Standout Extracurricular Activities the Summer Before Senior Year

Over the years, high GPAs, SAT, and ACT scores have become the standard expectations for students interested in attending top colleges and universities. As such, many students often forgo their extracurricular activities until the summer before senior year, when they start their Common App application. Families are always asking us, “What can we do to increase our chances of college admission?” Oftentimes, the answer lies in building standout extracurricular activities. 

The Importance of the Summer Before Senior Year 

This summer is arguably the most important time for students who want to increase their admissions chances. Why? It’s the most free time students generally have before writing and submitting their college applications. So what’s missing from their applications, and what can they do?

What Counts as an Extracurricular

Extracurricular activities are anything that you do outside of school coursework. This can include, but is not limited to volunteering, family obligations, research, clubs, sports, etc. It’s important to have extracurricular activities because colleges consider holistic applications where they consider everything that students spend their time on. This is often indicative of the impact you will have on their university community. 

Let’s go through a checklist of extracurricular activities students should do before senior year starts:

• Spotlight your Academic AND Non-Academic Interests

1. 1. 1. Think of this as evidence to show the college why you are interested in a particular major or cause. Often students will say they are interested in medicine, but they haven’t done anything to support this interest. This is where students can truly showcase their interests. Let’s say within medicine, they are interested in cancer. Perhaps they could volunteer at an oncology clinic, conduct research on melanoma, and compete in  HOSA Competitions to show universities their true passions. We encourage you to think about what you are interested in and try it out. 

• Emphasize Your Leadership and Give Back to the Community

1. 1. 1. You’ve probably heard of the classic “community/leadership” supplemental essay that colleges ask students to write for admissions. The University of California colleges ask about community involvement in their Personal Insight Question 7. Likewise, Yale and MIT ask about student impact on their community. But what does it even mean to “give back” and to what community? It comes to no surprise that institutions value leaders, especially because the impact they have on their current community is indicative of the impact they’ll have on the college campus. 
      2. If students have very little or no community involvement, we recommend that they give back to the communities they are a part of. It does not have to be anything grand or impressive. You could do anything from serving as a member of your city’s youth council, initiating a drive for a cause in your community, or teaching courses for underserved students in the area. As long as it’s something meaningful to you and addresses an aspect of your community you feel is lacking, it counts. What universities are looking for is what you gained from the experience, and what you can apply to your college experience.

• Aim for Selective Awards and Publications

1. 1. Academic awards, scholarships, and publications can serve as indicators of proficiency in social and academic areas. However, they are not all weighed the same. Some school districts give out awards for personal attributes like being a “community changemaker” and displaying “academic excellence.” These awards are more local and community centered, but awards that are national like the Regeneron Talent Search show greater academic aptitude and achievement. The same goes for publications. Admittance to academic journals that cater to undergraduates and above is weighed more than an acceptance into a journal that caters to high schoolers. In general, wider city, state, national, and international scales help build a competitive college admissions profile. 

Consider Selectivity 

When you’re engaging in extracurricular activities, consider how selective that program is. This helps the university know when they’re considering how to value what you’ve done. 

Key Takeaways

• Spotlight your Academic AND Non-Academic Interests
• Emphasize Your Leadership and Give Back to the Community
• Aim for Selective Awards and Publications