How important are extracurricular activities when it comes to applying for college?

“Your extracurricular activities show colleges aspects of your personality that your grades and test scores can’t. Though admissions officers can also get to know about your ‘intangible’ qualities through your essays and letters of recommendation, extracurriculars are important because they show that you walk the walk.

Do colleges care about extracurriculars before high school?

Colleges Will Ask About Extracurriculars in Multiple Ways As we said before, extracurricular activities don’t just exist to impress college admissions officers, but it’s important to understand that colleges will ask about your extracurricular involvement on applications – often in more ways than one.

Do you really have no extracurriculars?

Do You Really Have No Extracurriculars? The first step is to determine if you actually have zero extracurricular activities. Most students actually have a few, but they just haven’t realized it. Extracurricular activities can be almost anything you’ve done outside of the classroom that doesn’t count for school credit.

Do you have to put certificates for extracurricular activities on college applications?

You do not have to put certificates for an extracurricular activity on your college application. However, some activities might need a certificate, but these activities would be for professional skills such as cooking (you would need to be a professional cook) or a lifeguard (you would need to have passed the Red Cross courses).

What counts as an extracurricular activity?

If you have written for a literary publication, joined a competitive math team, or have worked with a local community college professor on a science experiment, these all count as extracurricular activities. In fact, these sorts of activities are often highly regarded because they show a passion for an area of study.

What makes a good extracurricular profile for college?

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!