You Don't Need to Save the World to Have a Great Activities List
- Lynn Hofstad
- Jul 13
- 3 min read
The activities list. The section of the Common App where you tout your involvement in athletics, clubs, volunteering opportunities, and extracurricular activities. I'll admit that when I applied to college having a few things on the list was sufficient. Maybe it's because all of my friends had afterschool jobs that left only so much time for extracurricular activities (and if I'm honest most of those activities were sports), but my recollection is that my activity list had my job, the sports I played, and a few volunteer activities. Nowadays, it's different. As an application reader I have seen activities lists that put mine to shame and make me wonder how an 18-year-old has managed to accomplish more than most people my age. Are all activities lists like that? No, and that's ok.
Regardless of how many activities are on your list, here are some tips to keep in mind when crafting your activities list.
Start with a resume. Before you fill out your activities list, create a resume. It doesn't have to be fancy, but make sure it has an education, activities, and honors section. Include everything you have done and accomplished during high school. As with most resumes, make sure you include a brief description of your commitment, responsibilities, and leadership for each activity. Not sure where to start? Try this simple template. Trust me, completing this before you start filling in your application will save you time on most sections.
Include all activities. Activities can and should include any family obligations that take up a lot of your time. Are you responsible for caring for your younger siblings regularly? Include that on your resume. Do you help with the family business? Include that on your resume. Any activity that takes a large portion of your time should be included on the resume.
Order your activities. Once you complete your resume, start the process of ordering the activities for your Common App activity list. Not all activities are created equal and no two activities lists will look alike. At the top of the list you want to have the activities that best reflect who you are, where you showed leadership, and what relates to your academic field of interest. When you have shuffled around and prioritized all your activities, the top ten will be the ones entered into your Common App activity list.
Don't add fluff just to fill space. Absolutely fill in all the activities you can, but if you can't fill in all of the slots, don't join activities just to take up space. Admissions counselors are smart people and this certainly isn't their first rodeo. They can spot fluff from a mile away. More isn't better if it's just space filler. Leaning into your activities and committing to a few that are meaningful to you is more important than having a lot of fluff.
Use the descriptions to your advantage. 150 words isn't a lot, but that's how much you get to describe your involvement in each activity. Therefore, make sure every word counts. Don't use full sentences, but write short statements that focus on commitment and impact. What leadership roles did you fill? How much time did you commit? What did you (and the organization) accomplish? How did you impact others through your work? Make the statements short, to the point, and focused on these questions.
Yes, you go to college to learn, but a lot of time and learning happens outside of the classroom. Admissions committees want to know what you will bring to their community. The activity list is your opportunity to show the admissions committee who you are and how you have used your time outside of school. Focus on the activities that are important to you and connect to what you are passionate about. You don't need to solve world hunger to have an impressive activity list. Sustained commitment, impact, and leadership go a long way. Most importantly, use the activity list to highlight your unique and interesting self.
Need help crafting your activities list? Place and Path Consulting is here to help.
