you need, there’s never a substitute for a real college essay expert who can help you with your essay live–we always recommend reaching out to one of our essay coaches if you want to maximize your chances of admission.

How to structure an Extracurricular supplemental essay. 

Although every essay is different, there are certain things that the Extracurricular should always do, and there’s a straightforward structure to help you do it. Below, we’ll break down each step of the structure and analyze a real example. 

Generally, though, these Extracurricular essays follow a similar structure: 

• Start with a story
• Give an overview
• Show your passion
• Reflect on how the activity has shaped you

Below, we’ll get into each of these in detail, so that you can have a more precise understanding of what’s expected of you when it comes to this supplemental essay. 

This is often the advice with all college essays, and it’s no less true here: you want to start with something that grabs the reader’s attention. The best way to do that is, more often than not, by throwing the reader right into the middle of a scene or moment. 

As you most likely did in your Common App essay, try to begin with a short paragraph recounting a moment that showcases you in action. Perhaps it’s you in the lab, working on a hypothesis about plant nutrition. Or maybe you’re an artist, and have just dragged your easel and canvas into the forest to paint a landscape. Whatever you do, don’t just tell us–show us you in action. 

The story exists to hook us in, but it won’t tell us everything we need to know. Set aside a small part of the essay to give a broader background for the activity you’re describing so that admissions committees can understand more about the activity itself. 

This part of the essay won’t be the most exciting or flashy, but it will let you convey a lot of information very quickly–making it an excellent place to highlight things like your dedication or initiative when it comes to this extracurricular. 

What does the “overview” part of an extracurricular supplemental look like? We’ll actually take a look at a real sample essay later in the post, but we can describe it briefly here. 

Say you’re writing an essay about performing in musicals. 

The first section (the story ) of your essay might describe you on stage, about to belt out some showtunes. 

The second section (the overview ) might begin something like, “Since the age of 7, I’ve leaped at every chance to perform in musicals: at schools, in local productions, and even with a touring theater troupe.” In just one sentence, you can show us how long you’ve been engaged with the activity and what some of the highlights were. Then, you can continue on by describing more about what your involvement in this extracurricular entails: your role, how your involvement has changed, that kind of thing. 

A word of caution: don’t turn this into a list of your accomplishments and awards. That should already be reflected in the Activities Section of your Common App. But also, it won’t make for a very good essay, and it’ll sound like you’re bragging. Only include accomplishments if they naturally integrate with the story you’re telling. 

Not sure how to balance an overview so that it conveys the right information without becoming bloated or braggy? The best way to be sure is to work with someone who has experience wowing admissions committees themselves. That’s why we always recommend getting a bit of professional help from one of our many Ivy League essay tutors and checking out or collection of real supplemental essays from successful applicants below 

We say it in almost all of our essay guides, but it’s true: nothing makes an essay stand out to admissions committees like a believable, personal description of the passion you feel for what you do. It’s human: we love people who really love what they do.

Whatever you choose to write about, the next section of your Extracurricular essay should focus on conveying the passion you feel for this activity or the satisfaction you gain from it. As always, specific details are key!  

Don’t just say “I love to ride dirt bikes.” It’s not specific, it’s not detailed, it’s not convincing: do you really believe that the person who has nothing more to say than that really loves what they do?

Connect the passion to specific details or moments that you’ve experienced while pursuing this extracurricular. Maybe it’s the specific sensation of dirt showering on you as you land the bike from a jump; maybe it’s the moment a student you tutor turns to you and says how much you’ve helped their confidence. 

Convey your passion by integrating it with the unique details that only you can recount. That’s what makes the difference between a generic, ChatGPT-style extracurricular essay and a compelling, personal one that can wow college admissions committees. 

As always, the extracurricular activity essay isn’t just about the extracurricular activity: it’s about showing how something you’re deeply involved with has affected who you are on the cusp of college. 

What does that look like? It could be a lot of things! Maybe your extracurricular activity actually shaped what you want to study, or how you live your life–if so, great. But it’s also no less important if your extracurricular activity is simply a source of peace or joy, something that takes you away from the stresses of school or other obligations. 

In any case, it’s important to show that you’re the kind of person who thinks about how the things in your life shape you. This section doesn’t have to be long–a sentence or two will do–but it should show the admissions officers what it is you’ve gained from the pursuit of this hobby, passion, or job. 

Example of a successful Extracurricular Essay

Below is an example of a really excellent response to an Extracurricular essay prompt. This sample actually comes from our guide on how to respond to the University of California’s supplemental prompts, but it’s the kind of essay that could easily be used to respond to any college’s Extracurricular supplemental essay prompt. 

The stall horn blares, and the plane sways under the control of my feet. Shoulders tense, I look outside to maintain balance: even a small tap of a foot or shift of the stick could throw the plane into a downwards roll. The plane begins to shake- my cue to recover. I pitch the nose down and push the throttle full forwards. Despite high-stress situations, piloting is my dream career. Whether airliners or navy jets, I know I will be happiest in the air. I started out building model airplanes out of paper and pencils at Civil Air Patrol meetings, which first introduced me to basic aviation principles: pitch, roll, and yaw. From there, a presentation in my computer science class taught me about Joby Aviation, a local startup working on electric gyrocopters for everyday travel. Already knowing I wanted to fly, I felt inspired to work with aircraft as an engineer as well. I decided to enroll in flight lessons and subsequently took a job as a receptionist at my flight school. When flying, time passes by as fast as the air around me. As warnings blare, pilots chatter over the radio and the plane’s glass bubble gets swelteringly hot. There’s a lot to be aware of, but I’ve learned to multitask and focus amidst distractions. Similarly, being at the airport quickly thrust me into the world of aviation. I found myself fascinated not only by aerodynamics but also by fuel chemistry, avionics, and materials. Sumping fuel from the fuel tanks, I wondered, how do different fuel textures affect planes’ engines? Running my hand along the propeller, I pondered: how would the aircraft fly if this were wood? Plastic? I became fascinated by the specificity and variability of aerospace materials and eager to learn more about them. My love for aerospace is part of why I am eager to study engineering. I imagine myself designing new aircraft and optimizing the ones I fly. Whether I become a pilot or an engineer, the lessons I learn flying will be beneficial in any future paths I take.

