Today’s “Countdown to the Common App” will focus on the next part of the college app– the extracurricular resume. Those of you who’ve read our first two installments are probably starting to feel a lot more confident about the application process, right?
Good! Now, the extracurricular resume might seem secondary to the high school transcript, but it can actually help sway an admissions office to consider you in a different light. Let’s dive in, shall we?
What extracurriculars would a college admissions office like to know about on your resume?
- Community service: school-run clubs such as Habitat for Humanity, volunteer hours, service learning, mission trips, Eagle Scout Award or Girl Scout Gold Award, summer volunteer jobs, etc
- Honor Societies: National Honor Society, Phi Beta Kappa, Tri-M, International Thespian Society, National Art Honors Society, other academic honor and award societies
- Part-time or full-time jobs: over the summer or during the school year
- Sports: varsity, junior varsity, club teams, travel teams, camps, any awards won
- Clubs: any school club you have involvement in, such as Student Government, literary magazine, or Spanish club
- Internships: any internships or mentorships you completed through your school or outside your school
- Awards: any awards given by your school or outside sources
What extracurriculars would an admissions office NOT like to know about?
Colleges don’t really need to see anything you did in elementary school, or in most cases, middle school (exceptions could include service trips or significant awards). We also don’t like to see it when the Activities section of the Common Application is left empty.
Sometimes different college’s applications will ask you to expand upon or explain one of your extracurricular activities. The Common App has an optional space where you can do this. Definitely take advantage of any options to explain yourself further! Admissions counselors don’t always know what different clubs or awards entail, so enlighten us! Think, WWBD– What Would Beyonce Do? (hint– she would be a BOSS and brag about herself!)
What kind of resume stands out most to an admissions office?
This is something that students always ask us at St. Mary’s. The answer is complicated– there is no one perfect resume. An important thing to remember is that as counselors, we understand that not everyone has the same access to extracurricular activities: some schools don’t offer honor societies, some students have to work after school and can’t do sports or clubs. That being said, we want to see something. We are looking for students who have been involved in activities for all four years. Community service is especially impressive. If you have to work, talk about supporting your family in your essay (more to come on that!).
Bottom line, at St. Mary’s, we want to see that you will come here and get involved in our myriad of activities and be happy and successful! That’s really what admissions offices are looking for in the end– students that they know will grow and succeed at their college or university.
Remember- only 2 days until Common App goes live! YES!
The Yellow Brick Path 