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3 Successful Extracurricular Activity Essay Examples

The purpose of the extracurricular activities essay is for admissions officers to better understand how your extracurricular activities have shaped and motivated you. This essay shouldn’t restate the activities you’ve already shared in your resume, but should elaborate on their impact and significance to you as a person.

In this post, we will share three extracurricular essays, written by real students, that are strong responses. Read them to be inspired in your own essay writing!

Please note: Looking at examples of real essays students have submitted to colleges can be very beneficial to get inspiration for your essays. You should never copy or plagiarize from these examples when writing your own essays. Colleges can tell when an essay isn’t genuine and will not view students favorably if they plagiarized. 

Essay Example #1

My fingers raced across the keys, rapidly striking one after another. My body swayed with the music as my hands raced across the piano. Crashing onto the final chord, it was over as quickly as it had begun. My shoulders relaxed and I couldn’t help but break into a satisfied grin. I had just played the Moonlight Sonata’s third movement, a longtime dream of mine.

Four short months ago, though, I had considered it impossible. The piece’s tempo was impossibly fast, its notes stretching between each end of the piano, forcing me to reach farther than I had ever dared. It was 17 pages of the most fragile and intricate melodies I had ever encountered.

But that summer, I found myself ready to take on the challenge. With the end of the school year, I was released from my commitment to practicing for band and solo performances. I was now free to determine my own musical path: either succeed in learning the piece, or let it defeat me for the third summer in a row.

Over those few months, I spent countless hours practicing the same notes until they burned a permanent place in my memory, creating a soundtrack for even my dreams. Some would say I’ve mastered the piece, but as a musician I know better. Now that I can play it, I am eager to take the next step and add in layers of musicality and expression to make the once-impossible piece even more beautiful.

What the Essay Did Well

This essay has a descriptive and engaging hook that immediately places the reader in the middle of the action and captivates us for the rest of the essay. The way the student describes playing piano as a full-body experience, from their splayed out fingers to their tensed shoulders, allows the reader to envision the student in front of them, passionately losing themselves in the music. Seeing the way they write about the piano is a sign that this student is dedicated to this extracurricular. 

Another strength of this essay is how it shows this student’s character, particularly their determination. By describing the challenge of playing this piece, we can fully appreciate all that they had to overcome to be successful. Rather than simply saying it was a hard song, they show us how it was physically and mentally daunting: “ The piece’s tempo was impossibly fast, its notes stretching between each end of the piano, forcing me to reach farther than I had ever dared. It was 17 pages of the most fragile and intricate melodies I had ever encountered.”

This student knows how to make music in their writing, as well as on the piano. The use of elevated and creative language throughout the essay makes it flow smoothly for the reader. They take a rather simple story, but through their deft writing the student makes it both enjoyable and reveals details about themself.

What Could Be Improved

This essay could have been made even stronger if this student included details about them actually practicing. They go from telling us about how daunting this piece was to suddenly being able to play it months later, but admissions officers are curious about how you overcome challenges, not just the fact that you did.

Two or three sentences that describe the tedious process of practicing a particular scale or how they continuously messed up a certain bar of music would be sufficient to express what this student actually accomplished. Although space is tight in this essay, this would have been a better use of the third paragraph than what the student currently has. 

Essay Example #2

My school’s newspaper and I have a typical love-hate relationship; some days I want nothing more than to pass two hours writing and formatting articles, while on others the mere thought of student journalism makes me shiver. Still, as we’re entering our fourth year together, you could consider us relatively stable. We’ve learned to accept each other’s differences; at this point I’ve become comfortable spending an entire Friday night preparing for an upcoming issue, and I hardly even notice the snail-like speed of our computers. I’ve even benefitted from the polygamous nature of our relationship—with twelve other editors, there’s a lot of cooperation involved. Perverse as it may be, from that teamwork I’ve both gained some of my closest friends and improved my organizational and time-management skills. And though leaving it in the hands of new editors next year will be difficult, I know our time together has only better prepared me for future relationships.

This response is great. It’s cute and endearing and, importantly, tells readers a lot about the student who wrote it. Framing this essay in the context of a “love-hate relationship,” then supplementing with comments like “We’ve learned to accept each other’s differences” allows this student to advertise their maturity in a unique and engaging way. 

Personifying the newspaper is a creative way to demonstrate the role it plays in this student’s life. Because it is an unexpected tactic, it lets the reader appreciate the humor and wit of the author, while also being a lighthearted and fun response to read. 

While Extracurricular Essays can be a place to show how you’ve grown within an activity, they can also be a place to show how you’ve grown through an activity. At the end of this essay, readers think that this student is mature and enjoyable, and we think that their experience with the school newspaper helped make them that way.

One strike against this essay is that in the first sentence it claims the student has a love-hate relationship with the newspaper, but the rest of the essay really only addresses their experience from a positive perspective. They say the “ mere thought of student journalism makes me shiver ” but there is little-to-no elaboration about the negatives. Since they poised their essay as a love-hate relationship, it feels like it is missing something without any discussion about the hate aspect of the relationship. 

Essay Example #3

The cool, white halls of the Rayburn House office building contrasted with the bustling energy of interns entertaining tourists, staffers rushing to cover committee meetings, and my fellow conference attendees separating to meet with our respective congresspeople. Through civics and US history classes, I had learned about our government, but simply hearing the legislative process outlined didn’t prepare me to navigate it. It was my first political conference, and, after learning about congressional mechanics during breakout sessions, I was lobbying my representative about an upcoming vote crucial to the US-Middle East relationship. As the daughter of Iranian immigrants, my whole life had led me to the moment when I could speak on behalf of the family members who had not emigrated with my parents.

As I sat down with my congresswoman’s chief of staff, I truly felt like a participant in democracy; I was exercising my right to be heard as a young American. Through this educational conference, I developed a plan of action to raise my voice. When I returned home, I signed up to volunteer with the state chapter of the Democratic Party. I sponsored letter-writing campaigns, canvassed for local elections, and even pursued an internship with a state senate campaign. I know that I don’t need to be old enough to vote to effect change. Most importantly, I also know that I want to study government—I want to make a difference for my communities in the United States and the Middle East throughout my career.

The strength of this essay comes from its connections. It connects the student’s extracurricular activity to their studies and connects theirs studies to their personal history.

While this prompt is about extracurricular activities, it specifically references the idea that the extracurricular should support the curricular. It is focused on experiential learning for future career success. This student wants to study government, so they chose to describe an experience of hands-on learning within their field—an apt choice!

As this student discusses their extracurricular experience, they also clue readers into their future goals—they want to help Middle Eastern communities. Admissions officers love when students mention concrete plans with a solid foundation. Here, the foundation comes from this student’s ethnicity. With lines like “my whole life had led me to the moment when I could speak on behalf of the family members who had not emigrated with my parents,” the student assures admissions officers of their emotional connection to their future field.

Something that is missing from this essay is the emotional reflection this student has from their experiences in politics. They tell us they felt like a participant in democracy and they know they want to study government and make a difference, but for a really strong essay you need to dig deeper and tell the reader more about how this extracurricular makes you feel.

What does it feel like to be a participant in democracy? Liberating? Empowering? How did volunteering impact them personally? Did they develop a new appreciation for what it means to be an American? What feeling is this student trying to elicit by studying government? While all of these questions don’t have to be addressed, the idea is to inject more of the student’s feelings and emotion into the essay to help us better understand exactly what this extracurricular meant to them. 

More Supplemental Essay Tips

4 Tips for Writing a Diversity College Essay

How to Write the “Why This College” Essay

Where to Get Your Extracurricular Activity Essays Edited

Do you want feedback on your Extracurricular Activity essays? After rereading your essays countless times, it can be difficult to evaluate your writing objectively. That’s why we created our free Peer Essay Review tool , where you can get a free review of your essay from another student. You can also improve your own writing skills by reviewing other students’ essays. 

If you want a college admissions expert to review your essay, advisors on CollegeVine have helped students refine their writing and submit successful applications to top schools. Find the right advisor for you to improve your chances of getting into your dream school!

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples – Introduction 

As you work through your college applications, you may come across a version of the extracurricular activities essay. Many college application requirements include an extracurricular supplemental essay. So, don’t be surprised if you need to write an extracurricular supplemental essay for schools on your list. As you brainstorm and draft, it can be helpful to read some extracurricular activities essay examples. 

In this guide, we’ve included several extracurricular activities essay examples to show you the ropes. By the end, you’ll see how to successfully complete the extracurricular activities essay. Take a look at these examples before you start your college applications. 

The extracurricular activities essay is exactly what it sounds like. You will use the extracurricular supplemental essay to write about the importance of one of your extracurricular activities. Later, we’ll look at several elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples. 

