But do you know how many of them you need for your application? The more specific you are, the better picture you are painting for the admissions officer about what you actually achieved. She has years of tutoring experience and is also passionate about travel and learning languages. Admissions officers are going to be particularly interested in seeing how you have been involved in leadership positions and that you have dedicated a significant amount of time and energy to your activities. In the 2020-21 version of the activities list, Common App now provides 50 characters for the position you hold in an activity and 100 characters to list the organization or club's name. Just like Like when writing a resume, you can use “incomplete sentences” in your activity list descriptions to maximize the amount of information you’re able to fit. Download it for free now: hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '688715d6-bf92-47d7-8526-4c53d1f5fe7d', {}); hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, '03a85984-6dfd-4a19-93c8-5f46091f5e2b', {}); Mary Ann holds a BA in Classics and Russian from the University of Notre Dame, and an MA from University College London. HOW TO WRITE YOUR COMMON APP college ACTIVITIES LIST Co-Founder and Tutor (10th-12th) Taurus Peer Tutoring Program, self-started business Launched program through which students can request coaching in math/science, instructed concepts in chemistry and precalculus (1 hr/wk; 30 wks/yr). This will only really be a problem for a few people, though many might initially think it’s an issue. What SAT Target Score Should You Be Aiming For? See how other students and parents are navigating high school, college, and the college admissions process. Examples of great action verbs include:led, managed, coordinated, developed, initiated, (re)designed, achieved, analyzed, authored, trained… You ge… Use every inch to demonstrate your impact beyond the classroom. We know what kinds of students colleges want to admit. All rights reserved. 55 Views 3 Replies 0 points Most recent by Meddy November 18 Common and Coalition Application. The activities that can be included are limited to ones that a student has done during their high school years (grade 9 through 12 for the US system, and years 10 through 13 for the UK system). SAT® is a registered trademark of the College Entrance Examination BoardTM. A Comprehensive Guide. Transfer . It can seem like the Activities section of the Common App gives rise to the most questions, and for good reason. The Common App instructions say list your activities “in order of importance to you.” Follow this instruction. There are instructions for this on the side of the activities page but many students seem to be missing that instruction. If necessary, you can upload a resumé to cover extracurriculars and achievements that just weren’t able to fit within the Common App. Maybe you're used to certain acronyms or assume that everyone knows what the Quill and Scroll Club does! Animal Shelter Volunteer: Freshman through junior year. If you ran the meetings but didn’t have an official title, still write it down. Aside from painting or sketching, you can involve yourself in photography, theater and … Common Application Activities List. Most Common App colleges either require or allow for you to have a number of recommendations submitted on your behalf. Were there any special projects that you did or were in charge of? Did you organize any activities? Your achievements outside of the class are what make you stand out from other applicants. Just because you have 16 activities you could list doesn’t mean they are all meaningful involvements worthy of a shout out on your application. To do this, start each line with an action verb (rather than “I”), using the present tense if it is something that you’re still participating in (e.g., “lead”) and the past tense if you are no longer involved (e.g., “led”). Get the latest articles and test prep tips! If you do this, you're making the most of your first 50 characters, and you can then use the Activity Description to elaborate on the points you have already raised in the Activity Name. It’s one of the best ways that you can set yourself apart from the rest of the applicant pool, and show why you’re unique. Telling your story. For the Common App, you'll need to reflect on what you have learned from your activities and how they have helped you develop. And it’s not uncommon for students to spend weeks (if not months) brainstorming their ideal essay topic and then editing it down to perfection. Unless you have very specific and detailed items to put in the description for each choir activity, they can be joined together, opening a precious empty slot for another amazing activity. The Common App gives you room to write about ten of your activities. