Extracurriculars are the activities you carry out that aren’t a part of your academics. Extracurriculars serve to progress your growth, to teach you different useful life skills and to emphasize your talents and strengths, and most importantly also play an important role in creating your student profile as well-rounded and making you stand out.
The extracurriculars you take part in are a representation of who you are and what you stand for. They show how you interact with other individuals and how involved you are with your communities. And when you’re in college and experience a new lifestyle, many of your previous activities and the lessons you’ve learned from them would help you navigate your way through. This is attractive to universities because they want students who keep their campuses connected and interesting and are able to represent the best of the university at both national and international levels.
Your college application is about a lot more than your grades.
The extracurriculars you participate in can also help you get scholarships and funding along with your admission. If you’re very dedicated and passionate in the work you do, and are able to do it on a regional or national level, many universities offer scholarships for the community services or the activities you partake in. There are many types of extracurriculars that build up your profile and make you stand out. These could be any of the following:
Sports
Being a part of a competitive sports team, or part of a sports program represents many aspects of you to potential admission committees. It shows that you can work in a team, and are able to follow directions, all while expressing impressive discipline and team-building skills. If you’re the captain or leader of a competitive sports team, it shows that you are able to handle the pressure and work that comes with being in a leadership position. These are all essential skills to have once you become a part of a university.
If you are talented and skilled enough, many universities offer specific sports scholarships for athletes. These scholarships can range from covering a part of your tuition fees or the entirety of it.
Student Council
Being a member of Student Government or being a Prefect, being involved with your school community, shows your dedication towards a civic purpose and highlights your leadership skills. It also shows how politically active you are, which helps you gain attention from college admission departments, with student activism and the need and willingness to stand up for your beliefs and rights becoming a rising trend as more and more of the youth understand the importance of keeping up with current events.
Academic Teams and Clubs
Becoming a part of an academic team or club, such as a Science Club, Robotics Club, Math Olympiad, etc. shows that you’re dedicated to a certain subject and about learning as much as you can from it. If you’ve competed regionally, you can even qualify for a scholarship.
Debate Team
Students who are a part of a debate team are more involved with social issues that plague the world today, and are more likely to speak up about it. Debate teams help you with public-speaking, public speaking, formulating intelligent opinions, and critical thinking. This makes these students look more attractive on college applications.
Art Club
Students that are able to hone their creative skills have an advantage when it comes to college applications. Art students are usually open-minded and think outside of the box. These qualities interest college admissions officers who look for students that stand out and add to campus life.
Volunteer Work and Community Service
Most universities want their students to partake in some sort of volunteer work or community service so that they can see how you apply certain skills to your service hours. It also gives you an opportunity to understand work and real-world experiences.