In our extracurricular activities essay examples, we’ll look at prompts from the following schools: 

• Stanford University  
• Rice University  
• Bryn Mawr College  
• Northwestern University  
• Vanderbilt University  

University of Florida

• Princeton University  

We’ll talk about what you can learn from each of our extracurricular activities essay examples. We will also explain how they contribute to each student’s application narrative. Before we jump into our extracurricular activities essay examples, let’s explore what counts as an extracurricular activity. 

What is an extracurricular activity? 

An extracurricular activity, or after-school activity , is something that you participate in outside of your regular classes. Extracurricular activities are important because they give you a chance to explore your interests outside the classroom. In fact, recent research suggests that being involved in extracurricular activities can even help a student’s engagement in school. 

When you submit college applications, you’ll include a list of the extracurricular activities you have participated in during high school. Being involved in multiple extracurricular activities can bolster your candidate profile and make you stand out in the admissions process. 

Extracurricular activities matter

If you plan to send college applications to top-tier schools, you’ll want to boost your participation in extracurricular activities early in your high school career. Colleges want to see that you have passions in and out of the classroom.

In other words, extracurricular activities can show admissions officers what you care about. Extracurricular activities can also help you learn more about what you enjoy, which can translate into potential extracurricular activities for college.

What are some examples of extracurricular activities? 

Extracurricular activities can be clubs, organizations, sports, jobs, or anything in between. As you’ll see in our elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples, extracurriculars will vary from student to student. There are four main categories of extracurricular activities: 

School-sponsored activities

• Community activities 

Independent activities

Work experiences.

Each category has its own strengths and benefits you’ll want to show in your essay. Our extracurricular activities essay examples highlight activities from each category. As such, you’ll be able to see an activity similar to yours represented. 

Let’s take a closer look at each of these categories before we dig into our extracurricular activity essay examples.

Extracurricular Activity Categories 

School-sponsored extracurricular activities include clubs, organizations or programs that are hosted by your school. These might be sports teams, special interest clubs like technical theatre, or arts programs like band and orchestra. 

Community activities

Another popular type of extracurricular activity is community activities. Community activities include volunteer work and community service. 

Getting involved in your local community is a great way to show the admissions committee how you give back. 

These kinds of activities can also be a great topic for your extracurricular activities essay. They can include hobbies, learning new skills, or taking online courses in your favorite subject. 

Independent activities help showcase your passions and interests. These types of extracurricular activities would be perfect to explore in an extracurricular supplemental essay, especially since they fit less neatly into the activities list on the Common App. 

Many high school students have work experiences they can highlight in their college applications. Work experiences could include part-time jobs, internships, or shadowing opportunities. 

Talking about your work experiences in your extracurricular supplemental essay can be a great way to show off your time management and professional skills to admissions officers. 

Depth over breadth

However, you don’t have to participate in dozens of extracurricular activities to stand out in the college application process. It’s more important to develop depth than breadth in your extracurriculars to showcase your commitment and dedication.

In other words, it’s much more impressive for you to have a handful of extracurricular activities on your resume that you are deeply committed to than a long list of clubs and organizations that you don’t care about. 

The best extracurricular activities for you will be the ones that match your interests and goals. Don’t just join every club at your school to fill out your resume. Instead, seek out extracurricular activities where you can explore your interests, learn new things, and grow over time. 

Writing about Extracurricular Activities for College

Now that we’ve explored some extracurricular activity options that will be perfect for your extracurricular activities essay, let’s discuss how to write about your extracurricular activities on your college applications. 

Most schools use a holistic process to review college applications. This means that they will evaluate you based on your entire candidate profile . This includes test scores , GPA , essays , and extracurricular activities.

Because more students are applying to colleges than ever before, you’ll want to do everything you can to stand out in your college applications. Writing about your extracurricular activities for college can help show the admissions committee who you are, what’s important to you, and what makes you a unique applicant. 

Focus on the narrative

Use the extracurricular activities essay to tell a story about your experience. You can describe what it felt like, what it looked like, or how it helped you learn more about your own interests and goals.

When you are writing about your extracurricular activities for college, you’ll want to provide specific details about the type, length, and responsibilities of your involvements. If you’re unsure where to start, try making a list of all the extracurricular activities you have participated in since freshman year. Write down the role you had in this activity, how much time you spent doing it, and what you learned because of this involvement. 

For more tips on how to write about extracurricular activities for college, check out this article . In it, you’ll find 39 essay tips from admissions experts on how to write a great college essay, including how to write about extracurricular activities for college. 

What are some examples of extracurricular activities essay prompts? 

Before we review our extracurricular activities essay examples (along with the reasons why these are college essays that worked), let’s look at the extracurricular activities essay prompts from Stanford, Rice, Bryn Mawr, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, UF, and Princeton. 

Although the general idea is the same, each college will have a slightly different version of the extracurricular activities essay prompt. You’ll see the differences in our extracurricular activities essay examples below. 

Stanford University

If you plan to apply to Stanford University, you should know that one of the Stanford supplemental essay prompts is as follows: 

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. 

This extracurricular activities essay prompt is intentionally broad. You’ll need to select just one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences to describe in this Stanford supplemental essay. 

This Stanford supplemental essay prompt is your opportunity to showcase one of your many involvements. It also gives you a chance to elaborate on why it is important to you. If possible, select an extracurricular activity or work experience that you have not already discussed at length anywhere else in your Stanford application.

Rice University

This essay prompt on extracurriculars from Rice University is fairly straight forward. You can see the exact wording below: 

The extracurricular activities essay prompt or Rice is the same as the one for the Stanford application. Like we mentioned above, you’ll want to highlight an activity that is not mentioned elsewhere in your application. 

There are three Bryn Mawr supplemental essays that are required for admission. The first of the Bryn Mawr supplemental essays is about your extracurricular activities: 

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences in the space below.

This prompt is the same as the ones for the Stanford application and Rice application. Our suggestions for those essays also apply for the first prompt of the Bryn Mawr supplemental essays. 

Northwestern

Here is the Northwestern essay prompt: 

Vanderbilt  

If you are applying to Vanderbilt, you should know that the Vanderbilt application requires that you answer this extracurricular activities essay prompt: 

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.

Both the Northwestern essay prompt and the Vanderbilt application prompt are the same as the ones for Stanford, Rice, and Bryn Mawr.

The UF application includes the following extracurricular activities essay prompt as part of the required University of Florida essays: 

During high school, what is the most enriching long-term or ongoing activity in which you have participated outside of the classroom? Tell us about it – Why is it enriching to you? What have you gained or learned by participating in it? How do you plan to continue this type of activity in the future?

Unlike the prompts for the Stanford, Rice, Bryn Mawr, Vanderbilt, and Northwestern applications, this extracurricular activities essay prompt asks you to answer direct questions about your experience. 

You’ll want to choose an activity that is the most significant, long-term activity that you have participated in during high school. Then, you’ll want to explain why it was enriching, what you learned in this activity, and how you plan to continue with this type of activity in college and beyond. 

You’ll see how to answer these questions in our extracurricular activities essay examples. 

The Princeton extracurricular activities essay prompt is as follows: 

Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences that was particularly meaningful to you.

This prompt is similar to the ones above, but it does make an important distinction. You’ll want to choose an activity that was meaningful to you, which means you will need to spend part of your essay describing why you found this experience particularly impactful. We’ll take a look at how to do this in our extracurricular activities essay examples. 

Which schools require an extracurricular activities essay? 

In addition to the extracurricular activities essay prompts we highlighted above, many colleges include an extracurricular activities essay as part of their college application requirements. 

Each of these schools’ college applications require you to write an extracurricular activities essay: 

• Georgetown University
• University of California schools
• Howard University 
• Amherst College
• Purdue University

Even though we won’t look at extracurricular activities essay examples for these colleges, the extracurricular activities essay examples we do highlight can help give you inspiration as you work on your college applications. 

Now, it’s time to examine some extracurricular activities essay examples. Our elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples include Stanford essays examples, Rice supplemental essays examples, Bryn Mawr supplemental essays, Northwestern essay examples, Vanderbilt essay examples, UF supplemental essay examples, and Princeton essay examples. 

Following each of the extracurricular activities essay examples, we’ll provide an analysis on why these are college essays that worked. 

First, let’s kick off our extracurricular activities essay examples with the Stanford essays examples. 

