How to Write a Successful Common App Activities List

You’ve probably heard the term, “the world is your oyster,” right? It’s meant to be encouraging, but sometimes that can just be downright intimidating. The world is a big place, and there’s only so much time or interest in a single day to conquer all of it.

Yet you still want to show colleges how you stand out in the world. One common way for students to express themselves is through Common App activities. Another, more classical term for this is extracurricular activities.

These can range from sports, art, debate clubs, science fairs, or even online gaming exhibitions. None of these is better than the others; it just depends on what interests you most.

But if you are invested in going to college, you still should be thinking of ways to represent yourself on your admissions applications. That is why we at NSHSS want to help you put together a list of common activities that can represent who you are and what you’re most passionate about.

1. A Good List Isn’t Enough

When looking at your list of extracurriculars, it’s important to remember how you write the list as much as the list itself.

The admissions board isn’t just looking for a list of ten activities you participated in; they can get that from the internet. What they want to see is how you put together the list.

From the ranking of the list, the verbs you use to explain what you did in each activity, and the number of words you use to describe each item on your list. They want concise and concrete explanations of each activity and what you gained from each one.

2. Don’t Overexaggerate

Nobody can be Superman or Superwoman. Sometimes, we all need to take a rest and focus on fun, easy things as much as the hard stuff.

So when you’re putting together your list, try and keep in mind the reality of the situation. If you only spent a day volunteering at a senior living facility, then just say that. Don’t try to say that you worked there for a whole week.

But, by the same token, don’t sell yourself short. If you worked hard and became a leader during one of your activities, then explain that.

The admissions board wants to see where you excelled the most, and how they could be.

3. Think of Your Past and Your Future

The extracurricular activities you participate in are not just meant to paint a picture of your past, but to also outline your future.

If you are interested in teaching kids, then it’s important to highlight just how essential it was for you to volunteer at a summer camp or after-school club.

If you are going to school on a sports scholarship, highlight what you alone brought to the team or teams you played for.

If you are struggling to highlight one aspect of a given activity on your list, try and find commonality between the items themselves.

For example, you might want to study film history. Well, your summer internship cataloguing at a local library taught you the value of filing and indexing, something that can come in handy when preserving film stock or old film posters for a local rep theatre.

4. What Did You Learn?

Finally, as mentioned above, these lists are not just lists for the sake of them. They are a platform for you to present yourself to the college of your choice.

Whatever activities you choose to participate in, these can provide you with knowledge you would not have gained elsewhere. And this knowledge can come from anywhere.

Perhaps you learned something during your bus ride to your summer internships. Or perhaps an older coworker taught you a valuable lesson in time-management.

Whatever it is that you gained along the way, that is what will help your list stand out.

In the end, don’t be afraid to dig deep and really reveal what you learned. That, after all, is what the admissions board is looking for in each new applicant.

At NSHSS, we believe that every student has the power to stand out, make a difference, and achieve their goals.

So be proud of the work you did, and don’t hide it. And whenever you’re in doubt, remember that Steven Martin once said, “you’ll use everything you ever learned.”