Extracurriculars that Colleges Notice

As families look toward the next school year, it’s a great time to review what your child is participating in outside of class.

Often, when students get to 11th grade and they come to Lee Academia for college planning, they suddenly realize that their resume is blank for college as far as participation in activities is concerned. And colleges are suspicious when an applicant suddenly adds clubs in junior year. Other students see that they have been too narrowly focused on sports.

So, here are 3 of the 10 extra-curricular activities that colleges love to see on student resumes:

1. Student Government
Colleges like students who are engaged in formulating and executing policies and procedures at their school. Elected offices and those that have responsibility are also highly regarded. Colleges feel that these students are likely to be responsible citizens on campus and give back in the form of college government participation.

2. Academic Teams: Math, Robotics, Decathlon, etc.
Nothing shows a passion for academics better than a rigorous math meet or a robotics competition. Colleges want students who are willing to put time in outside of class to compete locally, regionally and nationally in their field of choice. It shows a genuine academic interest that transcends the classroom.

3. The Arts: Music, Theatre, Visual Arts
Colleges value creativity, whether you play the oboe in the state youth orchestra, have the lead in plays, or paint your heart out in studio art classes. The arts help brain development and they lend vibrancy to campuses.

Balance is the key. Students should have a range of 4-6 different types of activities that they are consistently involved with throughout high school—not just sports.

To learn about more extracurricular that colleges notice, contact Lee Academia for a consultation and start planning your next summer and school year.