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples: Stanford University

Here’s the first of our elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples: 

Stanford Essay Examples

In February of 2016 my neighbor texted me and asked me to tutor her third grader in math. My first thought was “Third grade math?! This will be easy.” I was wrong. The girl I tutored is dyslexic and had ADHD, so working with her challenged me in a new way. I had to devise ways of teaching where she could understand it but also remain focused for long enough to accomplish it. I had to practice my patience in a way I never have before, and I have become a better person because of it. By the end of our work together, she was excited to play the math games I made up and she was so proud every time she understood a question or a concept. I am so thankful for that opportunity.

Why this essay worked

This sample of the Stanford essays examples works for several reasons. First, the author describes how the activity challenged them to come up with new ideas as a math tutor. This shows the admissions officer how thoughtful and creative this person can be in different situations. 

In this essay (one of our Stanford essays examples), the author shows how they developed key skills, like patience, through this extracurricular activity. Highlighting new skills that you have learned through your extracurricular activities is a way to stand out from the crowd.

Showcasing personal growth, like the author did above, also shows the admissions team you are willing to change and better yourself when faced with challenges. 

How To Write The Rice Supplemental Essays

Now, let’s turn to Rice supplemental essays examples. Below, you’ll see another version of the elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples. 

Rice Supplemental Essay Examples

With an interest in business, it is hard to pass up the chance to become a part of the business club at my school. This competition-based club allows members to learn detailed ways to start and manage a business. Although my curiosity urged me to participate, the thought of writing 30 pages with a fast-approaching deadline seemed daunting. Prior to this program, I had very little knowledge on the basic principles of business management, however, through research and a bit of persistence, I learned countless fundamentals of business. Although I was awarded a medal and recognized as a State Finalist in the International Business Plan category, the most valuable thing I earned was the drive of an entrepreneur which taught me that even the most difficult of tasks can be accomplished if they are done with continued determination. 

Getting straight to the point

This is one of our Rice supplemental essays examples. In it, the author mentions their academic interest right away. This helps the reader understand the forthcoming connection between the extracurricular activity and this person’s interests. 

If you’re working with a tight word limit, like the one in the Rice supplemental essays examples, you’ll want to be concise with your details. The Rice supplemental essays examples only give you so many words to work with, so you have to make the most of them. In this essay, the author summarizes the purpose of their extracurricular activity quickly. This provides the reader with more context about their involvement without taking up too much space. 

This is an example of college essays that worked because the author shows what they learned as a result of their involvement in this activity. This highlights the author’s potential success in a college setting. 

How To Write The Bryn Mawr Supplemental Essays 

Like the two extracurricular activities essay examples above, the Bryn Mawr supplemental essay is another version of the elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples. 

Bryn Mawr Essay Example

After watching my grandfather suffer from heart ailments, it was particularly meaningful to have the opportunity to conduct echocardiography research with a pediatric cardiologist. During my summer internship at a Health and Science University, I designed and built heart models to mimic hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) disease and investigate strain comparisons in a 2D and 3D model. 

Continuously designing and analyzing my own experiments has not only taught me the value of diligence, patience and replication in the laboratory setting, but it has also instilled in me the critical-thinking and problem-solving skills that will enable me to tackle difficult, and sometimes unknown, problems with sound reasoning and confidence as I serve the underrepresented to eliminate health disparities. 

This response is one of the college essays that worked for several reasons. The author of this essay explains the personal significance of this extracurricular activity. This gives the reader more information about who this person is and why this activity is meaningful to them. 

Additionally, the author uses their response to explain what they did during their internship as well as the values and skills they learned from this activity. They even go the extra mile to describe how they will use these values and skills to reach their goals in the future. 

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples: Northwestern University

The following essay is another of our elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples. 

Northwestern Essay Example

After having been a Girl Scout for over 10 years, I can confirm that the most common questions I get asked are, “When are you selling the cookies,” or “Can I get [insert favorite cookie here]”. However, Girl Scouts means so much more to me than simply selling cookies for a few months.

Being a part of Girl Scouts has entailed, as the Girl Scout Law indicates, “being a sister to every Girl Scout”. When I first joined the organization as a Brownie, I didn’t think I would interact with the older girls at all. However, I soon began to admire my older Girl Scout sisters and looked up to them the more time I spent with them. As an Ambassador now, I try to show the same level of leadership by mentoring and working with younger girls, building a strong relationship with them and helping them on their journey to the higher ranks (as well as through life).

As a Girl Scout, I have also learned to enthusiastically help my community. Whether it be through providing assistance at food pantries, cleaning up litter, donating to the homeless, or singing carols in retirement homes, Girls Scouts has taught me the importance of helping others in need around me and improving the state of the world.

So, yes, being a Girl Scout does mean selling cookies. But, more importantly, Girl Scouts has meant growing into a confident young woman, being a mentor, and providing service to better the world.

Focus on depth of involvement

This sample comes from one of our Northwestern essay examples. In it, the author mentions the length of their involvement in the Girl Scouts and their progression from a junior member to a senior member. 

Like we mentioned earlier, it’s important to have extracurricular activities on your list that show depth, especially in your Northwestern application. In other words, the longer you participate in an activity, the more significant it is to your college applications. 

This is another example of college essays that worked because the author can describe how they eventually moved into a leadership role and what that new role entails. If you are a leader in your organization, be sure to mention it on your Northwestern application and in your essay. 

Finally, the author concludes with a description of who they are and what this activity has taught them. We saw similar versions of this conclusion in the extracurricular activities essay examples above, which goes to show that these are college essays that worked.  

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples: Vanderbilt University

Next, let’s look at Vanderbilt essay examples. This essay is one of the longer samples of our extracurricular activities essay examples. Please note that the name of the program described has been removed for anonymity.

Vanderbilt Essay Examples

I silently sat in the passenger seat of my mother’s car with a churning feeling in my stomach. My legs bounced wildly, and my body was tense. My anxiety came from the fact I would be starting my first day at a pre-college program to which I was recently accepted.

When my mother dropped me off at the building where my first class would be held, I nervously walked in, surprised to be greeted by the smiling faces of my peers. Looking around, I saw faces of all shades. This amazed me, having been surrounded by people who looked like me for most of my life. As I engaged in conversation with students already present, I increasingly became more comfortable.

Though class began with typical icebreakers, we quickly transitioned into math topics, beginning with algebra and progressing into trigonometry and summations. When the professor concluded the lecture, I was shocked to find that the class had passed by so quickly. Similar sentiments arose after completing my critical thinking class in the afternoon. When my mother picked me up after that class, I enthusiastically spilled my experiences from the day.

The following six weeks of that summer (and ensuing summers) comprised of me being introduced to new perspectives. Being surrounded by peers that were different in lifestyle and socioeconomic status made me more open-minded to unfamiliar concepts and interpretations.

The brother and sisterhood I formed with my peers made me way less dependent on my twin sister and increased my confidence in my beliefs and individuality.

Additionally, being taught by university professors in rigorous subject matter instilled in me a newfound passion in exploring challenging topics. This program has assisted in developing me into a more well-rounded, cultured individual not only through exposure to a research program at the university hospital, but through enrichment activities during the school year (watching plays, attending politic and STEM-based talks, and experiencing cultural shows). Though I was initially apprehensive in applying to this program, I now look back at the program as life-altering and am thankful for the experience. Three years ago, I was just a “twin” who did well in school, however today I am an individual with my own unique views, eager to learn the endless knowledge the world has to offer me.

Unlike the extracurricular activities essay examples above, this essay puts you right in the middle of the story. This can be an effective way to grab your reader’s attention as they review your Vanderbilt application. 

Additionally, this is a great example of college essays that worked because the author describes self-growth because of their involvement. In this sample from our Vanderbilt essay examples, the writer explains the new skills they learned and details the type of experiences they had while in this extracurricular activity. 

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples: University of Florida

Now, let’s look at UF supplemental essay examples. This essay is a little different from our previous extracurricular activities essay examples. 

This is a slightly elevated take on the elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples prompt. It asks you to do more than just explain your involvement in an extracurricular activity.

UF Supplemental Essay Examples

“Thaka-dhimi thaka- janu! Strike your foot higher! Sit more! Discipline yourself!”

To most, these phrases and commands would have sounded like gibberish. But to me, it meant beauty and grace. It meant dedication and determination. It invoked a sense of community and contentment. It meant Bharatantyam.

From the ripe age of 5 years old, I’ve had the opportunity to learn an Indian Classical Dance form, Bharatanatyam, from my mother. I took this opportunity seriously in tenth grade. Once I chose to commit fully to Bharatantyam, it was life changing. 

Bharatantyam has transformed me for the good as a person. Countless hours spent in practice disciplined me. Preparing mentally for a more sophisticated piece or dance item allowed me to expand my brain’s depth. From a physical standpoint, one can see that Bharatantyam is a beautiful dance that harmonizes your brain and body. 

