Extracurricular activities: one size does not fit all

“What should I do in the summer?”

Each time I meet a prospective student applying to study in the US, I am asked the above question and many more such as:

“Is volunteering for a social cause more important than participating in sports?” 
“Should I do two short internships or a single long-term one?” 
“Which activities do Ivy League universities favour?”

“Keep it simple,” I say each time. 

Having to stay ahead with academic grades, class projects, possibly multiple SAT attempts, the Common App essay and letters of recommendation means students are finding it hard to prioritise and plan their activities in this increasingly competitive environment. 

It is not uncommon any more to encounter a school captain with honours, a math Olympiad participant, a national champion swimmer, a dog shelter caretaker, a Model United Nations winner or an international robotics competitor. In such a landscape, how do you stand out? And how do you express your activities in the best possible manner? 

While every student is different and has unique interests and capabilities, the key is not to overcomplicate things. Consider quality over quantity, accomplishment over participation, risk-taking over comfort zone, commitment over variety and self-motivation over following instruction. 

Although activities from Grade 9 remain relevant for the application process, Grade 8 is an excellent time to explore, experiment and engage with things that strike a chord with you. 

Find something that you can master over time. Take up a passion project at home or outside and focus your energy into it. 

Enrol yourself in mentorship programmes, and be a mentor to someone too. Out of 10 Common App activities, if you can consistently engage in at least five of them over a significant period of time, you have done enough.

Almost every university emphasises its priorities and expectations for an incoming undergraduate student. To maximise your chances of impressing the admissions committee, research university-specific criteria and tailor your activities to meet their expectations.

When undertaking an activity, strategise how it will appear in your application in terms of position, personal recognition, organisation name and number of hours spent per week/year. 

If needed, do not hesitate to modify the 50-character description and rearrange the hierarchical order of activities to highlight your most impressive endeavours for each university. Remember, the goal is to paint a vivid picture of who you are outside the classroom.

Of the numerous applications I have reviewed and helped strengthen, the ones that are not fabricated and portray honesty, determination, grit, talent, intention, ambition and curiosity always stay with me and the admissions committee.

To conclude, the million-dollar question of “What should I do in the summer?” doesn’t really have a straightforward one-size-fits-all answer. 

It requires introspection by the student to chalk out a plan, and initiative to follow the desired path. Here is an example for a future astrophysics student: research involving exoplanets for six months, application and acceptance into the Harvard summer school programme for astrophysics, subsequent research with Harvard professor, alignment of passion for the keyboard with teaching music to underprivileged children and pursuit of state-level basketball. 

By implementing a tailored extracurricular strategy, this student from a lesser-known school in Powai, India who had a less than six per cent chance of being accepted, is now off to pursue her dreams at the University of Chicago. Her example highlights the importance of a well-crafted personalised plan of supplemental activities to boost one’s application.