High school engagement is invaluable for students as they explore new and existing interests, develop and refine skills, and learn more about themselves. It also plays a significant role in how students are evaluated in a college’s holistic read of a student: admissions officers will review each applicant's unique experiences alongside traditional measures of academic achievement.

Join Us For Our September 24th Webinar On
The Why & How of Activity Planning To Stand Out From The Stack

To help students engage in a set of activities they’re excited about that will ultimately strengthen their college resumes, the team at College MatchPoint is excited to once again offer our webinar on activity planning. Our work with students over the last 15 years reinforces the wisdom of starting these important years with an activity plan, based on the student’s aptitudes, skills, and motivations.

Go deep

Students who know what they’re interested in—or who have already committed years to the pursuit of an activity—should consider ways they can increase their involvement. For example, if your student has been playing the clarinet since elementary school, they might consider deepening their involvement by organizing a second-hand instrument drive for local students in need or wrangling a group of friends to perform quartets at local senior homes.

Take risks

We encourage students to expand beyond the activities or environments that fall within their comfort zones. If a student takes risks, it demonstrates something about their character and can signal to admissions officers that this applicant could make a positive social contribution to campus. Students should also remember that they don’t need to be restricted to traditional school-sponsored activities. Hobbies and activities outside of school are encouraged—the most important thing is that students are pursuing areas they’re genuinely interested in. 

Pivot if necessary

It’s okay for students’ interests to shift or pivot, especially if they’ve been exploring various activities and taking risks. If in the process of exploration, your student realizes their initial love for robotics isn't there anymore and they want to explore poetry instead, that’s great! In fact, this kind of radical shift could make for a great essay topic. A pivot in an applicant's activities isn’t necessarily a negative; it just signals a change in course, and that’s okay.

Think locally - and expand

Keep in mind that your student’s plan for engagement doesn’t need to cost a dime. Sure, a summer abroad building houses might help your student cultivate independence and a sense of compassion, and attending a pre-college program at a highly-selective college will be intellectually stimulating and could help your student prioritize their college criteria. But students can have equally impactful experiences by serving their own communities. In fact, students can often make a greater impact by solving genuine problems in their neighborhoods, rather than trying to tackle massive issues around the globe. In short, paying for a program doesn’t always correlate to stand-out impact, so keep the focus on the impact, not the cost or prestige.

Value character and community

An activity list is only one of the many lenses through which a college application is read. A student's extracurricular record (along with transcripts, test scores, and essays) should provide another window for admissions to understand who they are, what they value, and who they hope to become. College campuses are communities, and each accepted applicant is selected, in part, for their unique ability to enhance the community. Keep that in mind when picking activities.