Hey, do you know the best extracurricular activities for college applications? Don’t worry, I’m here to tell you everything about these activities.
As kids, all of us had extracurricular activities in school. Having these activities could increase the chances of putting a better first impression in college applications as well.
Applying to college these days requires a lot of hustle. Getting admission to our desired college is a gift. And once that you are in, you know how it feels.
Having extracurricular activities shows your commitment to your interests and skill enhancement.
Yes, colleges do want great academic excellence, good marks, letter of recommendation from teachers. But the fact is, colleges also want you to be a part of other circles of life.
Many colleges in the United States want new students to have an interest in a certain sport or hobby. And this culture is gradually increasing to more and more countries in the world.
That’s why, in this article, I am going to make a list of some important extracurricular activities for college applications. If you build interest in these activities in your kid, then they will have so much to do rather than just getting good marks.
Here is the list of the activities your kids should try… Keep reading till the end and share this article with your fellow parents. It’ll help us a lot!
Table of Contents
1. Athletics
Sports and physical activities are a great way to improve a college application. Having an interest in sport shows that the applicant is interested in extracurriculars other than studying.
It shows that the applicant is mindful and is physically active.
Having played a particular game at the state or national level gives your kid a college advantage. Even if they play some game casually, it is also beneficial. Mentioning them in their application helps them to better understand your personality.
Playing team sports such as football, basketball, hockey, or cricket makes your kid a better team player. This is a skill that college or job applications give so much importance to.
If at all your child becomes a team captain, don’t forget to mention that in the application as this will also showcase their leadership skills.
And lastly, don’t forget to mention the championships, games, or other awards that your kid has won.
2. Leadership Activities
Most of the times college applications ask for leadership skills. Having activities that show your kid’s leadership skills will make them stand out among other applications.
Leadership activities can be small or big. It shows a student’s attitude on taking up responsibilities. It’s all about taking charge.
Even if you’ve managed a small team or large one, it doesn’t make any difference. Kids can build leadership skills by leading a school group project or making a plan for a night stay with their fellow friends.
Leadership activities are very important in the extracurricular section of your college application. This skill will serve kids throughout their life. And most importantly, kids will be able to influence others with this skill.
Parent your kids the right way and make them great leaders of tomorrow. And yes, always remember, if your kid is mentioning this in their college applications, then make sure that they include valid proof for the same.
Read more about Top 10 Life Skills for Kids
3. Part-time Jobs
The harsh fact about school is that it only teaches only particular subjects. Students don’t learn personal finance, work environments, and things that will buy them bread.
Having part-time jobs is a great thing to show while filling out extracurricular activities for college applications.
Part-time jobs are a great way to show colleges that your kid is interested in making money with one of your skills. It can be a side hustle for students.
And if the kids are good enough in their jobs, they can become financially independent even before getting admission into colleges. Isn’t that a great sign for parents?
Read about Career in Coding.
4. Learning a Tech-skill
This is one of the best skills to learn in today’s world. I believe that everyone should know a tech skill. It gives them an understanding of how computers work.
Coding is a great example of tech-skill. Coding has become a hot skill amongst university students these days. It not only teaches kids to create an application or a game but also enhances their thinking and creativity skills among many others.
Coding will help a lot in college applications. Currently, every industry uses coding in some way or the other. Be it education, healthcare, or manufacturing.
Kids can start learning to code right from the age they start their schooling. It helps them with their brain development. Coding changes their way of thinking. It strengthens several areas of the brain and makes them better learners altogether.
Kids can start to learn programming with languages such as Scratch, HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and others while starting their journey.
We at Codevidhya provide great courses for kids to help them start their coding journey. Explore our courses that best fit your child by booking a Free Coding Class with us.
5. Internships
Another way to add extracurricular activities for your college applications is through high-school internships.
Internships are a pretty big deal for colleges nowadays. They are mostly for college students who are looking forward to working with a company in a particular skill.
Sadly, most companies do not allow interns from schools. But happily, small startups do offer internships to students. They always look for new talents. And these young minds with adequate skills have a lot to offer to these startups.
Students with internships get a huge advantage in college applications as they already have some knowledge of a particular domain. And with this advantage, colleges won’t even hesitate to put these applications on priority.
Keep an eye on internship openings for your kids. They are really good for kids to learn some great skills before starting college.
6. Social Work
Participating in social working activities with NGOs and Self-Help groups is very beneficial for college applications. It can be the cornerstone of your college application.
This activity can create a huge difference. It shows that your kid can come up with a plan and work for the betterment of society.
Colleges also expect some volunteer works for the community. For example, if they love animals, they can try building a shelter system for the stray dogs around your locality. This will give them a safe place to stay during abnormal weather.
Apart from this, you can encourage your kids to enroll in several organizations. They conduct volunteer services all over the world by creating student groups to conduct community activities.
7. Creative Pursuits
Being creative is a high-demand skill. Creative extracurricular activities like art, theatre, music, or dance can be very handy in college applications.
If someone wants to take artistic majors in college, then these extracurricular activities would become very important to get through the merit list.
Someone with the knowledge of art and culture has one thing in common, they know the value of art in our society. They are well-rounded with different kinds of traditional and cultural practices.
Having this much amount of expertise in a subject helps them to preselect their future careers way before others. Also, investing your time in such activities can be very rewarding and stress-reducing.
8. Personal Business
At what age did you start earning? What was the first thing you sold? Do you remember? Let us know in the comments section.
Doing business is an evergreen skill. Everyone should be able to sell something. And if your kids are interested in business, then you should encourage them to start their businesses. No matter how small it is.
I know a friend who started his own business at the age of 15 and made a profit of $1000 in a month.
Business teaches a kid communication skills, negotiation skills, and much more. It’s a risky game so kids starting a business early will also become risk-takers, and achievers.
Having a small business before college will help your kid to get to the admission desk before anyone else.
9. Debate
Participating in debates is a great way to improve your communication and speaking skills.
Kids can join debate clubs in their schools. It will give them a platform to express their views about a specific topic. And also give them a chance to hear others’ opinions about a specific topic.
If your kid is interested in debate and symposiums, then you can encourage them to join youth parliament competitions. This is a great platform for kids to learn about debating and diplomacy.
Putting debate in extracurricular activities for college applications will give your kid a forward place during admissions.
10. Travelling
Travelling can be a good option to include in your kid’s college applications. But it highly depends on the kind of traveling your kid has done.
Including a family vacation in the college application will not give your kid much advantage. But if they went abroad to volunteer or study, then it can be a great thing to add to the application.
Also, if your child has traveled solo to some countries, they can share their experiences and what they have learned from the country’s tradition and culture in the application.f
Also, traveling can help your kid learn different languages, this will improve their communication skills.
That’s all for this time. Let us know which of these extracurricular activities for college applications fit your kid’s interests. I will see you very soon!
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