Viewing Bharatanatyam from a scientific standpoint is what made it so much more enriching. Watching a video from my mother’s guru, I began to understand the neurological benefits of both dancing and watching Bharatantyam. Viewing that clip gave me a revolutionary idea: treating neurological diseases for senior citizens through Bharatanatyam.

I began to perform at senior assisted living facilities around my city. Many of the seniors I performed for weren’t able to even stay awake for it. While at times discouraging, small moments of joy kept me going. Every smile I received from my audience and every conversation I had with the seniors were the reasons why I kept dancing.

Now, I plan to expand this activity more at UF. Creating a non-profit in which dancers have paid performances and donate that money to neurological research institutes is how I believe I should start. With UF’s resources, I easily see this idea becoming reality.

Extracurricular activities essay prompt

With this extracurricular activities essay examples prompt, you must answer all three parts of the University of Florida essays question to complete your UF application. 

Like the extracurricular activities essay examples for Vanderbilt, this sample from our UF supplemental essay examples puts you right in the middle of the story. It starts off with a quote, grabbing the reader’s attention. This sample of the University of Florida essays also shows you the length of involvement this author had in the activity while highlighting aspects of their unique culture. 

This is one of our college essays that worked because this response details the author’s experience, growth, and future goals. On top of that, this sample from our UF supplemental essay examples further strengthens the writer’s UF application by connecting their experience to how they hope to continue this activity at UF.

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples: Princeton University

This sample from the Princeton essay examples is the last of our college essays that worked.

Princeton Essay Examples

Serving as a Student Government leader at my college has taught me the power of student voice and collaborative leadership. During my Junior year, I began attending Senate Meetings and was elected as a Senator a few months later. I began proposing solutions to problems my college faces, from lack of STEM programming to low voter turnout rates to poor multicultural outreach programs. I created student committees to tackle these problems, the most recent being a committee working to bring a series of local STEM professionals for our artist-in-residence series. I was appointed as a student voice to faculty committees, such as the Diversity and Equity Committee. I use this position to bring student concerns I hear from SG directly to the college board to catalyze changes in our college, such as the introduction of STEM cohort groups or providing resources for students of color.

The last of our extracurricular activities essay examples mentions the activity right away. It also mentions what the activity taught the author. Like the extracurricular activities essay examples above, this response adds specific details. Moreover, the author describes the impact of their leadership role.

In addition to describing the experience itself, this essay highlights how the author implemented solutions to the problems they recognized within their community, another key skill that will be important in college. 

How To Write A Great Extracurricular Activities Essay

In our extracurricular activities essay examples, you saw different ways to write a great extracurricular activities essay. Now let’s talk about how you can use these extracurricular activities essay examples to help you write your own.

When you write your own extracurricular activities essay, be sure to refer to the extracurricular activities essay examples above. Each of the extracurricular activities essay examples highlights a different aspect of each applicant’s candidate profile—from backgrounds to passions to academic interests and goals.

Read every prompt carefully

Remember, some colleges might have different ways of approaching the extracurricular activities essay, which will be evident in the essay prompt. Like some of the extracurricular activities essay examples above, you might be working with a shorter or longer word limit. You also may have specific questions you need to address when elaborating on your extracurriculars.

There’s no specific formula on how to write a great extracurricular activities essay. However, here are a few tips to help you write a strong response that will stand out from the crowd. 

Additional Tips for Writing Extracurricular Activities Essays

Choosing which activities to write about and how to present them is key to writing a successful extracurricular activities essay. Reading some elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples can help you learn how to structure your own essays. You’ll likely need to write about your extracurriculars to complete your college application requirements. So, use this as a chance to show the admissions committee what matters to you. 

In this guide, we’ve reviewed extracurricular activities essay examples from some of the top colleges in the nation. We hope this helps you as you write your own extracurricular activities essay. 

Three tips to help you write your extracurricular activities essays: 

1. demonstrate your passion . .

Like we saw in the extracurricular activities essay examples, this is your opportunity to show what’s important to you. Use your essays to demonstrate your passion. 

2. Show your dedication. 

Many of our extracurricular activities essay examples discussed how long the author was involved in the activity. Show your dedication to your hobby, club, or organization through your essay responses. 

3. Match your extracurricular activities essay examples to a school’s mission or values. 

There are plenty of applicants who can fill out all the college application requirements. However, to truly stand out, you’ll want to show the admissions office why you are a great fit for their university. Match your extracurricular activities essay examples to a college’s mission or values to prove that you are committed to attending that university. 

Other CollegeAdvisor Resources on Extracurricular Activities 

If you need help figuring out how to get involved, watch our webinar for tips on how to join new extracurricular activities in high school. For more ideas on which extracurricular activities might be right for you, check out our article on 38 high school extracurricular ideas for college applicants. 

38 High School Extracurricular Ideas for College Applicants

Wondering how to showcase your extracurricular activities in your college applications? Check out our guide for more information on how to approach extracurricular activities in the college admissions process. 

How to Showcase Extracurricular Activities In Your College Applications

Finally, check out our panel for additional tips on how to craft your activity and extracurriculars list for college. 

Crafting Your Activity and Extracurriculars List

Extracurricular Activities Essay Examples – Final Thoughts 

We hope that our guide on extracurricular activities essay examples (and college essays that worked) help you prepare your own extracurricular activities essay. If an extracurricular activities essay is part of your college application requirements, be sure to refer back to our extracurricular activities essay examples for guidance.

As you likely noticed from our extracurricular activities essay examples, college essays that worked tend to highlight students’ passion. This is even more true when it comes to extracurriculars. Don’t feel daunted by the extracurricular supplemental essay requirement. Instead, use it as a chance to highlight how you engage deeply with the world around you. 

Not all prompts are the same

Remember, the prompt to your extracurricular activities essay might look different than the ones we highlighted in our extracurricular activities essay examples above. Even if your prompt is different from our ‘elaborate on an extracurricular activity essay examples’, you can still use them to brainstorm ideas for your own extracurricular activities essay. 

Do you need help with other college application requirements? CollegeAdvisor.com can help. Register today to get one-on-one support as you begin your college application process.

This article was written by Claire Babbs . Looking for more admissions support? Click here to schedule a free meeting with one of our Admissions Specialists. During your meeting, our team will discuss your profile. We will help you increase your admissions odds at top schools. We’ll also answer any questions and discuss how CollegeAdvisor.com can support you in the college application process.

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How to Write a Strong Extracurricular Activity Essay

Written by:

Former Admissions Committee Member, Columbia University

Written: 2/12/24

Landing a seat in your dream university requires more than just showcasing your academic abilities; it's about highlighting your life beyond the books, your sources of inspiration, and the experiences that have played a crucial role in shaping your individuality.

A great way to show off your many sides is by skillfully writing an essay about your extracurricular activities. This piece of writing offers a unique opportunity for admissions officers to peek into your world outside of academics by highlighting your passions, unwavering commitment, leadership prowess, and personal evolution. 

This comprehensive guide will delve into the intricate yet rewarding process of crafting an engaging and compelling extracurricular activity essay. It helps you figure out which activities are best for you to focus on. It also gives you a bunch of interesting questions to get your creativity going.

We’ll also provide you with a curated list of extracurricular activity essay examples, Acting like a guide and a good example for you to follow as you write.

By being thoughtful, real, and creative, your essay about your outside-of-school activities could be the special thing that helps you get into the college you really want.

Keep reading to learn how to turn your passions and experiences into an engaging narrative that truly reflects who you are.

How to Choose Which Extracurricular to Write About

Selecting the most suitable extracurricular activity to write about for your college application essay requires careful consideration and introspection. Each choice holds the potential to shape the narrative of your essay and provide valuable insights into your character, values, and personal growth. 

To ensure a comprehensive exploration of this topic, let's discuss a few factors you should consider when choosing which extracurricular to focus on:

1. Personal Significance

When contemplating which extracurriculars to highlight in your essay, take the time to reflect on the experiences that have had the most profound impact on your life. Consider the activities that have shaped your character, influenced your values, and ignited your passions. 

It could be a community service project that opened your eyes to social injustices, a musical instrument that became your creative outlet, or a sports team that taught you the value of teamwork and perseverance. 

Choose an activity that resonates with you on a deeply personal level, as this will enable you to authentically convey your emotions and the growth you have experienced.

2. Depth of Involvement

While it may be tempting to showcase a long list of extracurricular activities, it is important to prioritize quality over quantity. Admissions officers are interested in understanding how deeply you are engaged with an activity, as it demonstrates commitment, dedication, and the potential for impact. 