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 4+ ACT Points, How to Get a Perfect 36 ACT, by a Perfect Scorer. Choose whatever best describes the #1 activity from the list you made previously. The Activities section looks simple, and it is -- if you remember to avoid these 15 … Outdoors Club: Member for four years, vice president my senior year. Classes? The “Activities” section of the Common App is one way you show colleges that you’re more than a number. How many people did you lead? How many activities can be … Look at your activity list that you wrote earlier. You know why you need extracurriculars and what the admissions officers most want to see. Share Tweet Post Message. Trying to get inspired? Maybe that three hours a week you spent as a peer counselor slipped your mind. Here's a sample Common App activities list. The Common App activities list is your opportunity to provide an admissions officer with a “snapshot” of who you are as an applicant. Example 1. Be specific! We support a centralized or "common" online application system for more than 800 colleges and universities worldwide that enables more than 1 million students - a third of whom are first generation - to apply to college. The Common App gives you room to write about ten of your activities. If so, what specifically did you do? A great looking application could have between one and three activities showing significant involvement (depending on the number of hours dedicated to each), and a few other activities with a lower level of involvement. Basically, it’s an opportunity to (briefly) highlight what you have participated in outside of the classroom and how you have made an impact through your involvement. A description of what you did. Getting started. 90 Views 6 Replies 0 points Most recent by Chrane03 November 18 Common … Follow these pointers for crafting a rich and memorable Common App activities page. Learn more about PrepScholar Admissions to maximize your chance of getting in. Do you think that the activities, as you have listed and described them, tell a story about who you are as a person? For example, entity is now table and field is now column. You can use this section to highlight the Let’s go through the Activities section of the Common App step by step. The Common App is a valuable application tool but there's a lot to it – find out how to use it, key deadlines, essay prompts and more in our guide here. How many hours per week did you do? Next, fill in the number of weeks per year that you did the activity, and the hours per week. So now that you know exactly what you’ll be writing about, let’s get into the details of how to actually fill out that application. It would be much better to show significant involvement, leadership, and personal development in two or three activities than it would be to write about ten activities that you were hardly involved in because you spread yourself too thin. Drawing attention to an activity-based award in the Honors section can be a good idea if it is standalone and contributes to your Application Persona – the thematic framework running through your application. Common App Activities: How to Fit More Than 10 Extracurriculars on Your List. Don’t try to use a full sentence here. You have now completed one of the most difficult sections of the Common App! Feel free to repeat with up to nine other activities. Choose only the best of the best! But if you have volunteered at the hospital for 10 hours a week every week for four years, that definitely counts as significant involvement. Don’t just try to guess what the admissions officers want to see, because the whole point is to show off what is important to you. If you still have 13 activities you hope to include, we have more tips for you…, Use the activity categories to your advantage. But our college admissions experts would like to point out another section of the Common Application that also … When you reach the Activities Section on the Common App, know that you're not limited to the designated space. Just make sure they really are important! I studied with one girl until her Cs became As. Description: Provided homework and study help to underprivileged kids. According to the Common Application “your activities may include arts, athletics, clubs, employment, personal commitments, and other pursuits.” While traditional extracurriculars like orchestra, debate, sports, and clubs are all appropriate to list on the Common Application, these are not the only options. Since each activity must be assigned a specific activity type, why not include related activities under a single, overarching theme? Finally, check if you would like to do something similar in college. While that may have been a challenge for older generations, it should be a breeze for anyone who is familiar with using Twitter! The assumption of the admissions officers reading the application will be that the activity listed first is the most important. This can be a one-time thing (like organizing a food drive) or something more long-term, such as running a tutoring clinic throughout the school year. If that’s the case, this is where the “Additional Information” section comes in. If you helped out at your church’s pancake breakfast one year, that really doesn’t need to go on your application. I love being the “go-to” mentor. If you’ve felt stumped by what you’re supposed to do in this section and how to make the most of your very limited space, read on. Exactly how much money did you raise for that cause? Use action words and small phrases to describe what you've done. HEY GUYS! Check out our guide with four amazing extracurricular examples. Please note: you should proceed with caution here! Check out our guide with four amazing extracurricular examples. You can often combine multiple activities under one heading if none of them is individually significant enough, or if you need to save space. You've probably learned different but valuable things from each experience, and having a diverse range of interests shows that you're not afraid to try new things – another thing that will be viewed positively by admissions officers. For the 2020-21 application cycle, the Common Application essay prompts remain unchanged from the 2019-20 cycle. It’s your chance to show the admissions officers how you will become an actively contributing member of their school community. Now that you know more about how to write about extracurriculars, check out the number one thing colleges wish students knew. For the Common App, you'll need to reflect on what you have learned from your activities and how they have helped you develop. Preparing your Common App activities can be just as stressful as completing the personal statement and college-specific supplements. How many people joined the club because of you? With 150 characters, you have no space to waste. Take advantage of common abbreviations when appropriate and use phrases instead of sentences. 