Getting into college can be tough. During high school, students work hard to make their resumes look good with activities outside of classes, hoping to get into good colleges. 

Figuring out the best activities to help you get into college isn’t easy. It’s clear that a high SAT score is better than a low one, but it’s harder to compare things like volunteering at a soup kitchen, joining the Boy Scouts, or starting your own business.

Looking back on my own experience applying to college and working as an expert at EssayEmbassy.com, I’ve learned a lot about how to use activities outside of school to make your college application stand out.

I hope sharing my story will help you as you think about your own activities and how they can help you get into college.

My Interview for Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania

I was thrilled when I got the call for an interview at Wharton. Heading to New York City for the meeting with my interviewer was exciting.

“Wow!” he exclaimed, looking over my resume. “You’ve been really involved in community service,” he said with surprise. We shared a laugh.

After a pause, he looked up and said, “You’ve got an impressive list of achievements here. But, I’ll admit, I exaggerated my high school record to get into Penn. So, let me ask you, which parts of your resume were just to improve your college application?”

The question caught me off guard. I hadn’t thought about my activities as just things to pad my Wharton application; I did them because I enjoyed them.

Here’s some advice: While getting ready for college applications, it’s tempting to pick extracurricular activities just because they look good on paper. But it’s important to choose things that really interest you, not just what you think will impress admissions officers.

Sports and the CommonApp Essay

Football was a big part of my life when I started high school. I spent a lot of time practicing, bonding with my teammates, and staying fit. I learned important lessons about perseverance, which helped me with my schoolwork and other activities.

Sadly, I hurt my back before my senior year, so I couldn’t play in my final season. Football had been a huge part of my life, so giving it up was tough. But my injury gave me a chance to explore other interests.

In my CommonApp essay, I talked about how I felt about not being able to play football in my senior year. Football taught me a lot, but my injury taught me something important: I’m more than just one thing. Your CommonApp essay is a great chance to talk about your hobbies and show how they’ve helped you grow as a person, friend, and leader.

Music and the Supplementary Essay

Before I got into football, I found comfort in playing guitar and being part of music groups. I had the chance to perform at different places, including sharing a stage with Bruce Springsteen. I also wrote and performed my own music.

But when I started high school, I stopped performing publicly. During my recovery from a back injury, I decided to record my own music for the first time. Many colleges allow applicants with an interest in the arts to include creative work with their application. I used this opportunity to show my musical skills by sending recordings of my music.

Some students worry that their art won’t be taken seriously if they haven’t had formal training or been in structured programs. My experience with the guitar was different. I never learned to read music; I could play songs just by listening to them. When I started, I noticed different ways to play depending on the music, which helped me understand music theory for guitar.

In one of my essays, I talked about my unique relationship with music, showing both my creativity and analytical skills. Colleges are looking for students who think creatively. It’s important to talk about any extracurricular activities that have helped you think creatively. These experiences can make your application stronger.

Community Service, Volunteering, and Work

I regularly volunteered at the Samaritan Center through local parishes, where I helped provide food, clothes, toys, and other household supplies to families in need. On Saturday mornings, I worked on tasks like filling bags for clients, stocking shelves, organizing back rooms, and delivering supplies to nearby churches.

Seeing familiar faces among the regular customers, some of whom I knew personally, reminded me to be grateful for my own circumstances. My time at the Samaritan Center showed me how even small organizations can make a big difference for many families.

Volunteering at the Samaritan Center gave me valuable experience and a better understanding of the financial challenges many people face. Seeing how my efforts directly helped my community reinforced the idea that even small actions can have a big impact.

I strongly recommend getting involved in community service during high school if you have the time and resources. It helps you appreciate your neighborhood more and shows college admissions officers how you contribute to your community.

However, it’s important to understand that not all students can volunteer because they may have part-time jobs or family caregiving responsibilities alongside school. It’s important to mention these commitments on the CommonApp application because they demonstrate your meaningful contributions to the community.

Applying this Advice

The college application process can feel overwhelming at times. However, remembering a few important things can make it easier:

• Understand that everyone’s extracurricular activities will differ, so avoid comparing yourself to others.
• When talking about your activities in your application, explain why they matter to you, what you learned from them, and how they influenced you.
• Most importantly, only participate in activities that genuinely interest you. Colleges can tell when you’re just trying to make your resume look better.