Analysis of a real Extracurricular supplemental essay

Take another look at the above essay, and notice how it actually neatly follows the structure we’ve been talking about. 

The essay starts suddenly, and with a ton of detail: a stall horn (what’s that?), a plane swaying, a lot of tension. 

It’s important that the story is, itself, hooking and attention-grabbing. But that’s not the sole purpose of the story: the real key here is that it shows the writer in action. They’re not a passive observer or someone along for the ride. They’re making decisions and taking control of a situation, displaying both confidence and competence. 

Those elements together are the key to a successful opening for the extracurricular essay: get our attention, and show us you in action. 

Notice how the second paragraph feels totally different. It’s no longer a pulse-raising story: it’s a quick but detailed overview of how the writer got involved with and pursued this extracurricular activity over a long period of time. 

What do we learn from this overview? The writer started simple, with models at Civic Air Patrol meetings; they continued pursuing this passion through a compsci course and a local internship; they took flight lessons and got practical work experience at a flight school. 

It’s all super quick, and super efficient. There’s some nice details in there (the models, the gyroscope), but the primary function of this section of the essay is just to put the story in context. Think about it as the background that explains how we got to the story in the first place. 

The next paragraph immediately begins by conveying why this activity is so meaningful to the author. We learn that time (literally) flies, that the author learns how to multitask and stay focused under pressure, and that all this leads to a fascination with the science and engineering behind flight. 

Remember when we talked about specifics being the key to conveying passion? Here’s what we meant. The author doesn’t stop at saying what fascinated them. They go way further, posing multiple hyper-specific questions that convey the author’s real, sustained engagement with this activity. 

• Reflection/change

As you can see, this section can be super short! It really just needs to wrap up the essay by showing us how this extracurricular affects the writer. In this case, it has helped shape what the student wants to pursue, even if the student isn’t yet 100% certain about what that path will look like. 

But this essay could have worked just as well if this student wanted to be an English major. The essay would simply have ended with a different kind of reflection, one about the value or lessons that they’re able to take away from the experience of flying. 

At heart, these essays aren’t complicated. But that doesn’t mean they’re easy. Writing the perfect Extracurricular supplemental essay can be incredibly challenging: how do you balance the story, the overview, the passion, the lesson? And all within a very short word count! 

Taking the right approach can mean the difference between boring an admissions committee and stunning them, so it’s not the place to take risks. It’s why we recommend working with a one-on-one PrepMaven essay coach. Not only have our tutors been accepted to the most prestigious schools in the country, but they’ve helped countless students get their own acceptance letters. 

How to choose the topic for an Extracurricular essay

This is a crucial decision, and you don’t want to take it lightly. 

Many students simply pick the activity that they’ve excelled most in, or the one they spend the most time doing. 

That’s often the wrong choice. Not always, of course, but often!

The key consideration is what activity will add the most to your application when described in essay form, as opposed to merely being summarized in 150 characters on your Activities List. 

Sometimes, that really is the same thing as the one you’re most active in; sometimes it’s not. 

For example, let’s say you’re an absolutely amazing athlete who has won titles and awards and all sorts of stuff. Your activities list can, if you’re careful with word count, convey all of those titles, awards, etc. If you were to write a whole essay about your sport, would you really be able to add much that the admissions committee won’t already see?

On the other hand, let’s say that in addition to being an all-star athlete, you’re also a tutor or mentor for a younger student. On the activities list, that won’t look impressive: so many students do peer tutoring that an admission officer’s eyes will glaze right over. But what if you actually developed a strong relationship with a student you mentored? There’s no way to convey that in 150 characters, but it might make for a nice story in 150 words. 

Wherever you can tell the best story, that’s your topic for the extracurricular supplemental. 

Before writing, you should always spend time reading through sample essays. We’ve collected over 50 supplemental essays from our tutors in response to prompts from Ivies and other elite schools. They’re totally free, and you can download them below to see what worked for past applicants. 

Though the steps here might seem simple, they can be astoundingly hard to pull off in just 250 words or less, which is usually the word count for this kind of supplemental essay. But if you can thread the needle and do everything listed above on this kind of essay, it can make a huge difference for your application. 

Most people don’t treat the supplemental essays as if they were particularly important, but they absolutely are: each college has put time and resources into coming up with these supplemental essay prompts because they want to see what you have to say. 

If you’ve read this guide carefully, then it’s time to start drafting! If you want to ensure that you’re writing the kind of essay that can get you into a top tier school, however, it often pays to get a second opinion. Our college essay experts have helped thousands of students get admitted into their dream schools, and are ready to help you do the same as soon as you’re ready. 

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Complete List of Extracurricular Activities – 250+ Examples

February 26, 2024

There are many reasons to participate in extracurriculars. They’ll allow you to develop skills and widen your social circle. Plus, they’re fun! Moreover, extracurriculars are not only personally and professionally enriching, but can also be a critical component of your college applications. In fact, there are ten blank spaces for extracurricular activities on the Common Application. Now, do you need ten extracurricular activities? Nope. While you should feel free to experiment during your freshman and sophomore years, it is fine—preferrable, actually—to focus on a few core activities your junior and senior years. That is, focus on quality over quantity (scroll down for 250 extracurricular activity examples).

In addition, one’s ability to participate in extracurricular activities is shaped by a number of factors including academic load, personal and familial obligations, economic circumstances, and availability. It’s difficult to join a ski club if you live in Florida, write for the student newspaper if your high school doesn’t have one, or participate in after-school activities when you have younger siblings to babysit or a part-time retail job. Admissions officers will account for these factors, and you should as well.

Why Are Extracurriculars Important?

Different schools place different weight on extracurriculars. Generally, the more competitive the school, the more your extracurriculars can help you stand out amongst a field of academically-qualified applicants.

More specifically, extracurriculars:

• Give insights into your priorities and passions.
• Demonstrate commitment and initiative.
• Establish your interest in a prospective major. This is more important for some majors than others. Examples: pre-med, computer science, theater.