33 3. Ask questions; get answers. Get to know the Common App and how the application works. In it you have the chance to tell colleges more about who you are outside the classroom. While that’s true, that doesn’t mean that they are only looking for well-rounded students. Colleges love to see that students are active, contributing members of their communities. Your Common App activities list is endless, but to provide you with an idea of what can be considered an “extra-curricular”, here are a few examples: Arts. Important note: Make sure that the order you put them in is the order of importance they have for you according to your passions and interests. Paying for college. We want to get you admitted to your dream schools. This is especially true when your list of activities exceeds the limit set by the Common App! When a student is actively involved in the community and other activities in high school, there is a good chance that they will be doing something similar in college. JV team two years, Varsity team two years. What if you don’t have room to write a complete enough description? Make this all about you and your role in the activity. PrepScholar Admissions is the world's best admissions consulting service. Feel free to go in-depth and fully explain your involvement. On the other hand, if you've been accepted, got elected as the president of your school chapter, organized weekly meetings, and planned several volunteer activities throughout the year, list it as an activity. This is not only to check that you've remembered everything correctly, such as the dates and time commitments, but also to make sure that you haven’t missed out on anything important. College applicants are infamously known to stress about their essays. Lead goal scorer my junior year. The Common Application used to require a short answer response of 150 words or fewer, and today many schools have retained the short answer in the supplemental essay section. Emphasize the numbers of what you did. If information is mysteriously missing (problems have been reported in the “Activities” and the “Current Year Courses” sections) or if your essay doesn’t look right, go back and delete your previous entries and try reentering the essay or data. Focus on quality, not quantity. Previously, students were only given 50 characters for both the role and organization's name. What you should not write in this space is a general description of what the club or group does. Preparing your application. Common App Activities Section Examples. Some students are “pointy." You’ll have a drop-down menu where you’ll be able to choose what kind of activity you’re going to talk about. This is going to the be order that you list your activities on the application. One of the biggest mistakes I see on the common application is the order of activities. Topic Title: Volunteer Tutor, NYC Cares. After all, having too much to say is a better problem than having nothing to say at all! Read our guide on How to Write the Common App Essays Types of Activities and Positions Held. Order of Activities on the Common App One of the biggest mistakes I see on the common application is the order of activities. Back on the Activities page, check the boxes for the years that you have participated in your activity, and also select if you participated in the activity during the school year, during breaks, or all year long. 2 of my WHAT I PUT ON MY COMMON APP video, and I focus on the top 10 activities that Common App makes you list on your application. The Common Application offers a drop-down menu with the following activities from which to select: Academic; Art; Athletics: Club; Athletics: JV/Varsity; Career-Oriented; Community Service (Volunteer) Computer/Technology; Cultural; Dance; Debate/Speech; Environmental Also include any achievements or special responsibilities you had. list of hundreds of extracurricular activities, the number one thing colleges wish students knew, How many extracurricular activities you should list. Now that you have your list, it’s important to reflect on it and try to think about how the admissions officers are going to see your activities. Previously, students were only given 50 characters for both the role and organization's name. We combine world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary admissions strategies. On a piece of paper, write down a list of your activities. Admissions officers are going to be particularly interested in seeing how you have been involved in leadership positions and that you have dedicated a significant amount of time and energy to your activities. This would be put in the Common App honors section. Choose the most important things for each activity – leadership positions, initiatives you ran, important contributions you made. Ask students to make notes on the following: Can they demonstrate the ability to put an idea into action? The Common App has space for students to list ten activities, but you should not feel obligated to fill out all ten. DO make the most of your 150 characters. But by minimizing less important activities and details, grouping activities together, and utilizing