Ready to set yourself apart in the pile of competing college applications? It might not come down to your test scores or how well you did in the classroom. Your admissions success might involve what you did outside of the classroom all together. The college admissions process is more competitive than ever before. Most admissions decisions are being made both on your academic record, but also what you might bring to the campus as a student. Show them who you are by getting involved outside the classroom.
Show College Admissions What Matters to You
Why does volunteering and extracurricular activities matter so much during the college admissions process? You’re showing more about who you are – on a deeper level. Colleges want to get to know the full student. They can learn information from the classes you took and the scores you got, but they’ll understand you better by how you chose to spend your free time. Volunteering is a great way to show what you value in your community and how you work to help others. Extracurricular activities show what you’re passionate about and that you’re working to hone those skills and talents.
Why Extracurriculars and Volunteering is Important in High School
This shouldn’t just be about getting involved to get accepted either. Yes, your high school might require you to complete some volunteer work or you might know that extracurricular activities look good on a resume. But getting involved outside of the classroom should be about making a difference and also learning more about yourself, not earning an acceptance letter. When college admissions officers look at your outside activities, they’re seeing things that are important to you. Volunteering and extracurricular activities can help you actually discover the answers to those questions.
Learn More About Yourself
We don’t think you should just try to get into the “right” college, but the right college for you. By getting experience through different types of activities, you’re able to learn more about yourself and what you might want out of a college experience and even your career. When choosing extracurricular activities, focus on those things you know you love but don’t hesitate to try something new, too. Get a feel for whether or not it might be something you never knew you’d love. Not only might you make great friends, you also might just find a new passion you didn’t know you had.
Gain Valuable Leadership Skills
If you’re going to volunteer, take some time to research a club or organization that inspires you. When you’re passionate about something, you’re far more likely to be motivated to really dig in. With volunteering and even some high school extracurriculars, you will get a better chance to take on some leadership roles and stretch yourself. Not only does leadership experience within these clubs and organizations show admissions officers that you’ll step up, it will also help them to understand your passions even more.
Earn Some Scholarship Money
One of the great benefits to extracurricular and volunteer experiences is that it can help you to pay for college. In fact, many colleges and private scholarships will award money based off of those talents you build within your outside activities. If you’re not the best student in the world, this may open up an entirely different door to helping you pay for your dream college.
Your Path to College Admissions Success
It’s very likely that your teachers, guidance counselor, and maybe even your parents have put too much emphasis on your high school academics and not enough on what you do with your free time. Getting into your top choice universities involves more than just your GPA and test scores, Make sure that you’re focusing on becoming who you want to be and get involved with things that are important to you. It’s time to explore who you are and who you want to be!