Extracurricular Activities Examples (Continued)

However, contrary to popular belief, college admissions officers are people, not robots. They are focused on accepting applicants who will make up a well-rounded student body , not necessarily on accepting individual students who check each and every box. This distinction is critical. Treat the activities section of your application as an opportunity to show what you have to offer to your future college community. What does your list of activities say about you? What do you want it to say about you? For example, perhaps you participated in only one club in high school—a single line item on the activities section of your application. Is that “bad?” Well, no. Let’s expand the scenario and say that you were a member of said club all four years of high school, eventually served as Vice-President, and participated in regional activities.

Now, what does that one activity say about you? It says that you are dedicated and secure in your interests. Conversely, let’s say you participated in eight different extracurriculars—some sporadically, some regularly. What does this say about you? You are a joiner. You are not afraid to experiment, but know how and when to prioritize. Both of these hypothetical students are promising candidates.

When reviewing extracurriculars, college admissions officers are looking for evidence of:

• Participation
• Achievement
• Community Engagement
• Relevant (or Unexpected) Interests
• Social Awareness
• Personal Growth

Typically, what your list of extracurriculars communicates about you is the most valuable part of this application section.

What Are Extracurriculars?

Whether you are just starting to explore extracurricular opportunities or are already considering how to complete the Common App activities section, it can be helpful to consider the range of activities. What constitutes an extracurricular activity? What are your options? Which extracurriculars fit your interests?

As the list of extracurriculars below shows, the list of potential activities is quite expansive. Use this list to brainstorm ideas or get a sense of the range of possibilities. In fact, if you are researching extracurriculars early enough in your high school career, you might even be able to establish a club or chapter that doesn’t yet exist at your school or in your community.

Alternatively, by perusing this list, you might find that are already participating in an activity without even realizing it “counts.” What do you do after school? For fun? During the weekends? That is, before you despair, are you sure that you have no extracurriculars ? No matter your circumstances, it is highly unlikely that you have nothing to include in this section of your application. Remember that an extracurricular can be any activity not related to coursework . This includes both formal activities and informal hobbies, paid work and volunteer positions, clubs and sports, etc.

List of Extracurricular Activities Divided by Category

Many of these activities could easily fit into multiple or alternate categories. For example, some language clubs are more academic and founded by and for students interested in learning and practicing a language, whereas others function more as cultural affinity groups.

Numerous organizations, clubs, or teams listed are national organizations, with students joining or belonging to a local or school-specific chapter. Where possible, we’ve linked to the national organization for more information.

Academic Clubs or Teams

Do you love science and plan to major in pre-med? An anatomy or biology club might be for you! Are you interested in practicing your Spanish skills outside of class? There might be a club for that! Join a club or an academic team because it interests you, not because you think it will look good (or, at least, not just because you think it will look good).

These groups can vary in competitiveness and levels of commitment. Academic competitions or challenges often entail some degree of travel, as well as opportunities for prizes and scholarships.

• Academic Decathlon
• Academic Triathlon
• Adopt-a-Physicist
• American Mathematics Competitions
• American Regions Mathematics League
• Anatomy Club
• Arabic Club
• Architecture Club
• Art History Club
• Astronomy Club
• Biology Club
• Business Club
• Caribou Mathematics Competition
• Chemistry Club
• Chemistry Olympiad
• Chinese Club
• Clean Tech Challenge
• Conrad Challenge (annual innovation and entrepreneurial competition)
• Creative Communication Poetry Contest
• EconChallenge
• Economics Club
• Electronics Club
• Engineering Club
• English Club
• French Club
• German Club
• History Club
• Kids Philosophy Slam
• Life Sciences Club
• Literature Club
• Math League
• National Academic Quiz Tournament
• National Geography Bee
• National History Bee
• National Science Bee
• National Spelling Bee
• Odyssey of the Mind
• Philosophy Club
• Physics Club
• Psychology Club
• Robotics Club
• Russian Club
• Science Olympiad
• Spanish Club
• Trivia and Quiz Clubs
• Web Design/Coding Club
• Writing Club

Affinity Groups

This list is not comprehensive, as these types of groups tend to vary according to the demographic make-up of one’s high school or region. Likewise, the names of these groups can vary significantly. Don’t see a group that serves you or your peers? Establish one!

• African American Student Alliance
• American Sign Language Club
• Asian Students Association
• Association of Latin-American Students
• Autism Awareness Club
• Black Students Alliance
• Black Students Union
• Buddhist Club
• Caribbean Culture Club
• Chinese Student Association
• Diversity Awareness Club
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes
• Feminist Club
• Filipino-American Club
• Gay-Straight Alliance
• Indian Students Association
• International Students Association
• International Women’s Club
• Jewish Culture Club
• Jewish Student Union
• Latino Students Union
• LGBTQ2S+ Club
• Multicultural Student Union
• Muslim Student Union
• Muslim Students Association
• National Organization for Women
• Nigerian Student Association
• Pacific Islander Student Association
• Persian Club
• Queer Student Alliance
• Refugee Support and Awareness Club
• South Asian Student Association

Do you have a creative side, or are you planning in majoring in art or design?

• 3-D Modeling
• 3-D Printing Club
• Anime/Manga Club
• Blacksmithing
• Fashion Design
• Graphic Design
• Jewelry Making
• Knitting and Crochet
• Photography
• Video Game Development
• Woodworking

Community Involvement & Service Organizations

Many school clubs or societies require community service, as do many scholarships. Likewise, some college applications provide a separate section for listing your community service. However, you might also consider volunteering more regularly or joining a service organization. Not only can it be more enriching than a one-off volunteer opportunity, but it also counts as an extracurricular. There are many established service organizations, or you can look up local groups and reach out about volunteer opportunities.

• Adopt-a-Highway
• American Cancer Society
• Amnesty International
• Animal Rights Club
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America
• Do Something
• Environmental Club
• Food Pantry/Soup Kitchen Volunteer
• Girls Lean International
• Habitat for Humanity
• Hospital Volunteer
• Humane Society
• Kiwanis International
• March of Dimes
• Missionary Work
• Nursing Home Volunteer
• Peer Tutoring
• Red Cross Club
• Religious Institution Involvement (Church, Mosque, Synagogue, Temple Involvement)
• UNICEF High School Clubs
• Volunteer Fire Department
• Youth Groups

Employment & Professional Development

Are you worried about your extracurriculars because you want or need to work instead? Well, don’t. Holding down a job is serious business, and demonstrates responsibility and resolve.

