Extracurricular Activities: Strategies

While colleges look most carefully your grades and test scores, that's not all they care about. One important other factor in admissions decisions is extracurricular activities--how you spent your time when you weren't studying or working on school projects

Colleges want to know that you're not just a "grinder" who spends all of his or her time studying (or, worse yet, watching TV). They want to find high school students who have taken on interesting projects and leadership roles, because those are the people most likely to contribute to a vibrant college community.

Here are some things to remember when choosing extracurricular activities:

• Start Early. While it's never too late to get started, you should try to get involved in extracurricular activities as soon as possible--preferably during your freshman year. First, this gives you the opportunity to find the activities you enjoy and in which you excel (often the same ones). Second, it gives you plenty of time to move into a leadership position--otherwise, you'll likely always remain behind those who got an earlier start. Finally, by starting in activities early you avoid having colleges think you're just padding your resume at the last minute.

• Seek Leadership Positions. Colleges like to see that you've put a lot of hours into an extracurricular activity. However, it's much more challenging and impressive if you make your mark in that activity. Being on the student council is good, but being the president or treasurer of the council is better. Being on the chess team is good, but colleges will assume you're more involved if you're the team captain.

• Do good. There's something special about students who give back to their community. Consider volunteering, for example, at a shelter or a care facility for the elderly. Again, this will look suspicious if it starts late in your junior year. Better late than never, though....

• Be creative. If you can, think about doing something a little off the beaten path. While colleges will appreciate any time you put into an activity, they recognize which activities you can simply "join" and which ones required a great deal of effort to plan and get off the ground.

• Focus and Excel. By the time junior year rolls around, you'll probably notice that there are a few extracurricular activities you enjoy the most and in which you're making the greatest strides. Focus on doing as well as you can in those, even if that means abandoning something else. Remember, the jack of all trades is usually the master of none.

• Use your summers. Colleges will want to see that you've been using your summers productively. That doesn't mean there's no time to relax. But make sure you're also doing something you can later be proud of. Camps, summer programs, jobs, and community service are all good options.