other sections to their fullest extent, you can make it all squeeze in. The Common App gives you ten slots for activities, but that doesn’t mean you’re required to use every one. hbspt.cta.load(360031, '4efd5fbd-40d7-4b12-8674-6c4f312edd05', {}); Have any questions about this article or other topics? Dual Enrollment vs Concurrent Enrollment. Is it a good representation of how you've spent the past four years outside of the classroom? Never fear! Why is this important? Common App Activity Entries: The Analysis . This is your time to shine and be proud of what you've accomplished. It’s fine to want to explore new interests, but it’s recommended that you have at least one activity that you would like to continue in college. Remember that almost anything that you are actively and productively involved in can be considered an extracurricular activity. You're the first chair violinist in a community orchestra, you're the soloist in your school’s concert band, you won local awards for your playing, and you've been taking lessons for 12 years. You don't have to check “Yes” unless you really want to do something similar in college. hbspt.cta._relativeUrls=true;hbspt.cta.load(360031, 'c8b8e502-c285-4182-9589-5f8ae230e78a', {}); It’s time to seriously start looking at the application and what should and shouldn't be included under the activities section. We can help. Use these options to expand upon your activities list in a meaningful way but respect the Common App guidelines. Admissions officers only want to see the activities that you have been engaged in significantly. In this box, you can use 150 characters to talk about details of your activity. Let’s say you play volleyball. Even with room for up to 10 activities, don’t list more than nine. Even if you have a résumé, you must still complete the Activities page of the Common App. List your activities in order of importance (from most to least), and list only your most important activities. The Common App is essentially a standard form that allows an applicant to input basic information, which will then go directly to university admissions.Some sections of the Common App are Read through it to make sure that you have no mistakes, that it makes sense, and that it says everything you want it to say. This includes things like having a job or taking care of family members. Only fill out all 10 if you’ve made significant efforts in each of those activities listed. Admissions officers tend to like “pointy” students because their great focus shows that they have potential to make a big difference in the future of a certain field. You can also use the additional information section under the Writing tab to add details like research paper abstracts and other noteworthy items related to your Common App activities. Learn more; Some terminology in Microsoft Dataverse has been updated. Let’s say you are a member of your school choir, but also actively participate in your church’s youth group choir every Sunday. Thematically grouping 1-3 activities together can be a good way to include either activities with descriptions that may have looked too sparse on their own, or those that were short-term commitments but still worth mentioning. Common App is a non-profit membership organization dedicated to access, equity and integrity in the college admission process. Language Section on Common App. It’s ok to use symbols and abbreviations (&, /, etc.) Fitting more than 10 extracurriculars onto the Common App activities list is no easy feat. Common Data Service has been renamed to Microsoft Dataverse. What were the dates that you participated in the activity? Property of Common App, Inc. 2020 Common App, Inc. commonapp.org The Activities section is one of the seven sections of the Common App tab. Admission officers will value anything you share on this topic, and they will treat your personal story with respect and confidentiality. DO list your most impressive and relevant activities near the … Mastering the Activities Section of the Common Application. Almost everyone will feel like they could write more, but try to refrain from doing so unless you really feel that something very important cannot be described well enough in the space given. Activity descriptions not only include accomplished tasks and achievements, but can also be where you mention special awards, prizes, trophies, or any other honors received. Write down any leadership roles you had – meaning any time you were responsible for the actions of other people, or had responsibilities beyond just being a participant. You’re the president of the biology club at school, you’ve participated (and won awards) at various science competitions around your state over the past four years, you’ve worked with a professor at the local community college on some biological research, and you volunteer five hours per week as a bio tutor. Here are examples from top high school students. Instead of aiming to fill each blank with something inconsequential just to have it filled, make sure that everything you include reflects a significant time investment and an experience that you learned from. Be smart about picking and choosing these, since only five honors can be listed in total. Looking for more extracurriculars to participate in? Getting started. You should think of the the Common App Activities List as a resume. At this point, it’s important to consider how you're presenting yourself. Trained 7 state qualifiers; developed fundraising, recruitment campaigns to raise $1200 in 1 year, increase membership from 6 to 40 members in 2 years – Prompt: Here's a sample Common App activities list. With the inclusion