• Educators Rising (for future educators)
• Entrepreneurship Club
• HOSA (organization for future health professionals)
• Internships (paid and unpaid)
• Lifeguarding
• Landscaping
• Pet sitting
• Retail Work
• Service Industry Work (waiting tables, housecleaning, etc.)
• Teacher Assistance
• Tutoring (paid and volunteer)

Government, Leadership & Activism

From serving on your student council to volunteering for a local (or national) political campaign, there are many government-adjacent extracurricular opportunities. Other ways of cultivating your leadership skills including checking out one of the many established youth leadership groups or working with an organization that represents your political interests and concerns.

• Civil Air Patrol
• The Climate Initiative
• Current Events Club
• Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA)
• Foreign Affairs Club
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
• Girl Scouts
• High School Democrats of America
• Junior ROTC
• Junior State of America
• Mock Trial Club
• Model Congress Club
• Model United Nations
• National Beta Club
• National Speech & Debate Association
• National Teen Age Republicans
• Political Campaign Involvement
• Racial Justice Club
• Sierra Student Coalition
• Sunrise Movement
• Student Council
• Student Government
• Team Enough
• Young Democrats of America

Honor Societies

Commitment level and degrees of selectiveness can vary.

• Mu Alpha Theta (Mathematics Honor Society)
• National Honor Society
• Quill and Scroll (International Honor Society for High School Journalists)
• Rho Kappa Social Studies Honor Society
• Science National Honors Society
• Tri-M Music Honor Society

Media & Writing

Even if there is no club or group that fits your media or writing interests, anyone can start a blog or a podcast!

• Blogging (personal or through an established web publication)
• Creative Writing (poetry, fan fiction)
• Culture Reviews (books, films, television)
• Literary Magazine
• Playwriting Club
• Radio (school or local station)
• Scriptwriting Club
• School Newspaper
• Sports Writing
• Television (school or local channel)
• Yearbook Committee

Music & Performance Art

Remember that this category includes more than performance. Do you love theater but have terrible stage fright? Join the stage crew to help with costumes or design. Do you want to support musical groups but can’t carry a tune? Offer to do the lighting or work as an usher during concerts.

• Acapella Group
• Chamber Music Group
• Choreography
• Chorus/Choir (school or community)
• Comedy Club
• Concert Band
• Dance (ballet, jazz, modern, tap, etc.)
• Improv Club
• International Thespian Society
• Marching Band
• Slam Poetry Club
• Spoken Word
• Theater (school or community, acting or production)

Special Interests

There is (or can be) a club for any interest.

• Astrology Club
• Bridge Club
• Cooking Club
• Dungeons and Dragons Club
• Forensics Team
• LARPing (Live Action Role Playing)
• Pokemon Club
• Renaissance Faires
• Society for Creative Anachronism

Sports & Recreation (Teams and Clubs)

You don’t have to be the MVP to get (and stay) involved with athletic extracurriculars. In fact, pursuing a sport even if you’re not an all-star demonstrates commitment and teamwork. If your school doesn’t offer a sport, look for recreational or intramural opportunities.

• Bird Watching
• Bodybuilding
• Cheerleading
• Climbing Club
• Cross Country
• Equestrian Club
• Flag Football
• Hiking Club
• Intramural Sports
• Marital Arts
• Quidditch Club
• Skateboarding
• Skiing & Snowboarding
• Surfing Club
• Track & Field
• Ultimate Frisbee Club
• Weightlifting

Remember, you can always start a club if you’re intrigued by one on this list and it is not already available at your school or in your region!

Other blogs that may be of interest include:

• Computer Science Competitions for High Schoolers
• 98 Passion Project Ideas
• 1oo Best Clubs to Start in High School
• NHS Essay Examples
• Should I Join NSHSS or NHS?
• Extracurricular Activities

Jordan Conley

Jordan received her BA from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, WA, where she majored in Religious Studies and Classics. Following her undergraduate work, she spent several years teaching elementary school--first in northern Thailand as a fellow with Princeton in Asia, then in Bozeman, Montana. Jordan went on to receive a Master's in Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School, and is currently working toward completing her PhD at Boston University, focusing on religions of the Ancient Mediterranean.

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Essay on Extracurricular Activities

Students are often asked to write an essay on Extracurricular Activities in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Extracurricular Activities

What are extracurricular activities.

Extracurricular activities are things you do outside of your regular school work. They can be clubs, sports, art, music, or volunteering. These activities help you learn new skills, make friends, and discover what you like to do.

Benefits of Joining

Joining these activities can make you happier at school. They teach you how to work with others and give you a break from studying. They also help you do better in school and can lead to better jobs in the future.

Types of Activities

There are many types of activities to choose from. You can play soccer, join a science club, or learn to play an instrument. It’s important to pick something you enjoy.

Getting Involved

To get involved, ask your teachers or friends about different activities. Try out a few and stick with the one you like best. It’s a fun way to learn and grow outside the classroom.

Also check:

• Speech on Extracurricular Activities

250 Words Essay on Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are things you do outside of regular school classes. They can be sports, clubs, debate, drama, school publications, student council, and other social events. These activities help students learn new skills, make friends, and find what they love to do.

The Importance of Extracurricular Activities

Joining these activities is important for several reasons. First, they help you grow as a person. You learn how to work with others, solve problems, and manage your time. They also make school more fun because you get to do things you enjoy. Colleges and jobs often look for people who have been involved in extracurricular activities because it shows you’re a well-rounded person.

Types of Extracurricular Activities

There are many kinds of activities to choose from. Sports like soccer, basketball, and swimming teach teamwork and discipline. Clubs like chess, science, or art encourage you to explore your interests. Activities like drama or music can help you be creative and confident.

Balance is Key

It’s important to balance schoolwork with these activities. Too much of anything can be bad, so make sure you have time for both. It’s okay to pick one or two activities that you really enjoy and focus on them.

Extracurricular activities are a great part of school life. They help you learn new things, meet new people, and have a good time. Remember to balance them with your studies, and you’ll have a great experience.

