top of page
                                                    Blog                                                                        

 

Search

What are Extracurriculars and Why do They Matter?

  • Writer: robertalachman
    robertalachman
  • Dec 28, 2021
  • 2 min read

There's a lot of confusion about what colleges are "looking for" in terms of a prospective student's outside-of-class activities. In order to be competitive, must a student be a world-class pianist, a star athlete, and the founder of a non-profit that raises hundreds of thousands of dollars for Haitian orphans? No. But schools are looking for students who have interests that they pursue with passion and commitment. Those interests can be virtually anything. As opposed to the days when well-rounded students--those with an assortment of interests--were in demand, now schools are more interested in angular students--those with narrower interests but who pursue them in greater depth. Instead of well-rounded students, today, colleges are looking to create well-rounded classes. An environment populated by a diverse group of people is both conducive to learning and just plain fun. To this end, schools try to recruit students who represent a variety of interests, experiences, talents, and skills as well as geographic, racial, and cultural diversity. So, what's a high school student to do?

  • Start exploring a variety of activities in the first year or so of high school, in order to find things they like; then, they can dive deeply into those activities during their junior and senior years.

  • Think of extracurriculars as a broad category, including sports, music, visual/performing arts, community service, paid work, participation in interest clubs, student government, tutoring, caretaking of family members, and so on.

  • If your interest is solitary or intellectual, find a way to make it more concrete. Let's say you're a politics junkie--how will you be able to communicate that effectively on a college application? Any number of ways: you could write a political blog, start a YouTube channel, create a school club, volunteer to work on a political campaign, write a politics column for the school newspaper, take a community college course in political science, etc.

  • Use your interests as a way to gain leadership experience. For example, can you rise to be a team captain or club president, manage a large project at school, tutor or mentor younger kids?

  • Ultimately, your extracurriculars, along with your essays, are an important means of helping colleges get to know who you are beyond your grades and scores. So try things and figure out what you enjoy--whatever it may be--and just do it!


 
 
 

Comentarios


College Fit 360

(818) 903-2166

(310) 720-2934

Info@CollegeFit360.com

© 2025 by College Fit 360

Tags:  College Consulting Los Angeles  College Consultants Los Angeles  College Consultant Los Angeles  College Counseling Los Angeles  College Counselors Los Angeles  College Counselor Los Angeles  College Advisors Los Angeles  College Advisor Los Angeles  Academic Advisors Los Angeles  Academic Advisor Los Angeles  Educational Consultants Los Angeles  Educational Consulting Los Angeles  Educational Consultant Los Angeles  College Academic Counseling Los Angeles  College Academic Counselors Los Angeles  College Academic Counselor Los Angeles  College Admissions Counseling Los angeles  College Admissions Counselors Los Angeles  College Admissions Counselor Los Angeles  College Admissions Consulting Los Angeles  College Admissions Consultants Los Angeles  College Admissions Consultant Los Angeles College Prep Los Angeles  College Prep Consulting Los Angeles  College Prep Consultants Los Angeles  College Prep Consultant Los Angeles  Los Angeles College Consulting  Los Angeles College Consultants  Los Angeles College Consultant  Los Angeles College Admissions Consulting  Los Angeles College Admissions Consultants  Los Angeles College Admissions Counseling  Los Angeles College Admissions Counselors  Los Angeles College Admissions Counselor  Los Angeles College Counseling  Los Angeles College Counselors  Los Angeles College Counselor  College Consulting San Fernando Valley  College Consultants San Fernando Valley  College Consultant San Fernando Valley  College Consulting Westside  College Consultants Westside  College Consultant Westside  College Consultants Beverly Hills  College Consultant sSanta Monica  College Consultants Pasadena  College Consultants Glendale  College Consultants West Los Angeles  College Consultants Culver City  College Consultants Venice  College Consultants Mar Vista  College Consultants Brentwood  College Consultants Pacific Palisades  College Consultants Encino  College Consultants Sherman Oaks  College Consultants Studio City  College Consultant Burbank  College Consultants Woodland Hills  College Consultants Granada Hills  College Consultants Calabasas  College Consultants Van Nuys  College Consultants North Hollywood  College Consultants West Hollywood  College Consultants Hollywood  College Consultants San Gabriel Valley  College Consultants Conejo Valley  International College Consultants  International Students  Nationwide College Consultants  Virtual College Consultants  College Coaching  College Success Coaching  College to Career Strategies  College to Career  College to Workplace  Getting Your First Real Job  21st Century Workplace  Couch to Career  Get a Job After College  Workplace Skills  Soft Skills  Career Consultants Los Angeles  Career Strategist Los Angeles  Career Counselor  Career Strategies  Helping College Grads Get Jobs  College Fit 360  What Now 360  Roberta Lachman  Joan Weiss  College Essays  Help With College Essays  Writing College Admissions Essays  How Do I Apply To College  How Do I Get Into College  Getting Into College  College Applications  Sacramento College Consultants   College Consulting Sacramento   College Consultants Sacramento   College Advisors Sacramento

bottom of page