Evaluate the level of your involvement in each activity and focus on the one where you invested significant time and effort. This could involve leadership roles, taking on challenging responsibilities, or contributing to the activity's growth and success. 

By selecting an extracurricular where you had a meaningful and substantial involvement, you can provide a more detailed and insightful account of your experiences.

3. Leadership and Initiative

If you have taken on leadership roles or demonstrated initiative within a particular extracurricular activity, it can add an extra layer of depth to your essay. Admissions officers value applicants who display leadership qualities and the drive to initiate positive change. 

Reflect on instances where you assumed leadership responsibilities, whether it was captaining a team, organizing events, or spearheading projects. Share how you influenced others, made strategic decisions, and motivated team members to achieve common goals. 

Highlight any innovative ideas or initiatives you introduced and the impact they had on the activity and its participants.

4. Unique Experiences

Consider highlighting an extracurricular activity that stands out from the crowd. While popular activities like sports or clubs can still make for compelling essays, choosing a less common or unconventional activity can help your essay stand out and capture the reader's attention. 

Think about unique experiences you have had outside the mainstream activities, such as starting a niche interest group , participating in an underrepresented sport, or pursuing an uncommon hobby. These experiences can provide a fresh perspective and reveal different aspects of your personality and interests.

5. Alignment with Your Goals

When choosing an extracurricular activity to write about, consider its alignment with your future goals and aspirations. Admissions officers are interested in understanding your passions and how you plan to pursue them in college and beyond. 

Select an activity that showcases your dedication to a particular field of study, career path, or cause. Explain how your involvement in the activity has shaped your understanding of your chosen path and provided valuable insights into the skills, knowledge, and experiences required to succeed in that area.

Demonstrate how the activity has fueled your ambition and inspired you to make a meaningful impact in the future.

6. Overcoming Challenges

Admissions officers appreciate stories of resilience and personal growth. Consider discussing an extracurricular activity in which you encountered obstacles or adversity and how you overcame them. Reflect on the challenges you faced and the strategies you employed to navigate through them. 

This could involve overcoming physical limitations, balancing demanding commitments, or addressing conflicts within the activity. By sharing the lessons you learned from these challenges, you can showcase your determination, adaptability, and problem-solving skills.

7. Diversity of Experiences

If you have been involved in multiple extracurricular activities, consider showcasing a variety of experiences to demonstrate your versatility and well-roundedness. Admissions officers value applicants who have explored different interests and engaged in diverse pursuits. 

Discuss how each activity has contributed to your personal growth and provided you with unique perspectives and skills. Show how your various involvements have influenced and complemented each other, highlighting the valuable transferable skills and insights you have gained from navigating different domains.

8. Impact on Others

Consider the impact your participation in an extracurricular activity has had on others. Admissions officers are interested in applicants who not only excel individually but also contribute to the growth and well-being of their communities. Reflect on the ways your involvement has positively influenced others. 

This could involve mentoring teammates, organizing community service projects, or supporting fellow participants. Share specific examples of how your actions have made a difference, emphasizing the values of compassion, empathy, and leadership you have demonstrated.

By considering these factors when selecting which extracurricular activity to write about, you can choose the most compelling and meaningful topic for your essay. Remember, the goal is to provide a genuine and insightful portrayal of your experiences, passions, and personal growth. 

Through thoughtful introspection and effective storytelling, you can craft an engaging and impactful essay that leaves a lasting impression on admissions officers.

Extracurricular Activities Essay Prompts

To help you kickstart your writing process, here are ten thought-provoking prompts:

1. Can you share a story of an extracurricular activity that has brought about a significant change in your life? How did it alter your outlook and contribute to your personal development?

2. Can you delve into your experience of holding a leadership role in an extracurricular activity? How has it shaped your leadership style and impacted your personality?

3. Can you narrate how an extracurricular activity influenced your future career aspirations? Can you draw connections between your pursuit and your future goals?

4. Have you ever faced a considerable challenge or failure while participating in an extracurricular activity? Can you share your journey of overcoming this challenge and the lessons it imparted?

5. Is there an extracurricular activity that has played a crucial role in your personal growth? Can you discuss this journey of transformation and the factors that contributed to it?

6. Can you elucidate on an extracurricular activity where you demonstrated a significant level of commitment and dedication over a long period of time? How did this consistent engagement contribute to your development and learning?

7. Has there been an extracurricular activity that has allowed you to step outside of your comfort zone? Can you share your experience and how this helped you grow personally and academically?

8. Is there a unique or unusual extracurricular activity that you have participated in? How has this activity contributed to showcasing your individuality and distinguishing you from others?

 9. Have you ever started or founded an extracurricular club, event, or initiative? Can you elaborate on the motivation behind it, the process, the challenges faced, and the impact it had on you and your community.

10. Is there an extracurricular activity that has enhanced your understanding of a particular subject or field of study? Can you explain how this activity has deepened your academic interest or provided practical insights beyond the classroom?

Engaging in extracurricular activities not only enriches our lives outside the classroom but also provides us with invaluable experiences and lessons that shape our character, aspirations, and worldview. 

Whether it's leading a team, overcoming challenges, or exploring new horizons, these activities offer a unique platform to discover and showcase our true potential.

Extracurricular Activity Essay Examples

To help you grasp what an outstanding extracurricular essay looks like, let's dissect two examples and analyze why they make an impact:

1. Strings of Unity: My Dance with the Violin

Every evening, as the sun set, the mellifluous notes of my violin would resonate through our home. I was six when I first held a violin, and it felt like an extension of my soul. Over the years, I practiced diligently, mastering complex compositions and performing at numerous recitals.

However, my most cherished moments were when I played at local nursing homes. Witnessing the joy and nostalgia my music brought to the elderly was profoundly rewarding. Inspired, I initiated "Melodies for Memories," a program where young musicians performed for seniors, bridging the generational gap through music.

The violin taught me discipline, empathy, and the power of connection. It wasn't just about playing notes; it was about touching hearts and creating moments of shared joy.

Why This Essay Was Successful

Here are a few things that made this essay successful:

• Vivid Imagery : The essay paints a beautiful picture of the writer's relationship with the violin, making it easy for readers to visualize and connect with the narrative.
• Community Impact : By highlighting performances at nursing homes and the "Melodies for Memories" initiative, the writer showcases their commitment to community service and the positive impact of their passion.
• Personal Growth : The essay emphasizes the values and skills gained from playing the violin, such as discipline and empathy.
• Concluding Thoughts : The conclusion ties back to the central theme of connection and shared joy, leaving a lasting impression on the reader.

This essay effectively conveys the writer's deep connection to the instrument, showcasing personal growth, community impact, and the transformative power of music.

2. Beyond the Board: Life Lessons from Chess

The chessboard was my battleground, a place where strategy, patience, and foresight converged. Introduced to chess at age eight, I was captivated by its intricacies and the mental agility it demanded. As I delved deeper, I realized chess was more than a game; it mirrored life's challenges and decisions.

I began teaching chess to underprivileged children in my community, hoping to equip them with critical thinking skills. Through "Checkmate Challenges," our monthly tournaments, I saw these children grow in confidence, strategy, and resilience.

Chess taught me that every move has consequences, and foresight is crucial. It reinforced the importance of patience, strategy, and learning from mistakes. Through chess, I not only honed my cognitive skills but also discovered the joy of mentoring and making a difference.

This essay was successful because it included:

• Engaging Start : The essay begins with a powerful statement, drawing readers into the world of chess and its significance to the writer.
• Community Involvement : The writer's initiative to teach chess to underprivileged children showcases their dedication to community upliftment and the broader impact of their passion.
• Life Lessons : The essay effectively draws parallels between chess and life, highlighting the invaluable lessons the writer has derived from the game.
• Concluding Reflection : The conclusion emphasizes the dual benefits of chess: personal growth and the joy of mentoring.

Both essays effectively communicate the writers' passions and the profound impact these activities have had on their personal growth and community involvement.

FAQs: Extracurricular Activities Essay

Writing about your hobbies for an essay? Here are some common questions and answers to help you out.

1. How Do You Write an Extracurricular Essay with a Word Count of 150 Words?

Crafting an extracurricular activity essay with a 150-word limit is both a test of your brevity and your ability to make a powerful impact. To start, you need to isolate a singular, significant moment or achievement from your chosen activity. 

This should be something that is both personally meaningful and serves as a representative snapshot of your broader involvement. Then, hook your reader right from the first sentence, making them intrigued to learn more about your story. 

You might paint a vivid picture, share a quick anecdote, or open with an interesting question. Afterward, give the reader a brief context or backstory about the activity to ground your story. This is where you quickly explain what the activity is and why it matters to you. 