500 Words Essay on Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are the fun things students do outside of their regular school work. These can be sports like soccer or basketball, clubs like art or music, or even groups that help the community. They are not part of your grades at school, but they are still very important. They help you learn new skills, make friends, and discover what you love to do.

The Benefits of Joining In

When you join an extracurricular activity, you get to enjoy a lot of good things. First, you can make new friends who like the same things you do. This can make school more fun because you have buddies to share your interests with. Also, you learn how to work with other people as a team, which is a skill you will use your whole life.

These activities also help you become better at managing your time. You have to figure out how to fit your homework, your activity, and your rest time into each day. This makes you more organized and responsible.

Discovering New Passions

Sometimes, you might not know that you are really good at something until you try it. Extracurricular activities give you the chance to try new things. You might find out you are a great actor when you join the drama club, or you might learn that you love science when you join the science club. Finding what you love doing is a big part of growing up, and these activities can help you with that.

Staying Healthy and Active

Sports and other active clubs are great for keeping your body healthy. Running around and playing games is not just fun, it also makes your body stronger. It is important to move and not just sit all day, and sports are a great way to do that. Plus, being active can also make you feel happier and more ready to learn when you are in class.

Getting Ready for the Future

Believe it or not, extracurricular activities can even help you in the future when you are looking for a job. They teach you how to be a leader, how to solve problems, and how to talk to other people. These are all things that bosses like to see when they are hiring someone. Also, if you want to go to college, they like to see that you have done activities outside of class too.

Choosing the Right Activities

With so many different activities out there, how do you pick the right one? Think about what you like to do. Do you like drawing or painting? Maybe the art club is for you. Do you like being outside and learning about nature? Then maybe a gardening club would be fun. It is okay to try a few different things until you find the one that feels right.

Remember, the most important part is to have fun and try your best. You do not have to be the best at something to enjoy it. Just by being there and giving it a go, you are already doing something great. So go out there, join a club or a team, and start having fun!

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

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Extracurriculars.

Your Complete List of Extracurricular Activities: 900+ Ideas

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What’s Covered:

• What Are Extracurricular Activities?

Why Are Extracurriculars Important?

• How Do Colleges Evaluate Extracurricular Activities?

How Many Extracurriculars Should You Do?

• Complete List of Extracurricular Activities

Most colleges, especially competitive ones, are looking for a “well-rounded” student. This means that, in addition to having grades and test scores that meet their requirements, you must also display other talents and interests in your application. A strong extracurricular profile can help you make a good impression on admissions officers. You’d be surprised how many activities are out there!

What are Extracurricular Activities?

Extracurriculars are anything you do outside of academics. These can include sports, music, community service activities, jobs/internships, clubs, and more. Extracurriculars help colleges get to know you as a person: what do you care about? How committed are you?

It’s important to note that not all hobbies count as extracurriculars. For example, things like watching movies or playing video games would not be counted. Basically, recreational activities that you do for your own enjoyment don’t make the cut because extracurriculars need to involve some concerted effort and contribute to your personal development . If you started an after-school movie club where you and other members watched and then analyzed movies, or decided to develop video games on your own time, then you could list those as extracurriculars. 

While most schools are interested in extracurricular activities to some extent, they are especially important to the top 250 colleges and universities. These 250 schools get too many students who are academically-qualified, so extracurriculars help you stand out. 

The less competitive schools, like large public schools or state universities, receive so many applications that they narrow their focus. Typically, extracurriculars fall to the wayside here as more emphasis is placed on quantitative data, like GPA and test scores, because these require less time on the part of the admissions committee.

That being said, having extracurriculars on your resume, no matter where you apply to, helps you present a robust application that helps the admissions officers gain an overall deeper understanding of the type of person you are. This can make or break their decision to accept you into their university. A well-rounded profile demonstrates that you are passionate and dedicated to the things you care about, both of which are qualities that would make you a valuable addition to their student body.

In addition to showing off your many interests, extracurriculars can also help establish your commitment and interest in your prospective major. This can be especially true for pre-med students; you have to show interest in the field, so having a medical club or hospital volunteering opportunity on your resume would show initiative in that direction. Other examples are video game clubs or coding competitions for a computer science major, or heading a psychology club for an intended psychology major.

How Do Colleges Evaluate Extracurriculars?

At CollegeVine, we’ve divided extracurricular activities into 4 tiers .

Tier 1: Rare activities that show exceptional achievement or leadership. They include national awards or other prestigious achievements.

Tier 2: A little more common than Tier 1, but these activities still showcase high levels of achievement and leadership. They include leadership positions for well-known clubs and organizations, winning regional competitions, or sports/music distinctions.

Tier 3: Lack the distinction of Tier 1 and 2, but still highlight student’s interests. They include minor leadership positions for well-known clubs and organizations and smaller athletic/musical distinctions.

Tier 4: Most common and most often seen by admissions committees. They include general club/sports/musical membership and general volunteering.

Strong applications tend to have between 8 and 10 extracurricular activities. This sounds like a lot, but many activities are seasonal, so it’s possible to fit, for example, three to four sports into one year. That being said, the most important thing to keep in mind is quality over quantity . It’s usually better to try and achieve depth in one to two fields than to do a bunch of things on a surface level. You can certainly start by trying a bunch of things freshman year, but really stick with what you love and are good at. This way, you show a real passion, dedication and progression in the things you care about.

If you want to find out how your extracurriculars stack up, our free chancing engine can help you understand how your activities impact your chances. You can also see more in-depth tiers; the 4-tier system is slightly simplified and our chancing engine runs from Tier A-I.

Complete List of Extracurricular Activities 

Affinity groups.

