How To Order Your Activities on Common App for the Biggest Impact

Yesterday, I met with one of my Application Nation - Class of 2026 students to review their activities section (often called "the activities list").

We ended up spending almost as much time determining the order of their activities as editing them. It brings up the question: Does the order matter when you are listing your activities in an application, like the Common Application? I would argue that it does—100% of the time.

For years, many students have used an old blog post of mine to determine the order. It uses a point system that students can follow. As I often say, this is one of many ways a student can order their activities. At this point in my career, though, I have evaluated so many activities lists that I don't need a point system to figure out the order. I just need to look at it and I know what order it should be in based on what admissions officers value.

Here's what nearly three decades of evaluating activities lists have taught me:

Your most meaningful activities should be listed at the top of your list (or in the top 5).
I define "meaningful activities" as ones that you have done a long time (possibly since 9th grade and through 12th grade), ones that you have a significant leadership position in, ones that relate directly to your major choice, and/or ones that you spend a considerable amount of hours each week doing. The activity doesn't need to hit all of those categories, but the more it does, the higher it goes on the list.
The second half of your list should include activities that demand less time, ones that you don't have a significant leadership position in, and/or ones that you are no longer doing.
While you do not need to use all ten slots on the Common Application, most strong students have eight, nine, or ten activities to report.
The last activity should be chosen carefully. While most students list their weakest activity last, I recommend that they don't. Instead, I encourage listing an activity that may not be a huge time commitment or an activity that demonstrates leadership, but it is still being done and allows the student to say something poetic, personal, surprising, and/or uplifting in the description.

By ending on such a positive note, the student can effectively "bookend" their activities list. Bookending is a strategy I use when editing essays and activities lists. Because admissions officers tend to spend more time at the beginning and end of an essay, I make sure that the first paragraph of every essay I edit is as powerful as the last paragraph. And I do the same for the first and last activity on an activities list. Admissions officers want to be just as impressed with the first thing mentioned or listed as they are with the last.