Next, it's time to dive into the crux of your essay—your specific role and the impact it had. Highlight the challenges faced, the initiatives you took, and the results achieved. Be careful to maintain clarity and brevity, avoiding unnecessary details that could detract from your central message. 

Finally, wrap up your essay by tying your specific experience to a broader theme, value, or life lesson, which serves to highlight the significance of your involvement beyond the activity itself.

2. How Long Should an Extracurricular Essay be?

The length of an essay can fluctuate depending on specific application instructions. However, most of them hover in the range of 150-300 words. Regardless of the word limit, remember that clarity and conciseness are your guiding principles. 

Every sentence you write should serve a specific purpose, contributing meaningfully to your overarching narrative and effectively portraying a holistic picture of you as an individual. Avoid fluff or filler content, instead focusing on delivering a tightly woven narrative that showcases your passions, commitments, and personal growth.

3. Can an Extracurricular Activity Essay Focus on More Than One Activity?

While you can mention multiple activities, it is generally better to focus on one that has had the most significant impact on you. This allows you to provide a deeper, more detailed account, revealing valuable insights about your character, passions, and learnings.

Writing an exceptional extracurricular activities essay is a journey that requires introspection, authenticity, and excellent storytelling. As you embark on this journey, remember, the goal is to bring to light not just what you did, but who you are as a person, showcasing the experiences that have enriched your life. 

So, start reflecting on your experiences, unleash your creativity, and let your story resonate with the admissions officers.

4. Why Do Colleges Require Extracurricular Essays?

Colleges require extracurricular essays because they offer a more rounded view of applicants, going beyond mere academic accomplishments. Admissions officers want to understand who you are outside the classroom.

They're interested in your passions, long-term commitments, leadership experiences, and personal growth—all aspects that may not be apparent from your grades or test scores alone. 

5. How Do I Write About Extracurricular Activities in a Personal Statement?

When it comes to incorporating extracurricular activities into your personal statement, the goal is seamless integration that enhances your overall narrative. It's important to discuss the activity in a way that highlights not just what you did, but also how it contributed to your personal growth and future ambitions.

Elaborate on your involvement, detailing the specific roles you took on, the challenges you faced, and the skills you've gained. Then, explore how these experiences tie into your personal evolution and future goals.

Final Thoughts

Writing an extracurricular activity essay is more than just recounting what you did; it's about sharing a slice of your life that speaks volumes about your character, passions, and growth. It's about crafting a narrative that not only shares your experiences but also provides a window into the person you've become as a result. 

Whether you're speaking about the time you spent backstage in theater productions, the hours you dedicated to the robotics club, or the weekends you spent volunteering at a local shelter, remember that the best essays are those that are authentic and come from the heart. 

Use this opportunity to let your experiences shape your story, let your passions shine through, and let your unique voice echo in the admissions officer's mind. 

It is your experiences that make you unique, and it is this uniqueness that can make you stand out in the sea of applicants. So, embrace your individuality and let it guide your journey as you write.

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Blog > Essay Advice , Supplementals > How to Write an Extracurricular Activities Supplemental Essay

How to Write an Extracurricular Activities Supplemental Essay

Admissions officer reviewed by Ben Bousquet, M.Ed Former Vanderbilt University

Written by Kylie Kistner, MA Former Willamette University Admissions

Key Takeaway

This post is one in a series of posts about the supplemental essays. You can read our core “how-to” supplemental post here .

What is an Extracurricular Activities supplemental essay?

Extracurricular supplemental essays are one of the most common kinds of supplemental essays. As you can probably guess, they ask you to write about an extracurricular activity—obviously!

But you might be wondering why schools ask you to expand on an extracurricular activity when you’ve already taken the time to curate your Common Application activities list. Since the Common App activities list only gives you 150 characters to explain your activities, Extracurricular essays are the perfect opportunity to show how you’ve interacted with your community through one of your activities.

Simply describing your extracurricular activity, however, probably isn’t enough. Admissions officers don’t need to hear about the logistics of your club soccer team's travel schedule or the detailed interpersonal dynamics of the restaurant you work at. They’ve heard those stories again and again.

What they really need to hear about is you . As a high school student, the way you spend your time outside of school says a lot about you. Admissions officers know that your time is limited and precious. Seeing the activities or causes you’ve dedicated yourself to reveals a lot about what’s important to you.

1: Vanderbilt: Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you.

(Psst: Want to know how to answer this prompt specifically? We have a post breaking down the Vanderbilt supplemental for you.)

2: Colorado College: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (no more than 250 words)

Extracurricular essay strategy.

As with any supplemental essay, it’s important to approach Extracurricular supplementals strategically. In particular, your Extracurricular essays should do two main things.

Show magnitude, impact, and reach.

When admissions officers evaluate an applicant’s activities list or Extracurricular supplemental essay, they are looking at these three criteria. Let’s take a second to define each term:

Magnitude: How big of a deal is your extracurricular?

Impact: How are you and others affected by your extracurricular?

Reach: How many people do you reach by participating in your extracurricular?

Now, your Extracurricular essays don’t have to be manifestos about how great you are at your activity. In fact, they shouldn’t be.

But when it comes to your supplemental essay strategy, a good way to approach your Extracurricular essays is by writing meaningfully about how your extracurricular has helped you have an impact on the world. Since colleges want to admit students who positively influence the world around them, your extracurricular essays can help you show how you do just that.

Reflect on personal meaning and influence.

The best extracurricular essays are ones that revolve around personal meaning and influence.

Colleges ask you to respond to Extracurricular prompts because they want to know more about how your activities meaningfully impact you and the world around you.

A supplemental essay that only goes into details about your activity without reflecting on its meaning or influence doesn’t do enough to make your case for admission.

Let’s look at a quick example.

In Debate Club, I led my team to victory in the final round. We were debating about climate change solutions, and I brought it my all.

While that example elaborates on an extracurricular activity, it doesn’t make any effort to reflect on why the activity or the writer’s actions were important. Let’s look at a better excerpt:

My Debate Club was in the finals, and I was our last hope. But we were in luck: the topic was “climate change solutions,” something I’m deeply passionate about. By harnessing the support of my team and the weight of my environmental activism, we didn’t just win the finals. I also became more confident in my ability to advocate for change.

This second version speaks more to meaning. It goes beyond a simple explanation of the activity to expand on 1) why the activity was important and 2) what it meant to the writer.

Now that you have a few strategies under your belt, it’s time to start writing.

How to Write an Extracurricular Supplemental Essay

Step 1: Read the prompt closely.

If you’ve read any of our other supplemental essay guides , you might be familiar with this step. You may even be sick of hearing it. But it’s important to carefully dissect the prompt so you know exactly what admissions officers will be expecting you to address.

In the case of Extracurricular Activities essays, reading the prompt is essential. I’ll use the Vanderbilt and Colorado College prompts as an example.

Notice that the Vanderbilt prompt asks you to “briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you ,” while the Colorado College prompt simply says, “Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences.”

So what’s the difference? The Vanderbilt prompt asks you specifically to discuss how your activity has influenced you, but the Colorado College prompt gives you more freedom with what part of your activity you can focus on.

Step 2: Choose your extracurricular activity based on the values, impact, or lessons you want to show.

Remember that your personal statement, supplemental essays, and other application components work together to form a cohesive application narrative . Your essays should each show one of your best strengths, and together they should communicate your overall personal brand.

As you choose which extracurricular activity to write about, be sure that you’re thinking strategically about what you want your activity to say about you to an admissions officer.

Here’s a chart that might help you out. I’ve filled out an example first row so you can get the hang of it. Try filling in your own information to see what sticks.

Step 3: Outline.

Okay, let’s say that you’re the debate team member we met earlier and you’re working on the Colorado College prompt. Since the prompt doesn’t specify which aspect of your extracurricular you should focus on, you get to choose what you think will be best.

Let’s also say that your personal statement already talks about your role on a team, so you want to supplement your personal statement (this is a supplemental essay, after all!) by focusing instead on how this activity has advanced your passion for climate justice.

Before you begin writing, it might be a good idea to outline what you want to write about to make sure your essay covers everything you want it to.

Here’s an example outline to get you thinking.

I. Introduction: Introduce the activity and lay out what’s at stake.

II. Body: Discuss impact, personal meaning, or reach.

III. Conclusion: Reflect on the activity and drive home how it showcases your chosen strength.

Clearly organizing your essay in a way that gives concrete details while focusing on meaning will help admissions officers understand the importance of your activity.

