preparation

What colleges look at: The importance of having extracurricular activities

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In high school, it’s certainly important to focus on your academics and achieve good grades. But academics are just one component of the high school experience. What’s another aspect of high school that’s worth your time and energy? Getting involved in extracurricular activities.

Dedicating yourself to extracurricular activities that are in line with your passions and goals is not only essential for college admissions, but also for making the most of your learning experience.

Why do colleges care about extracurricular activities?

During the college admissions process, colleges evaluate a whole range of factors to decide whether you’re a good fit for their institution. While your academic transcript and standardized test scores are the most critical factors, extracurricular activities play a major role in that decision too.

Colleges are looking to see that when you’re not attending classes or studying, you are an active member of your campus and/or community. Demonstrating strong commitments to your activities of choice makes you a more favorable candidate, particularly if you hold any leadership positions (e.g. President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer).

It should be noted that colleges look not only at how many activities you were involved in, but for how long, and at what level of involvement. So, while it may be tempting to spread yourself thin by joining as many clubs, teams, and organizations as possible to earn participation points, remember: quality over quantity. You’re better off devoting yourself to a few activities you care about and attaining high leadership positions within them than having shallow involvement in a large number of organizations.

How do extracurricular activities enhance my learning?

Extracurricular activities are also a great way to further immerse yourself in your academic and career interests. Getting involved expands your learning beyond the classroom. Here are some ideas of activities you might join, based on your potential career interests:

  • Engineering: STEM clubs (e.g. robotics)

  • Pre-med: STEM or pre-health clubs

  • Pre-law: mock trial, speech and debate, student government

  • Finance/business: Entrepreneurial/marketing or math clubs

  • Arts/humanities: student newspaper, creative writing, theater

That said, extracurricular activities that aren’t directly related to your academic plans for college can be incredibly valuable too. For instance, joining a varsity sports team expresses to colleges that you are disciplined and teamwork-oriented, in addition to being a source of enjoyment and an opportunity to explore a non-academic pursuit.

Of course, if you can’t find an activity that appeals to you, or you have a particular interest that hasn’t been addressed by any existing club or organization at your school, you always have the option of starting your own. While starting your own club requires more dedication than simply being a member of an existing one, it also demonstrates that you are a self-starter who is capable of taking initiative!

Lastly, keep in mind that your extracurricular activities should never hinder your academics. If you find that your devotion to outside commitments comes at the expense of your grades, it’s a good idea to scale back a bit and take some time to re-prioritize. Otherwise, use high school as an opportunity to gain as many learning experiences as possible, both inside and outside the classroom.


What colleges look at: The importance of taking Advanced Placement (AP) classes

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Advanced Placement (AP) is a program that allows you to take college-level courses while still in high school. At the end of each AP class, you can take the corresponding AP exam and potentially earn college credit for the class.

There are 38 AP exams in total, but the number of AP exams offered varies from school to school. Many high schools do not offer any AP classes or exams at all.

When choosing a high school to attend, it’s important to consider whether AP classes and exams are offered, and if so, which ones.

Without further ado, the 3 biggest reasons why you should take APs are:

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1.      They prepare you for college. AP classes generally function like introductory-level college courses. In other words, they’re designed to be more challenging than your average high school classes.

For instance, AP US History is a lot more analytical than the standard Regents US History offered at most NYC high schools. The AP version goes further than what happened in American history – it puts a lot more emphasis on the how and why, and focuses on broader themes. Classes like this can help you get accustomed to the type of analytical thinking that is regularly expected of you in college-level work.

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2.      You can earn college credit. If you get an adequate score on an AP exam, many colleges will offer you credit in that subject. (An adequate score generally means at least a 3 or 4, depending on the school.)

In many cases, earning college credit for AP’s will exempt you from taking certain introductory courses in college. For example, a sufficient score on one of the AP Calculus exams may allow you to skip entry-level Calculus in college and go straight into a more advanced math course instead.

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 3.      You’ll have an edge in college admissions. If your high school offers AP classes and exams, colleges will pay attention to whether you took advantage of them.

Taking AP classes and doing well on the corresponding AP exams shows colleges that you are motivated, capable, and ready for college-level academic work. AP classes and exam scores strengthen your college application and make you a more favorable candidate.

Overall, AP classes enrich your high school academic experience and challenge you to think more critically. At the same time, they give you a head start in your college career by offering college credit and letting you place out of introductory courses.

If you’re applying to high schools right now, pay close attention to the AP offerings at your prospective schools. Do they offer any AP classes at all? If so, do they offer AP classes you may want to take in particular, based on your interests and potential career goals?

If you’re in high school at the moment, plan ahead with regards to which AP classes and exams you intend to take and when. And of course, diligent studying and test prep will help you do well in these challenging classes, and achieve your desired scores on the exams!