![]() For example, rather than write something like, “Organized food can drive for local families”, your child should write, “Collected over 10,000 cans and provided Thanksgiving meals for 500 families in greater Cleveland.” With details like that, your child’s impact will be unquestionable to admissions committees.Ĥ. List tasks and avoid complete sentences to make room for more detail.Ĭolleges understand that your child does not have enough space to provide in-depth descriptions of each activity. Many applicants undersell their achievements because they don’t get specific enough about their contributions. Focus on quantifiable and significant impact. That way, your child can use the full 150-character limit for the activity description box.įor example, your child should write “President” followed by “Student Council.”Ģ. Do not repeat words from the position description box in the activity description box.Ĭontinuing with the student council president example: Instead of writing, “As president of the student body, I was responsible for…”, your child should write, “Responsible for meeting agendas, liaising with administration, and implementing school initiatives, such as free textbooks for low-income families.”ģ. (Note: It is acceptable for your child to indicate their intention to participate in certain similar activities in college, but not others.)Īfter selecting an activity type from the drop-down menu, your child should input both their position and the organization name in the corresponding boxes. Whether or not your child intends to participate in a similar activity in college (yes/no) Timing of participation (during school year, during school break, all year) Participation grade levels (9, 10, 11, 12, post-graduate) ![]() ![]() What other information does Common App collect for each activity?Ĭommon App requests the following information for each activity:Īctivity type (e.g., art, athletics, community service, debate/speech, foreign language, research, social justice, work) Position/Leadership description: 50 charactersĪctivity description, including what your child accomplished and any recognition they received: 150 charactersĪs you can see, there is very limited space offered for each activity, so we’ll be discussing how to maximize the impact of each entry below. What are the word or character limits for each activity?Ĭommon App sets the following limits for each activity: Given that so many students with strong numbers apply to college each year, it’s important for your child to use the Activities section to develop an application theme-that is, to highlight their “it factor” and specialties.īefore we get into writing tips and sample extracurricular descriptions, let’s go over a few Activities section basics: What qualifies as an activity?Īccording to Common App, “activities may include arts, athletics, clubs, employment, personal commitments, and other pursuits.” In other words, pretty much anything pursued outside the classroom qualifies as an activity. Without college essays and extracurricular activities lists, colleges would be limited to grades, class rank, and ACT and SAT scores to make their admissions decisions. Whereas the Common App Essay will show college admissions committees who your child is, the Common App Activities section will allow colleges to understand what your child has done and is doing outside of the classroom, offering one of the best opportunities to stand out among other applicants. In addition to the dreaded 650-word Common App Essay and the numerous college-specific supplemental essays your child will have to write, they’ll also need to complete the Common App Activities section when applying to college. Part 1: Common App Activities section overview
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