High school freshmen are confronted with numerous choices of extracurricular activities, sports, and clubs; how can you choose the best ways of spending your limited extra time? Sometimes, students make the mistake of selecting activities that they believe will impress college admissions officers. Thinking it “sounds better”, they may choose to work on the school newspaper when they’d really prefer designing the lighting for school plays. You’d do well to choose your activities by following your interests instead of trying to impress your future application reader.
Although some students are very focused early on (“I’ve always wanted to be a veterinarian and therefore I got involved in the Animal Welfare Group”), most students should use the early years of high school to explore and try out a variety of extracurricular clubs and activities. You might try writing for the school newspaper, join the debate society, or get involved in a team sport. In short, participate in anything that really catches your interest. Keep in mind, however, that activities should not consume so much of your time that you have difficulty in keeping up with your school work.
If you start the exploration process early, you’ll have a good idea of what type of activities interest you as you progress through high school. Now begin concentrating on those few you really enjoy, increasing the time of your involvement and taking on positions of leadership and responsibility. Ultimately, colleges are looking for depth of involvement not breadth – they want to enroll a well-rounded incoming class, not a well-rounded student. Every university needs a student body with diverse interests; admissions officers know that young adults passionate about and skilled in an activity are the best role-models for their peers. Throughout, it’s important to remember that your studies must come first – unless you’re truly a star-performer, no glowing resume will make up for lack-luster grades and test scores.
