Juniors: Just Do It

Just do it! There is no list of activities that will guarantee admission to college – you can be involved in soccer, band, debate, student government, hold a part-time job, or have a consuming hobby like cooking.  But colleges do expect you to continue to commit time and effort to an activity or activities that interest you.  Colleges are looking at what you do outside the classroom to understand who you are, but also to understand what you will contribute to the community once you’re on campus. So continue your involvement in extracurricular activities. Start new ones if something excites you. And take the initiative and consider a leadership position.

For more on extracurricular activities, check out Chapter 6, “Extracurricular Activities,” in College Admission: From Application to Acceptance, Step by Step where you’ll find a broad discussion of what colleges are looking for when they look at students’ activities outside the classroom, including what they mean when they talk about depth versus breadth, passion, leadership and hooks.