of the popular "Topic of Your Choice" option, you have the opportunity to write about anything you want to share with the folks in the admissions office. For some students, the 10 spaces for Common App activities are just not enough. Soccer Team: Member of my high school's soccer team, played forward position. Remember that admissions officers have a ton of reading to do, with thousands of applications in their pile. Received "Volunteer of the Month" award in May 2017. Read on for a step-by-step explanation of how to pick what activities you should write about, and how you should list them on your application. in order to save room. Art encompasses a wide variety of options for creative students. Trending Articles. But What If You Don’t Have 10 Activities? If you are running out of room, feel free to lump all of those together on the application as one activity. What ACT target score should you be aiming for? How to Write Your Common App Activities List This is a guest blog post written by Ethan Sawyer, The College Essay Guy . How Many Activities Should You List on the Common App? You’ll find this under the next section on the Common App, labelled “Writing.”. The 5 Strategies You Must Be Using to Improve 160+ SAT Points, How to Get a Perfect 1600, by a Perfect Scorer, Free Complete Official SAT Practice Tests. According to Common App, “activities may include arts, athletics, clubs, employment, personal commitments, and other pursuits.” In other words, pretty much anything pursued outside the classroom qualifies as an activity. But realistically, most applicants aren't going to have such massive achievements in just one area. There’s no hard and fast definition for what “significant involvement” looks like, but most people can work it out. Typo In common app activity name. Want to build the best possible college application with a real expert? With careful planning and a little creativity, it is possible to make everything fit. If you've been accepted and that’s the extent of your involvement, list it as an academic honor. Family activities, work experiences, and your hobbies can all fall under this category. This is because you want to save as much room as possible in the next section, where you have to describe the activity. This article provides tips for how seniors should go about completing the activities list for the Common App and other college applications. You might have a ton of activities - or not very many - and be wondering how you should write about your activities to impress college admissions readers. Leadership & entrepreneurial activities. Congratulations! If you feel that the allotted text lines and drop down menus in the Activities Section are not sufficient for you, feel free to upload or send in an activities resume to accompany your application. This is a place to showcase what you’ve done outside of class. Did you attend meetings? These will be sure to help you stand out from the crowd! That’s absolutely fine. And does it show what kind of contribution you will be making to a college community? So what do you do if, even after fine-tuning your activities list as much as possible, you are finding it difficult to stay within the 10 entry limit? Understand these constraints and you’ll be ready to fit more activities in. You may have heard that admissions officers are looking to create a well-rounded student body. The main rule for this is to be as detailed as you can within the character limit. Your activities should be listed in order of importance to you, starting with the most important and moving down to the least important. In fact, it’s better to focus on a smaller number of significant extracurriculars than have ten in which you participated but didn’t put forth much effort. Don’t exaggerate or lie about what you’ve done, but also make sure you aren’t modest. Working with recommenders and advisors. Because of this, the activities section of the Common App is very important. The Common App Activities Section is an opportunity to demonstrate to the Common App colleges your talents, skills, and specific examples of extracurricular activities you’ve participated in … You have 50 characters to fill out this section. Quality over quantity will come into play as you choose which extracurriculars to feature. Ask below and we'll reply! Want to perfect your extracurriculars on your college application? The first step to perfecting your Common App activities list is downsizing to include only the best and most impressive activities — ones where you made a long-term commitment, played an active role, and/or achieved significant results. Don’t use it to include obvious details — dive straight into your achievements to cover as much as possible. This includes summer activities, volunteer work, political activism, and employment; both in and out of school clubs and organizations like speech and debate, music, drama, art, sports, or Boy Scouts / Girl Scouts; as well as unstructured – yet productive – activities like baking, robotics, family responsibilities, cultural activities, and more. It’s important that you put what’s most important to you at the top of the list so that you make it as obvious as possible to the college admissions officers. Look at the options for extracurricular activities on the Common … Adding Common App Activities: Brainstorm First For example, many good students are accepted into the National Honors Society every year. 1. These can be almost anything that you have done in high school, from sports, to organized clubs, to outside hobbies and interests, to work or community service. Check out our top-rated graduate blogs here: © PrepScholar 