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By: Shadvi Aravindh

We get it; high school life is busy, so you may wonder “what extracurricular”. 

Before we go deep into this topic, we want to highlight the key selection criteria shared by these top universities

UPenn – We’re interested in learning all about you: what you love, your strengths, your challenges, your interests…

Dartmouth – ……looking for strong-minded, multi-talented….

Stanford –  …an exceptional depth of experience in one or two activities may demonstrate your passion more than minimal participation in five or six clubs. 

Harvard  – …personal qualities and character…leadership and distinction in extracurricular activities…..Community Involvement

Through extracurriculars, colleges look  to understand how a student spends time outside the classroom. If there are no restrictions or boundaries, where do you invest your time? You could be a netflix watching connoisseur, think about how that impacts your display of leadership skills, your strengths, and core values. 

Focus time on things you really care about – sport, painting, cooking, gardening, writing – all are good extracurriculars. As a high schooler, you aren’t expected to solve world peace and find the cure for cancer while you are at it. Whatever you do, give your fullest and go to the depth of that activity. Colleges are looking for commitment, your willingness to expand your knowledge in any area/field you like, and most importantly what you VALUE. 

Before joining a club or doing 1,000 hours of community service, see what it means to show your value, leadership skills, passion, and unique strength. ”If you like to study about grass, research all about grass and become the best grass expert there is.” . This will show your interest in biodiversity and the reason why you want to study biology and ecology.””

Remember, with Extracurriculars, less is always MORE !! Stay focussed.

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