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Mitch was a strong student with a high school GPA of 3.8 and a 29 on his ACT. He was involved in a long list of extracurricular activities and community service and enjoyed all of them, but did not have the dedication and time to develop any leadership positions. Jack was also a good student with a 3.5 GPA and 28 on the ACT. Jack, on the other hand, loved playing baseball and was involved in three clubs where he had participated for four years. He was the president of one and the captain of the baseball team. He also devoted time to the Special Olympics and tutored children with learning disabilities. When it came time for college acceptances, Mitch was disappointed that he hadn't been accepted at more schools. Jack had just the opposite problem. How would he choose between the schools that had accepted him? Could extracurricular activities been the area that made him a more appealing applicant. Did colleges see Jack as a student who would make more worthwhile contributions to the campus community? There is a lesson here when it comes to extracurricular activities: It's not about quantity; it's about quality. And it's better to have three clear areas of interest than six or seven different areas where your performance is solid but certainly not distinctive. Students should not choose extracurricular activities over academic achievement and they need to make sure they budget their time to be able to do both. Some students may feel that impressive extracurricular activities can help less academically qualified applicants be admitted into their college of choice. Rarely, is that true. They won't make up for a student's lower grades and test scores. But, if two students have similar grades and test scores, strong extra-curricular activities just might tip the scale in one student's favor. Extracurricular activities are something a student should think about from the day they enter the 9th grade, if not before. Don't join something to impress a college admission committee, but consider the activities, clubs, and sports at your school and pick and choose the ones that really appeal to you. Colleges are not just interested in applicants who are stellar students in their academics. They want a freshman class that is diverse and brings talents and leadership skills to their campus community. Most high schools offer extracurricular activities in music, art, speech and debate, government, and the environment to mention just a few. One will not necessarily look better on your college applications, but schools are more interested in things you pursue with passion and dedication. How do you spend your free time is a question colleges like to ask. How will you reply on your college applications?
Susie Watts is a private college counselor and the founder of College Direction in Denver, Colorado. Go to http://www.collegedirection.org and sign up for the free College Direction college planning newsletter. Susie assists students with choosing a college, applications and essays, test prep, and college counseling throughout the college admission process. She has been working with students for more than twenty years.
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