How to Upgrade your Activities List in 2 Steps
GPA and test scores carry significant weight in college admissions decisions. While admissions officers appreciate students with strong academic backgrounds, they also want to learn about who you are, what you did, and your potential to thrive in college. One of the best opportunities to do this is to make sure your values, skills, interests, and positive qualities shine through the extracurricular activities you’ve participated in over the past few years.
What is the Common App, Coalition App, ApplyTexas, UC App activities list?
If your personal statement is showing who you are, then your activities list demonstrates what you did because of who you are. Think of your activities list as your personal highlight reel. It’s a place to showcase your extracurriculars, leadership efforts, community service, and any other type of accomplishments while providing a glimpse into your experiences outside the classroom.
There are no “right” or “wrong” kinds of activities, as long as it highlights personal impact or growth. You could be an aspiring poet, or an avid bird watcher, or you started a babysitting club because you had to watch your siblings while your parents work their night shifts. That said, your activities could include:
Clubs
Community Engagement
Family Responsibilities
Hobbies
Sports
Work or Volunteering
Arts or Music
Experiences that have been meaningful to you
Since writing a list is so simple in appearance, some students rush ahead with the task without really thinking it through. You only get a limited number of characters. How do you make the most of them?
Step 1 - Use Stronger Verbs
What does stronger mean? Stronger means more specific. By being more specific, you provide more information and it really just sounds better, too.
For example, you could say: “I taught English to rural middle school students online.”
“Taught” is ok, but did you tutor, mentor, coach, or train?
Instead of starting with “I was responsible for,” try “I spearheaded,” “I organized,” “I hosted,” “I developed,” or “I facilitated.”
Choosing verbs that are vivid and precise can highlight performative skills and contributions you made. And if you’re wondering what verbs to use, here is a list of verbs by type of activity. You’re welcome.
Step 2 - Brainstorm Better Content
Most students put down descriptions of what they did off the top of their heads. And guess what? You probably don’t remember everything off the top of your head. Most students forget to include solving problems, gaining skills, and making tangible impact.
Seriously, spend 5 minutes filling out the chart per activity on your list to start generating tons of content for your activities list descriptions.
Extracurricular Activity Brainstorming Chart
Just as a bonus, if you really took the time to fill out the chart, you’ll have enough content for pretty much any extracurricular supplemental essay as well. Two birds with one stone.
Extra Tips for More Awesome-ness
Once you’ve got some awesome content and precise verbs, here are some tips for making your activities list even more awesome:
Use present tense if it’s something you still do.
Aim for variety, and make sure your verbs and values are not repetitive.
With only limited space, you’ve got to trim. No need for complete sentences.
Make use of the position/leadership/organization name in the top two sections to free up space for descriptions.
Highlight tangible, quantifiable impact. Numbers can add clarity, authenticity, and context.
Include anything that demonstrates leadership skills.
If it was just a one-time event, use the space to explain the significance of the activity. Why did it matter and to whom? Or perhaps you could describe the selectivity of the activity. This provides more context on the level of achievement.
If your activity was too awesome to fit into the character limit, write a short description in the activities list, ending with “(See add’l info.)” … and put the rest under the Additional Information section. Be brief, no fluff.
Final Words
If you’re also applying for the UCs, I’d recommend starting with your UC Application activities list first.
Why? Because you get to put down up to 20 activities and awards with 350 characters for each description for UCs, and only 10 activities with 150-character descriptions for Common App. Once you have your UC activities list ready, you could choose the top 10 most impressive ones to include in your Common App activities list. It’s easier to trim than to expand, trust me.
To learn more about how to build a great college list, check out “How to Build a Great College List From the Ground Up.”