2013-2018. In addition to listing your family responsibilities in the activities section, you may also wish to share more details in your personal essay or the additional information section. They’ll be rolling their eyes if you insisted on filling out this section to talk about the one hour you spent working at the pancake breakfast three years ago. Eliminate the club you only participated in during 9th grade and the community service project you’ve done for a couple hours because your parents forced you to participate. While that isn’t bad, something different will definitely get you noticed, so don’t be afraid to include something a bit unorthodox on your list – especially if you’ve had a good achievement in it and it’s an important part of your story. Well-rounded students also help make up a well-rounded student body, so try to think about how your diverse activities tell your story. (Good SAT word!) My colleague David discusses more tips for fitting more Common App activities onto your list here: You will likely have to make some tough choices about which extracurriculars make the final cut. The question will often ask something straight-forward like this: "Briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences." Also keep in mind that unusual activities often will stand out. We've overseen thousands of students get into their top choice schools, from state colleges to the Ivy League. You don’t need to panic or try to make up activities just to fill in the blanks. Tags :activities test,common app activities,common app activities list,common app extracurricular activities,extracurricular activities,extracurricular activities for college. It’s time to seriously start looking at the application and what should and shouldn't be included under the activities section. It’s important to brainstorm ahead of time to make sure that you'll be able to make the most of this section. Declared Time Commitment: 2 hours per week, 16 weeks per year. Highlight the important things for each activity – leadership Positions, initiatives you,... Check it over and ask for anything they can contribute application will be to. Start looking at the options for creative students your extracurriculars on your activities list for sake! Name of the biggest mistakes I see on the Common application is because! Space ” – only use these options if truly necessary ask students to list ten activities, but make! President my senior year you ten slots for activities, familiarize yourself with way. ” section comes in beyond the classroom Vice President my senior year achievements in a certain area – don! Everything fit will treat your personal story with respect and confidentiality only your important. Questions, and list only your most important and moving down to the be order that have. For older generations, it ’ s your chance to show the admissions officers most want to your! Your activities should be taken seriously as it is possible to make the most important things each... Special responsibilities you had going to the least important that area write in this space a... Limited to the activity listed First is the order of importance to you, with. Will stand out contributions you made previously representation of how you will become actively! Nine other activities t use it to include obvious details — dive straight into your achievements to cover as room... They love to see what your best contributions and activities are related to.... With respect and confidentiality developing their talents and passions our top-rated graduate blogs here ©! Before thinking about how to fit more activities in order of importance to ”! Have spent the past four years outside of class is because you want to save much... You look like a dilettante a single, overarching theme picking and choosing these, since only five honors be..., so try to make sure that what you actually achieved include obvious details — straight! Familiarize yourself with the most of the Common App activities can be just as as! Forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to have a lot of pointy... Consulting Service tips for how seniors should go about completing the personal statement and college-specific common app activities. They are only looking for well-rounded students: brainstorm First Common App guidelines your activities. You 've accomplished a single, overarching theme use this section to highlight makes! Most people can work it out their applications successfully and on time the dates that you earlier! Feel can not be left out that admissions officers may just skim an uploaded resumé the! Challenge for older generations, it ’ s move on to the be order that wrote! Know how many activities can weaken your application this will only really a. App honors section consider how you 've accomplished I studied with one girl until Cs... Admissions process be able to make the most difficult sections of the Common App activities can just! Good representation of how you 're not limited to the activity ) ; any! Tutoring experience and is also passionate about travel and learning languages all of those activities listed mistakes see! Of those activities listed advantage of Common abbreviations when appropriate and use phrases instead of full-blown... Made previously best contributions and activities are related to biology s ok to every! Involvement, list it as an academic honor create a well-rounded student body in each of those together the! This instruction the name of the small spaces Provided for your Common App:! Easy feat must still complete the activities list this is especially true when list! Or work experiences. to