Some of the diverse options for extra curricular activities on the Common Application drop down menu include career oriented activities, cultural activities, family responsibilities, environmental, religious, robotics, science/math, and paid work. Barbara. Rather, it is the chance to explain why the grading system used is atypical. It is fine to list new activities if they are important to you. Admissions understands some activities run year round and some meet just occasionally or for a shorter period of time. If you have legitimate volunteer experience for an extended period of time, it may be relevant to include in the Additional Information section; however, make sure to avoid including short volunteer experiences that did not significantly impact your life’s story. KSTA offers a magnet curriculum, only featuring classes that are at or above AP/Honors level. I also recently read my old activities list and cringed. This is particularly true if the achievement is related to your potential long-term career path or major of study. This will show that you are not a “joiner,” but rather, an authentic contributor to a community service organization. How to Write Your Common App Activities List This is a guest blog post written by Ethan Sawyer, The College Essay Guy . Or would something like Spanish club not make sense to continue because not all colleges have such a club? What’s an Activity? Novembrr can help. my high school didn’t show much attention towards activities (it’s a Saudi Arabian high school). Activity type: Community Service (Volunteer) Position/Leadership description and organization name, if applicable: Key Club: Club President; Kiwanis Coordinator (1) Details, honors won, and accomplishments: High school community service organization which I helped coordinate as Club President. Common App Activities Section Examples. Follow these pointers for crafting a rich and memorable Common App activities page. Many times, this will reflect poorly on your application because it is not what the admissions committee asked for. Playing video games or hanging out with friends at the beach doesn’t count as an extracurricular activity. For example, if you tell a sad story just to gain sympathy that is not genuine, it will reflect poorly on your application. In Saudi Arabia here colleges don’t care about activities and they don’t even bother to ask about activities. Common Application Essay Strategies. In general, do not include personal family photos or certificates of completion in your application. My daughter takes piano and voice lessons, she is involved in choir in school and community theater. Typically dual enrollment is coursework so it would be counted as academic rather than extracurricular. , ¨academic, art, athletics:club, athletics: jv/varsity, career orientated, and community service¨. This year, students applying to college through the Common App will be able to submit an optional essay detailing their experiences (both positive and negative) during the Covid-19 pandemic. You may want to highlight a prestigious award or research project you were dedicated to while in high school, as it could add strength to your application. International experiences count if they are more than a short trip and if they provided you with a new skill or exceptional personal growth. A good Additional Information entry may look something like this: I felt that the curriculum offered at Josano Main High School did not challenge me to achieve my true potential. Additionally, I will be publishing papers in the Journal of Robotics during the spring semester of my senior year. I want to put viola player as the “position” but I feel like there would be too much information to include and I’m only allowed 150 characters. one other problem is that i’m applying to U of Michigan and in their essays they ask me to talk about one of my activities. If you're behind a web filter, please make sure that the domains *.kastatic.org and *.kasandbox.org are unblocked. Analysis: Not every entry in the Activities section needs to meet the 150-word limit; this entry, for example, communicates salient information about the activity in merely 15 words. ... HOW TO WRITE YOUR COMMON APP college ACTIVITIES LIST. The key to determining if you should use the Additional Information section is if the information you plan to include adds value to your application. It led to financial hardship for my family and a drop in my grades. For example my daughter may spend 2 hours one week yet 12 another in student government . Doesn’t it supposed to allow until 150? There is a 650-word limit on this section if the applicant decides to use it as a relevant part of their Common App. One section of the Common Application that confuses many students is the activities section. The first text field provides a place for students to list position/leadership name and organization name if applicable. While social media is an increasingly popular way for colleges to market, the familiar glossy brochures filling the mailbox are a... Facebook – Follow for the latest in homeschooling and college admissions news. Should I say yes to all of them to demonstrate possible activeness in college? Part 3: Choosing your Common App Essay topic Part 4: Writing your Common App Essay Let’s take an example. Do all Common App colleges use courses & grades in their admissions process? Learn what types of honors you can include, what order to place them in, whether abbreviations are allowed, and how to use your 100 characters for description. These are examples of activities that can give you that “hook”. The student will be able to list the years they participated and how many hours. Often I find that teenagers don’t have a really accurate gauge of time so it may be helpful to weigh in with your own observations. The point with this is to keep the writing brief and direct to explain what happened and what period of time it affected in your life. ... ©2020 The Common … We are having trouble with the “average hours per week” section. Include volunteer experience if it is prolonged and shows a genuine commitment. At the end of each activity, there is a yes/no question asking if I want to continue this activity in college. All Rights Reserved. There is a place to list every class, activity, and personal reason that you are a great fit for a particular school. Thanks. It just depends on what you have to choose from and how involved you’ve been in the activity. If you're uncertain what to write about one of your activities, comment below with some details and I can give you some advice! When listing my activities, How would I list ¨girl scouts¨ under? She also plays for one month for a seasonal community music group-a prestigious, audition only part– it’s 3 hours a week for 5 weeks only,but participated– every year– this is her 6th consecutive year. The opportunity to study advanced courses like Number Theory, Linear Algebra, Multi-Variable Calculus, and Computational Science has enabled me to challenge myself academically. Hi Evan, HELP ME . DO make the most of your 150 characters. When considering whether to include it in the Additional Information section, make sure you were involved in the activity for at least one year and are able to demonstrate growth from the experience. Many applicants try to make excuses for poor performance by using life events to their advantage on college applications. With the inclusion of the popular "Topic of Your Choice" option, you have the opportunity to write about anything you want to share with the folks in the admissions office. If that’s the case, keep your explanation short and to-the-point. Position and Organization Details The Common App is essentially a standard form that allows an applicant to input basic information, which will then go directly to university admissions. 1. My son ran spring track grades 9-11 and will run again in grade 12 too. Below are some examples of things to include, as well as things NOT to include, on the Additional Information section of the Common App. You can list these accomplishments in the Additional Information section if they are not mentioned elsewhere in your application. The key to this section is to have a balance in what you are putting. 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