Extracurricular supplemental essay mistakes

Writing a thinly-veiled Academic Interest essay instead of an Extracurricular essay

Because you’re applying to college to be a student, some applicants think that you need to write about an extracurricular experience related to your academics. This kind of essay might include topics like debate, robotics club, Model United Nations, coding experience, independent research, and more.

Co-curricular activities that are related to your academic interests aren’t off-limits. But you do have to be careful not to overstate the academic importance of your activity. If admissions offices want to know more about one of your academic interests, then they’ll ask you to answer an Academic Interest prompt.

But because they’ve asked you to write an Extracurricular supplemental, then you’ll need to keep your focus on the “extra” part of “extracurricular.”

Going into too much detail at the expense of personal meaning.

I know—it’s hard not to unleash your passion and expertise when writing about your favorite extracurricular activity. Doing so can demonstrate its importance to you and your knowledge of the subject.

But the problem with going into too much detail is that it can outshine the true purpose of a supplemental essay, which is to show personal meaning and school fit.

Focusing on a superficial “non-extracurricular.”

If you’re not quite sure what extracurricular to write about, let me give you a quick warning. You need to write about a real extracurricular activity. Some students want to put a creative twist on the prompt and focus on an “extracurricular” that is more of a personal interest than an actual activity.

A good example of a superficial “non-extracurricular” would be an essay about going on long drives while listening to music. Sure, you might be able to write an interesting essay about that. But that kind of topic doesn’t fulfill the expectations of a supplemental essay, and it doesn’t give you the information you need to make your case for admission.

Extracurricular Supplemental Essay Example

Example essay: the journalist.

Colorado College: Please briefly elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences. (no more than 250 words)

As an impressionable six-year-old, I watched Meryl Streep-portrayed Miranda Priestly shape fashion history with a single word of disgust. I longed for my words to have such an impact.

Now, as an editor-in-chief myself, I oversee daily operations of The Hallway , my high school’s newspaper. Instead of shaping global fashion trends, I impact my community by ensuring everyone stays informed.(( The writer highlights their community impact.))

My place as editor-in-chief was solidified when, in March of last year, we published a breaking story. After a tip to our newspaper email address, a fellow reporter and I uncovered an academic dishonesty scandal. We conducted interviews, dug into school files, and reviewed old test keys to discover the cheating. My reporter wrote the story, and I edited it and put it on the front page. Our story became so big that it was republished in our city’s local newspaper.(( This paragraph points to the student’s reach. They didn’t just impact their school community—their efforts also reached their city.))

Leading my team through this investigation taught me just how important journalism is.(( This paragraphs reflects on the meaning of the activity to the writer.)) Even when people might be upset with what you write, what’s most important is the truth. People can’t make decisions if they’re uninformed about the facts. And reporters can’t investigate and write those stories without the support of a leader who’s willing to put in the work, too.

I doubt I’ll ever predict what we’ll be wearing next spring. But I know that my words will continue to have a deep impact on my community, and I can’t wait to find the next big story at The Catalyst. ((The writer offers a brief but specific reference to the institution.))

Looking for more examples? We've got a bunch of other college essay examples for you to read —check them out!

Liked that? Try this next.

The Incredible Power of a Cohesive College Application

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20 College Essay Examples (Graded by Former Admissions Officers)

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The College Extracurricular Activity Essay

Mark montgomery.

• July 25, 2023

How will you write your college extracurricular activity essay?

The Common Application used to ask you to “elaborate” on one of your extracurricular activities in 150 words. Now this essay is not quite as common. At least it is no long required on the Common App.

However, many other colleges do require it, either as a part of their application or as a “supplement” the Common Application .

Either way, this short paragraph can be an essential component of your entire presentation as an applicant.  In just a few sentences, you must convey something personal, meaningful, and interesting about yourself.

Seems impossible, right?  “How can I sum up my experience in my favorite extracurricular activities in just a few sentences?”

Well, it’s time to tackle the impossible. These tips may help you decide which activity to focus on, and how to write a well-structured paragraph that gives the reader a deeper understanding of your motivations and your priorities.

Choose the Right Activity

Don’t necessarily pick the activity that looms largest on your resume or activity list. If you are a star tennis player and a possible recruit for a college team, that fact will be clear on your activity list. If you are the best clarinetist in the city, then your activity list should reflect that fact.  Remember, the prompt asks you to “elaborate” on the activity. It doesn’t say you have to choose the one that takes up the most time, nor does it say that it must be the one that is your primary extracurricular focus.

More specifically, it may be that the activity in which you have achieved or excelled the most is not the activity that will be the best to elaborate upon in this short essay. Consider the other activities that may help to round out your application and present another view of what motivates and interests you.

Consider which activities carry the most personal meaning to you. Look back over your resume or activities list and ask yourself, “Which of these would I miss the most if I could no longer do it?” Perhaps it’s that annual scouting trip, or the weekends skiing with your family. Or maybe it’s that concert you organize at the nursing home twice a year that brings you particular joy. Choosing the right activity is the first step as you write your extracurricular activity essay.

Your “Hidden” Activities

Consider elaborating on an activity that is not on the activities list or resume. For example, perhaps your extended family shares Sunday dinner together regularly, and this ritual has had a big influence on you and helped to shape your feelings about family. Maybe you actually enjoy mowing your lawn every week, making it look nice by paying attention to details. Perhaps you ride your bike to school every morning, and you use that time to notice details on your route and get your head together before and after your workday.

Not Necessarily Your “Best” Activities

Consider taking one of your activities and giving it greater specificity and detail. As you know, the space on the application in which to elaborate on your activities is very, very limited.  So use this short paragraph to pull out some details. For example, perhaps you mention on your activity sheet that you have done volunteer work at a hospital, and that you have several responsibilities. But perhaps there is one responsibility, in particular, that you most enjoy. That one responsibility could be the focus of your extracurricular.

To take another example, perhaps you are a guitar player, and your activity list indicates that you’re fairly good, but not great. However, there I some particular aspects of playing the guitar that you enjoy. Perhaps you don’t mind playing scales over and over in order to improve your technique.

Or maybe you go to a music store on Saturdays where a bunch of bluegrass players get together and jam, and you join in, despite the fact you aren’t the best player; or you are a huge fan of Andre Segovia and have listened to every piece he has ever recorded. These sorts of details can say a lot about the depth of your interest in an activity, even if it is not where your greatest accomplishments lie.

The Focus: “Why?”

Your activity list or resume should address the questions of “What, When, and Where?” (the “who” should be apparent:  you!). This list explains your accomplishments and the range of your commitments. But it doesn’t explain your motivations or your priorities. This short essay-ette gives you an opportunity to do some explaining.

As with your primary college essay and with the supplements, the aim here is to give the admissions officer reading your file a bit more information about yourself.  What you convey in this short paragraph is something that they won’t find in the essays, and that they won’t really know from reading your activity list. This is another opportunity for you to present another interesting and important facet of your personality. All the essays give your application depth and dimension. Don’t throw away this opportunity to tell the reader more about yourself.

Tips for Writing the College Extracurricular Activity Essay

Start with a list of reasons you participate in this activity. What do you get out of it? Why do you enjoy it? Why would you miss it if you suddenly were unable to do it anymore?

Remember that not every aspect of your participation may be enjoyable. Are there reasons you participate in this activity that actually help you accomplish something else that is, in fact, even more enjoyable? For example, weight training may not always be fun, but it can make you stronger. Practicing the flute may be enjoyable in some respects, and not so much in others—but practicing makes you a better player.

Once your list of reasons why you participate in this activity, pick the top three. Write your essay in 5 sentences. One to introduce the activity, three to explain why you do it, and 1 to spare, either as a conclusion or as an elaboration on your introduction.

Some Prompts to Get You Going

If you are having trouble, try completing these sentence prompts to get you going.

• When I participate in this activity, I feel ___________.
• I originally got involved in this activity because ____________.  And now I continue this activity because ____________.
• My favorite aspect of this activity is ____________.
• My friends think this activity is ___________.
• I take the most pride in this aspect of the activity: ___________.

The College Extracurricular Activity Essay – Final Notes

For most of us–adults as well as teens–our activities are good reflections of our priorities, talents, and motivations. We often demonstrate excellence through the things we do outside of school (or outside our jobs or professions).

This Common App supplemental extracurricular activity essay is a great way for you to share more about who you are as a person. If you focus on WHY you engage in these activities, you’ll be able to convey those motivations and priorities.

You have fun engaging in your extracurricular activities. Now enjoy writing about one that is especially important to you.

Need Help With Your College Extracurricular Activity Essay?