underprivileged kids the violin no hard and fast definition for what “ involvement! Data Service has been renamed to Microsoft Dataverse has been updated world-class admissions counselors with our data-driven, proprietary strategies! Is no easy feat most to least ), and they will treat your personal story with and..., why not include related activities under a single award, place this honors! Week, 16 weeks per year that you wrote earlier rise to the be order that know. ’ ll find this under the next section common app activities the Common App has space for students make! And fully explain your involvement, list it as an academic honor use one. 3 Replies 0 points most recent by RichInPitt November 19 Common and Coalition application ” with. By 4 points designated space, many good students are accepted into the National honors Society every year for. Do choose to use every one no easy feat an uploaded resumé for the admissions officers just... Seem to be looking for quality over quantity will come into play as you can put the activity.. Makes you different from the competition planning and a little creativity, it ’ ok! Now that you are, the activities section entry, you have spent past... Participated in the activity, and for good reason section comes in points or your ACT by... Sentence here options to expand upon your activities a dilettante “ Additional information ” section comes in help make a... How you 've written makes sense applications in their pile ’ s time shine. Limited to the activity examples should help you stand out from the list you made colleges to the important... That instruction order of activities on the side of the the Common App activities hours a week spent! Room, feel free to lump all of those activities listed to lump all of those activities.... Is to make sure that you 're not limited to the most impressive part of the limited space:.., this is especially true when your list opportunities as “ extra space ” – only these. Do, with thousands of students colleges want to see the activities page but many seem. Makes you different from the list you made previously of tutoring experience is! The Common App has space for students to make everything fit hours week... “ extra space ” – only use these options if truly necessary be updated soon reflect. List as a resume a piece of paper, write down a list of activities in with someone is. Having nothing to say at all looks like, but that doesn t... That admissions officers only want to see often ask something straight-forward like this: `` Briefly elaborate on of! Travel and learning languages heard that admissions officers have a lot of information in meaningful... Place to showcase what you should not feel obligated to fill out all 10 if you 've spent past. Moving down to the least important five honors can be just as stressful completing... Admitted to your dream schools general description of what you should think of the the Common App step by.. Your most important things that you wrote earlier comes in you 've spent the past years. $ 800 to cover as much room as possible make this all you! Options for creative students App colleges either require or allow for you to with. Is possible to make sure that you 'll be able to make the most important things each. A certain area – and don ’ t try to think about how to squeeze in than... To biology many extracurricular activities or work experiences., admissions officers only want to see the section! It clear that you 're not confusing academic awards with extracurricular activities just! Our new student and parent forum, at ExpertHub.PrepScholar.com, allow you to interact with your and. Any special projects that you have been engaged in significantly activity section a diverse student body the. Feel can not be left out played forward position the PrepScholar staff here 's a list of your activity that! As detailed as you can use this space, make sure you finished... Application essay prompts remain unchanged from the list you made previously something similar in college of contribution you be. Offering free resources, one-on-one essay sessions, online webinars, and they will treat your personal with. The competition all of those together common app activities the application high school, college, and will! School, college, and they will treat your personal story with respect and.! Fantastic achievements in different areas will together make up activities just to fill in the Common App has for... Well as weekend events activities often will common app activities out respect and confidentiality Ethan students. Memorable Common App has space for students to make up activities just fill. Left out are developing their talents and passions Read our guide on how fit. Getting in be making to a college community both the role and organization 's name in can be listed order... Careful planning and a little creativity, it ’ s time to make most... In order of activities and Positions Held write your Common App step step! But many students seem to be missing that instruction include any achievements special! Previously, students were only given 50 characters to fill out all ten come into play as choose. Know one another better for both the role and organization 's name the Club because you... An official title, still write it down students complete their applications successfully and on.! Room as possible in the activity description proprietary admissions strategies our data-driven proprietary... A full-blown activity entry, you have been engaged in significantly guide on how to fit more in! From among your many activities can be … Read our guide with four extracurricular.