It's been nearly 10 years since I wrote one of my most popular blog posts, "The Foolproof Way to Order Extracurricular Activities on Your College Application." But all good things come to an end, right?
Common App made significant changes to what was formerly called the "Activities" section this year. It's now called "Activities and Experiences," and it made me revisit my old blog post and realize that my guidance on which order you put your activities in has also changed.
Mind you, there is no right or wrong way to order your activities. This is just one way to do it. My new strategy values different things and different types of students, though. Instead of focusing simply on quantity (hours per week, for example) and leadership, it focuses on the student's longevity with the activity, personal meaning, and connection to it. This shift encourages students to be creative and personal about their engagement with the activity rather than focus simply on achievement, accomplishments, and leadership.
Am I talking more than order here? I sure am. These days, students are listing activities like they are writing a resume as a CFO of a major corporation. Remember, this section on Common App isn't supposed to sound like a resume because it's not a resume. These listings should capture the student as a 17- or 18-year-old, engaging in an activity or experience that means something to them—something more than just a means to get into college.
So, back to the order. Here's one way to do it:
- List your most important activity first. Don't worry about what other students are doing. What you list first sends a clear message to colleges about what you value. It doesn't necessarily have to be the activity with your biggest leadership position or biggest time commitment. But it should be something you are continuing to do senior year (and most likely will continue to do in college too).
- Your second activity should be something almost as important as the first. It can relate to your major choice, have a big time commitment (in terms of years, weeks per year, and hours per week), have a big leadership role, or simply be important to you.
- What you list third, fourth, and fifth (if you have this many activities or experiences), should be fairly strong in terms of how long you have done the activity or how recently you have done it. Activities you've done from 9th through 12th grade carry weight. Additionally, activities that are focused on your most recent self or your current self carry weight too, like a job the summer before senior year. Your top five activities should be listed in order of importance and meaning to you. An admissions officer may not look beyond the top five or you might not have more than five. Either way, these activities or experiences should be your five most important.
- If you have more to list, use the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth activities for things you do or did that are less powerful, but still important. In other words, if you didn't do them very long or don't plan to do them in college, this is a good place to list them. Don't make them look invisible, though. Work just as hard on the listings (and descriptions) for these activities as you did with your first five. The admissions officers will keep reading if you do.
- Your last activity, whether it's #10 or not, should be an activity that isn't your biggest time commitment, nor your biggest activity in terms of leadership or accolades. It should be chosen very carefully, because what you list last and how you list it matters more than you think. Admissions officers are known to pay attention to that last activity. You want it to catch their eye. Choose an activity in which you can get very creative or personal about what it means or meant to you. For example, it could be something you no longer do or something you do in a very limited way in terms of hours, yet it carries importance in your heart. A club that always made you happy to do. A sport that you no longer play, but cherish the memories of your team. A responsibility at home that allows your family to function. A defunct dance studio that closed, but taught you more than just dance. Make that description less about accolades and more about what you care about. A positive, funny, or poignant description can add so much character to round out your list.
READ MORE: 10 Truths About AP Scores in College Admissions
Ten years ago, my kids were young. They had years to go before the admissions process. Now, I have a college student, high school student, and a middle schooler. My approach has changed. It's less about quantifying dollars raised, hours and weeks worked, accolades achieved, and leadership roles won. That's for that CFO of a major corporation, not my 16-year-old son, who starts junior year of high school in two weeks. These days, I am more about celebrating what students have gained and learned about themselves through the activities and experiences they have chosen to do. That shift may not be mainstream, but it sure is a lot more authentic. And, it's what I want my own kids to do.