• African American Club
• Asian Students Association
• Association of Latin-American Students (ALAS)
• Bible School
• Black Lives Matter
• Black Students Union
• Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions
• Caribbean Culture Club
• Chinese School
• Chinese Student Association
• Christians in Action
• Church Involvement
• Climate Change Activism 
• Diversity Awareness Club
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes
• Feminist Club
• Filipino-American Club
• Gay-Straight Alliance
• Gender and Sexuality Alliance
• Girls Everywhere Meeting the Savior (GEMS)
• Girls in the Trades
• Girls Learn International
• Girls Who Code
• Gun Control Activism
• Indian Students Association
• International Students Association
• International Women’s Club
• Italian Club
• Japanese Club
• Jewish Culture Club
• Jewish Student Union
• Junior ROTC
• Latino Students Union
• Mosque Involvement
• Multicultural Student Union
• Muslim Student Union
• Muslim Students Association
• National Organization for Women
• Nigerian Student Association
• Pacific Islander Student Association
• Persian Club
• Racial Justice Club 
• Society of Women Engineers
• South Asian Culture Club
• Synagogue Involvement
• Teens Against Human Trafficking
• Temple Involvement
• Women in Business
• Women in STEM Club
• Women’s March

Community Service

• ACE Mentor Program of America
• Achieve Miami
• Achilles International
• Adopt-a-Highway
• Alzheimer’s Awareness Club
• American Cancer Society
• American Civil Liberties Union
• American Diabetes Association
• American Heart Association
• American Kennel Club
• American Legion
• Amnesty International
• Anchor Club
• Animal Rescue League
• Animal Rights Club
• Anti-Defamation League
• Autism Awareness Club
• Autism Cares Foundation
• Baseball Coaching
• Basketball Coaching
• Beach Cleanup
• Best Buddies
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of America
• Blankets of Hope
• Blood Drive
• Breast Cancer Awareness Club
• Cesar Chavez Service Clubs (Chavista)
• Cheerleading Coach
• Church Camp
• City Youth Council
• Civil Air Patrol
• Climate March
• Community Outreach Club
• CPR Training
• Dana-Farber Jimmy Fund
• Do Something
• Doctors Without Borders
• Emergency Medical Technician (EMT/EMS)
• English Tutoring
• Epilepsy Foundation
• ESL Instruction and Tutoring
• Feed My Starving Children
• Feeding America
• Fostering Animals
• Girl Scouts
• Habitat For Humanity
• Heifer International
• Human Rights Club
• Humane Society
• Hunger Project
• Hurricane Relief
• Interact Club
• Kids Helping Kids
• KIVA Microfinance Club
• Kiwanis Club
• Leukemia and Lymphoma Society
• Make-A-Wish
• March for Life
• March of Dimes
• Meals on Wheels
• Mission Trip
• Missionary Work
• National Charity League
• National Down Syndrome Society
• Operation Christmas Child
• Operation Smile
• Park Cleanup
• Peer Leaders
• Peer Mentor
• Peer Tutoring
• Red Cross Club
• Relay For Life
• Roots and Shoots
• Rotary Club
• Salvation Army
• Save Endangered Species Club
• School Ambassador
• Shadowing a Physician
• Sisters on the Runway
• Soccer Coaching
• Social Justice Club
• Special Olympics
• Student Ambassadors
• Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)
• Students Against Drunk Driving (SADD)
• Sunday School
• UNICEF Club
• Upward Bound
• Volunteer at Elementary School
• Volunteer at Middle School
• Volunteer at Soup Kitchen
• Volunteer Trip
• Volunteer with Refugees
• Volunteering at Animal Shelter
• Volunteering at Children’s Hospital
• Volunteering at Food Bank
• Volunteering at Hospital
• Volunteering at Library
• Volunteering at Museum
• Volunteering at Nursing Home
• Volunteering Club 
• Volunteering with the Homeless
• Walk to End Alzheimer’s
• Water Aid International (WAI)
• Wounded Warrior Project 
• Youth Sports Coaching

Discover your chances at hundreds of schools

Our free chancing engine takes into account your history, background, test scores, and extracurricular activities to show you your real chances of admission—and how to improve them.

• Choreography
• Community Theater
• Improv Club
• Musical Theater
• Playwriting
• School Musical
• School Play
• Standup Comedy
• Accounting Internship
• Babysitting
• Camp Counselor
• Concession Stand
• Corporate Internship
• Dog Walking
• Employment at Local Business
• Financial Analyst
• Gymnastics Coach
• Internship at Hospital
• Internship at Law Firm
• Landscaping
• Lawn Mowing
• Meal Delivery
• Public Relations
• Retail Worker
• School Radio Station
• School Store
• Snow Shoveling
• Social Media Management

Hobbies (some of these may double as other categories)

• Aviation Enthusiast
• Birdwatching
• Blacksmithing
• Bullet Journaling
• Cake Decorating
• Calligraphy
• Car Enthusiast
• Cartography
• Coin Collecting
• Cross Stitching
• Dirt Biking
• Dog Training
• Fashion/Fashion Design
• Graphic Design
• Hairstyling
• Home Improvement
• Illustration
• Indian Classical Dance
• Interior Design
• Irish Dance
• Jewelry Making
• Landscape Design
• Latin Dance
• Magic: The Gathering
• Metalworking
• Model Airplanes
• Model Railroads
• Motorcycles
• Mountaineering
• PC Construction
• Puzzle and Sudoku
• Rock Collecting
• Rubik’s Cube
• Scale Modeling
• Scuba Diving
• Skateboarding
• Sports Memorabilia
• Sports Statistics
• Stock Trading
• Tabletop Gaming
• Vehicle Restoration
• Video Editing
• Wakeboarding
• Woodworking

Honor Societies

• Art National Honor Society 
• Business National Honor Society
• California Scholarship Federation
• Dance National Honor Society
• Engineering National Honor Society
• English National Honor Society
• French National Honor Society
• German National Honor Society
• History National Honor Society
• Math Honor Society
• Mu Alpha Theta
• National Art Honor Society
• National Honor Society
• Science National Honor Society
• Thespians International Honor Society
• Tri-M Music Honor Society

Interest Clubs

• 3D Modeling Club
• 3D Printing Club
• Academic Council
• Accounting Club
• Aerospace Engineering Club
• African Heritage Club
• American Meteorological Society
• American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Anatomy Club
• Animation Club
• Anthropology Club
• Arabic Culture Club
• Architecture Club
• Armenian Club
• Art History Club
• Artificial Intelligence Club
• Asian Cooking Club
• Astrology Club
• Astronomy Club
• Aviation Club
• Baking Club
• Ballroom Dancing Club
• Beauty Club
• Beekeeping Club
• Bible Study
• BioBuilder Club
• Biochem Club
• Biology Club
• Biomedical Engineering Club
• Black History Club
• Board Games Club
• Bollywood Club
• Botany Club
• Brazilian Club
• Break Dancing Club
• Broadcasting Club
• Business Club
• Call of Duty Club
• Calligraphy Club
• Cancer Awareness Club
• Cartooning Club
• Ceramics Club
• Chemistry Club
• Chick-fil-A Leader Academy
• Chinese Club
• Chinese Yoyo Club
• Civics Club
• Civil War Reenactors
• Classical Music Club
• Climate Action Club
• Coffee Club
• Comics Club
• Computer Science Club
• Conservation Club
• Consulting Club
• Cooking Club
• Cornhole Club
• Cosmetology Club
• Criminal Justice Club
• Crossfit Club
• Culinary Club
• Current Events Club
• Cycling Club
• Data Science Club
• Debate Club
• Dungeons & Dragons Club
• Eastern European Culture Club
• Economics Club
• Electrical Engineering Club
• Electronics Club
• Energy Team
• Engineering Club
• Entrepreneurship Club
• Environmental Club
• Equestrian Club
• Ethics Club
• European History Club
• Fair Trade for Life
• Fantasy Sports Club
• Fashion Club
• Filmmaking Club
• Finance Club/Financial Literacy Club
• Fishing Club
• Foreign Affairs Club
• Foreign Film Club
• Forensic Science Club
• French Club
• Friendship Club
• Future Doctors of America
• Future Educators of America
• Future Engineers of America
• Future Farmers of America
• Future Law Professionals of America
• Future Physicians Club
• Future Teachers of America
• Game Development Club/Gaming Club
• Gardening Club
• Geography Club
• Geology Club
• German Club
• Graphic Design Club
• Grilling Club
• Gun Reform Club
• Hiking Club
• Hip Hop Club
• History Club
• Indian Culture Club
• International Club
• International Food Club
• International Relations Club
• Investing Club
• Irish Culture Club
• Journalism Club
• Junior Statesmen of America
• Junior World Affairs Council
• Karaoke Club
• Knitting Club
• Korean Club
• K-Pop Dance
• Latin American Culture Club
• Leadership Club
• Life Sciences Club
• Literature Club
• Mahjong Club
• Makerspace Club
• Mandarin Club
• Marine Biology Club
• Marketing Club
• Meditation Club
• Mental Health Club
• Meteorology Club
• Microbiology Club
• Microfinance Club
• Middle East Culture Club
• Military History Club
• Minecraft Club
• Morning Announcements 
• Mosaic Club
• Mountaineers Club
• Multicultural Club
• National Chinese Honor Society
• Nature Club
• Neurodiversity Club
• Neuroscience Club
• Nutrition Club
• Origami Club
• Outdoors Club
• Pen Pal Club
• Performing Arts Club
• Philosophy Club
• Photography Club
• Physics Club
• Ping Pong Club
• Poetry Club
• Political Discussion Club
• Politics Club
• Pre-Med Club
• Psychology Club
• Quidditch Club
• Religion Club
• Renaissance Faires
• ROBLOX Club
• Robotics Club
• Rock Climbing Club
• Rocketry Club
• Russian Club
• Sailing Club
• Science Club
• Shakespeare Club
• Sign Language Club
• Skateboard Club
• Slam Poetry Club
• Spanish Club
• Sports Medicine Club
• Sportswriting Club
• Statistics Club
• Strength and Fitness Club
• Sustainability Club
• Toastmasters Club
• Urban Planning Club
• Vegan/Vegetarian Club
• Veterans Support Club
• Vietnamese Culture Club
• Women In Science and Engineering (WISE)
• World War II Club
• Young Entrepreneurs Club
• Young Investors Society
• Aspen Music Festival
• Audio Engineer
• Band (Personal)
• Band (School)
• Chamber Orchestra
• Church Choir
• Color Guard
• Marching Band
• Music Composition
• Pit Orchestra
• Songwriting
• Sound Engineer
• Wind Ensemble

Non-Art Competitions

• AAN Neuroscience Research Prize
• AAPT High School Physics Photo Contest
• Academic Challenge
• Academic Decathlon
• Academic League
• Academic Pentathlon
• Academic Super Bowl
• Academic WorldQuest
• Adventure Write Kids – Totem Head’s Story Contest
• Alaska Airlines Imagine Tomorrow
• American Invitational Mathematics Examination
• American Mathematics Competitions 10/12
• American Regions Math League (ARML)
• American Sleep Medicine Foundation High School Video Contest
• Americanism Essay Contest
• Architectural Design Competition for High School
• Ayn Rand Institute Contest
• B.E.S.T Robotics Design Contest
• Biology League
• Biology Olympiad
• Blue Ocean Entrepreneurship Competition
• Botball Educational Robotics Program
• Brain Awareness Video Contest
• Capitol Hill Challenge
• Caribou Mathematics Competition
• Chemistry Bowl
• Chemistry Olympiad
• Clean Tech Competition
• Congressional Data Challenge
• Congressional Debate
• Conrad Challenge
• Cooper Hewitt National Design Competition
• Creative Communication Poetry Contest
• C-SPAN’s StudentCam
• Cubes in Space
• Cyberpatriot
• Davidson Fellows
• Debate Team
• Destination ImagiNation
• Diamond Challenge
• Doodle 4 Google
• Doors to Diplomacy – International Competition
• EconChallenge
• Economics Competition
• eCyberMission
• Educators Rising
• EngineerGirl Writing Contest
• Engineering Team 
• Entrepreneurship Competition
• Essay Contest
• Euro Challenge
• FCCLA Virtual Business Challenge
• Fed Challenge
• Film Contest
• Finance Challenge
• FIRST Robotics
• Forensic Debate
• Forensics Team
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
• Future Problem Solving Program International: International Scenario Writing
• Generation Nano: Superheroes inspired by Science
• Genius Olympiad
• Girl’s Go CyberStart Club
• Google Science Fair
• Harvard/MIT Mathematics Tournament (HMMT)
• High School Innovation Challenge
• Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
• International BioGENEius Challenge
• International Commerce Olympiad
• International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition
• International Olympiad of French
• InvestWrite
• Ithaca College High School Investment Competition
• Junior Achievement Entrepreneurship Classes
• Junior Classical League
• Junior Science and Humanities Symposium
• Kentucky Science & Engineering Fair
• Kids Philosophy Slam
• Knowledge @ Wharton Comment and Win
• Knowledge Bowl
• Lemonade Day
• Lincoln-Douglas Debate
• Mandelbrot Competition
• Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) International ROV Competition
• Math League
• Mathematics Olympiad
• Meridian Stories
• Microsoft Imagine Cup
• MIT INSPIRE
• Model Congress
• Model United Nations
• NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge
• National Academic Championship – Questions Unlimited
• National Academic League
• National Academic Quiz Tournament (NAQT)
• National DNA Day Essay Contest
• National Federation of Music Clubs- Junior Composer Contest (Class III & IV)
• National French Contest
• National Geographic Student Photo Competition 
• National High School Design Competition
• National High School Essay Contest
• National High School Ethics Bowl
• National History Day
• National Ocean Science Bowl
• National Personal Finance Challenge
• National YoungArts Foundation 
• National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge
• National Economics Challenge
• Neuroscience for Kids Competitions
• North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad (NACLO)
• NSHSS Visual Arts Competition
• Odyssey of the Mind
• Paradigm Challenge
• Physics Olympiad
• Profile in Courage Essay Contest
• Programming Competition
• Questions Unlimited
• Regeneron Science Talent Search
• River of Words: Youth Art and Poetry Inspired by the Natural World
• Robotics Team
• Rube Goldberg Machine Contest
• Science Bowl
• Science Fair
• Science Olympiad
• Siemens Competition
• Solar Car Challenge
• SourceAmerica Design Challenge
• Space Settlement Contest
• Speak Truth to Power Video Contest
• Speech & Debate
• Spelling Bee
• Stemanities Research Competition
• Stockholm Junior Water Prize
• Team America Rocketry Challenge (TARC)
• TEAMS Competition
• Technology Student Association
• Technovation Challenge
• The Coleopterists Society- Youth Incentive Award
• The Green Idea
• The High School Bridge Building Contest
• The Stock Market Game
• TOPPS Competition for High School Psychology Students
• Toshiba/NSTA Exploravision
• UIL Academics
• University Interscholastic League
• USA Brain Bee
• Vans Custom Culture
• We the People Constitutional Competitions
• Wharton High School Investment Competition
• World of 7 Billion Student Video Contest
• World Series of Innovation
• Writing Contest
• Young Investors Society Global Stock Pitch Competition
• Youth and Government

Own Initiative

• Discord Server
• Family Responsibilities
• Instagram Account (Professional)
• Online Class
• Online Forum
• TikTok Account (Professional)
• Twitch Channel
• Venture-Backed Startup
• YouTube Channel
• Canvassing (elections)
• Congressional Page
• Girls State
• High School Democrats of America
• Internship with Senator
• Internship with Congressperson
• Local Government Internship
• Phonbanking (elections)
• Teenage Republicans
• Volunteer for Political Campaign
• Young Americans Foundation
• Young Democrats
• Engineering Research
• Humanities Research
• Medical Research
• Scientific Research
• App Development
• Coding Bootcamp
• Game Design
• MLK Essay Contest
• Programming Club
• Cheerleading
• Crew (Rowing)
• Cross Country
• Cross-Country Skiing
• Field Hockey
• Figure Skating
• Flag Football
• Hip Hop Dance
• Horseback riding
• Ice Dancing
• Indoor Track & Field
• Marathon Running
• Martial Arts
• Motocross Racing
• Racquetball
• Reserve Barrel Racing
• Rhythmic Gymnastics
• Rock Climbing
• Roller Derby
• Show Jumping
• Snowboarding
• Speed Skating
• Synchronized Swimming
• Table Tennis
• Track & Field
• Ultimate Frisbee
• Waterskiing
• Weightlifting
• Windsurfing
• Student Government
• Class Cabinet
• Homecoming Committee
• Judicial Committee (Honor Council)
• Library Advisory Council
• Prom Committee
• School Board Representative
• Spirit Committee
• Student Athlete Advisory Council 
• Student Council
• Student Diversity Committee

Summer Programs

• Achieve In Medicine (AIM-High)
• ACLU National Advocacy Institute’s High School Program
• Anson L. Clark Scholars Program
• Bank of America Student Leaders Program
• Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp
• CDC Disease Detective Camp
• College Courses
• Congress of Future Medical Leaders
• Cronkite Summer Journalism Institute (SJI)
• Economics for Leaders
• Exchange Student
• Interlochen Arts Camp
• Iowa Young Writers’ Studio
• Kenyon Review Young Writers Workshop
• Leadership in the Business World (LBW)
• Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Summer Student Program
• Michigan State University High School Honors Science/Engineering/Mathematics Program (HSHSP)
• Middlebury Summer Language Academy
• Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science (MITES)
• NASA High School Aerospace Scholars (HAS)
• National Mathematics Summer School
• National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y)
• Notre Dame Leadership Seminars
• Perimeter Institute International Summer School for Young Physicists (ISSYP)
• Princeton Summer Journalism Program (PSJP)
• Program in Mathematics for Young Scientists (PROMYS)
• Research in Science and Engineering Program (RISE)
• Research Science Institute (RSI) at MIT
• Ross Mathematics Program
• Simons Summer Research Program
• Stanford Institutes of Medicine Summer Research Program (SIMR)
• Stanford University Mathematics Camp (SUMaC)
• Student Conservation Association National Crews
• Study Abroad
• Summer Academy for Math and Science (SAMS)
• Summer Camp
• Summer School
• Telluride Association Summer Program (TASP)
• The Summer Science Program (SSP)
• Yale Young Global Scholars (YYGS)
• Young Women’s Institute

Visual Arts

• Art Competition
• Art Contest
• Congressional Art Competition
• Photography
• Scholastic Art Awards
• Baseball Writing
• Blogging (Personal)
• Book Reviews
• Creative Writing
• Fan Fiction
• Literary Magazine
• Magazine Writing
• Movie Reviews
• Novel Writing
• Published a Book
• Quill and Scroll
• School Blog
• School Newspaper
• Short Story Writing
• Sportswriting
• Web Publication

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