If you are having trouble putting together your college essays, including your college extracurricular essay for the Common App, then you might want to consider giving a call to the folks at Great College Advice.  We help students with every aspect of the college admissions process, and we would love to guide your toward your educational objectives.  If you’d like to learn more about what we do, contact us .  We’ll be happy to chat with you!

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How to Write about Extracurriculars in Your Personal Statement and Supplemental Essays

By Kylie Kistner

Writing Coach, Former Admissions Counselor

9 minute read

Whether you’ve completed a passion project you’re proud of or won a robotics award, you might be thinking about writing about extracurriculars in your college application.

Extracurriculars are an important part of the college admissions process for a reason.

Your out-of-the-classroom participation shows admissions officers what you care about, what you’re talented at, and what you’re committed to. How you choose to spend your non-academic time in high school will help them predict what you’d be involved in on their campus.

But there’s an art to writing about extracurriculars in a college application. Too much detail or too little explanation can lose admissions officers in the mix.

In this post, we’ll share our best tips—the ones that our clients have the most success with—for writing about passion projects and extracurricular activities in your personal statement and supplementals.

Let’s get started.

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Why write about extracurriculars?

You already put your extracurricular activities in your Common App activities section, so why use up precious essay space elaborating on them?

While admissions officers can see your activities list, they don’t always realize the full context or importance of every single one of your extracurriculars.

If there’s an activity or project that’s especially important to you, it can be worthwhile to elaborate. But if you’re going to use your essay space to write about an extracurricular, you need to make it count. You might choose to write about an extracurricular or project for the following four reasons.

Reason #1: To expand on the details an extracurricular

The 150 characters allotted in your Common App activities list isn’t much. You can convey the basics, but if you want to elaborate at all, you’re going to need more space.

Writing your personal statement or a supplemental about an extracurricular lets you write more in-depth about an extracurricular that’s important to you . Expanding on what you did and why it was meaningful will help admissions officers see why your activity mattered.

Reason #2: To highlight an impressive accomplishment

Let’s say you won a national competition, had a small role on a TV show, or raised a lot of money for an organization you care about. Or maybe you developed an independent research project and published it in a prestigious publication like The Concord Review or invented something and won the Regeneron Science Talent Search .

Your admissions officer wants to know about those accomplishments.

Remember that you want to give admissions officers a compelling story to tell committee about you. Your job is to make their job easier. Impressive extracurriculars can make you more memorable to admissions officers and can set you apart from the sea of other equally-qualified applicants.

Reason #3: To demonstrate magnitude, reach, and impact

Anything you write about an extracurricular, no matter where that writing appears in your application, should work to show the magnitude, reach, and impact of the activity.

Why? Because college admissions is all about outcomes. The more you can show that you’ve positively impacted yourself and the world around you, the better.

Admissions officers want to invite students to their communities who will have an impact, both before and after they graduate. Showing that you’re already impacting those around you can make it clear that you’re ready to take advantage of all the opportunities the school has to offer.

Reason #4: To weave your extracurriculars into a broader story that says something about who you are

Especially when writing about extracurriculars in your personal statement, you can use your activity as a springboard for writing about something else that’s important to you.

You’ve probably chosen your project or activity because it’s interesting and meaningful to you.

Extracurriculars can be an organic gateway to tell admissions officers about a more vulnerable part of who you are. Choosing to write about them in your personal statement or supplementals can emphasize how important they are to you, and it can help draw admissions officers’ attention to a core part of yourself .

Writing About Extracurriculars in Your Personal Statement

Refresher: what is a personal statement.

Personal statements —also called college essays or Common App essays—are the main piece of writing in your college application, and they typically range from 520 to 650 words.

They are tricky to write because you’ve probably never written (or even read!) one before. (We work on these with students every year , and trust us, they’re tough!)

So what’s the purpose of a personal statement, anyway?

Personal statements are meaningful reflections on an important part of your life. Their purpose is to give admissions officers insight into who you are. They are genuine, often vulnerable pieces of writing. And most importantly, the narrative you create with your personal statement should compel admissions officers to admit you.

It’s a lot to ask of a 650-word essay.

But writing about a passion project or extracurricular can be a fantastic way to communicate your interests, showcase your talents, and advocate for your admission.

With that in mind, let’s go over three important strategies for writing your personal statement about an extracurricular.

Convey Your Strengths (But Avoid Bragging)

All outstanding personal statements communicate a core strength to the admissions committee.

Think about it: when an essay clearly conveys a strength, it’s easier for an admissions officer to understand what the applicant would bring to the campus community.

Your strengths don’t have to be explicit, but they should color the overall theme of your essay.

In our work with students, some of the most common strengths that surface include intellectual curiosity, artistry, teamwork, wisdom, and problem-solving.

The key to writing a good personal statement is finding a balance between conveying your strengths and being authentic and vulnerable. You want your strengths to be clear, but you don’t want to come across as bragging.

Instead, the point is to show a genuine strength while still appearing real and human.

Focus on Outcomes

Personal statements about extracurriculars can go awry when they get too caught up in the details of the activity.

Remember: admissions officers don’t need to know every single second of how you spent your time. You want to hit only the key points that create a seamless story so you can spend the rest of your essay reflecting on meaning and outcomes.

Whatever your project is, consider these questions: What did you learn? How did you grow? How did you help others learn or grow? What did your project do to make the world a better place?

Emphasizing the outcomes will keep your essay focused on what matters most.

Implicitly and Explicitly Answer the “Why” Questions

The “why” questions are the questions that admissions officers are bound to have when they read your personal statement.

Once you introduce them to your passion project or extracurricular, they’ll wonder a lot of things, such as: Why did you choose this activity? Why did your activity matter to you? Why did it matter to others? And—the big question— why should it make me more compelled to admit you?

This last question is key.

Simply telling your admissions officer about your passion project or extracurricular is one thing. But the question you can’t loose sight of is how your passion project or extracurricular demonstrates that you should be admitted. You want to preemptively answer these types of questions in your statement. 

That doesn’t mean that you should come right out and say, “My passion project about educational equity means that I should be admitted.” Definitely don’t do that!

But it does mean writing about your activity in a way that draws on your strengths and outcomes so your admissions officers can envision you joining their campus community. Put another way, every essay you write should give your admission officer a clear reason to admit you to their campus.

Writing About Extracurriculars in Your Supplemental Essays

Refresher: what are supplemental essays.

Supplemental essays are additional essays some schools require applicants to write. At around 50 to 500 words, they’re typically shorter than a personal statement.

Since supplemental essays only go to one school, they’re the perfect opportunity for you to make the case that you’re a good fit for the school and its academic community. Your goal in a supplemental essay is to show values-based and academic alignment with the school in question.

Supplemental prompts often fall within a few standardized categories that ask questions like “Why are you interested in attending X?” or “How have you contributed to your community, and how will you contribute to ours?”

One of the most popular supplemental prompt types is the extracurricular activities essay . In these prompts, schools ask you to elaborate on one of your extracurricular activities. If your extracurricular relates to academics, you might also respond to an academic interest prompt.

In short, you’re allowed to write about your passion project or extracurricular in a supplemental essay whenever you feel it’s appropriate.

Make Relevant Connections to the School

Whether you’re responding to an extracurricular activity, academic interest, community, or other prompt type, strong supplemental essays often make explicit connections to the school.

Why do they do this?

Because that’s how you show that you’re a natural fit for the campus community.

It also shows admissions officers that you’ve done your research and are invested as an applicant.

Let’s say you have a passion project about Type 1 Diabetes . Through your research, you learned about Dr. Damiano’s ground-breaking Type 1 Diabetes research at Boston University. Now you have the perfect connection to work into your BU supplemental essay .

Emphasize Meaning and Impact

We’ve already gone over the importance of focusing on the outcomes of your extracurricular, but it’s worth restating.

Emphasizing the meaning and impact of your activity is especially important in supplemental essays because they’re shorter, more purpose-driven in response to a prompt, and often more straightforward than a personal statement.

Take this example essay (“Community Essay: The DIY-ers”) in response to one of MIT’s prompts. The applicant writes about a passion project, building a telescope, but doesn’t stop there. They also go on to explain the meaning of the project (how it helped them connect with their family) and the impact (how it shaped their career goals as an aspiring environmental engineer).

So as you write, be sure to draw out the meaning and impact of your activity for your admissions officers. Don’t leave the guesswork up to them.

Think About Values

The final way to take your supplemental essays to the next level is to think in terms of values.

If you’re choosing to pursue a passion project or spend a lot your free time time on an extracurricular, then chances are it’s something you value.

Use that to your advantage by aligning with values at the institutions you’re applying to. You can do this in any supplemental essay, but your case will be much stronger when you have a passion project or extracurricular to emphasize your alignment.

Perhaps you completed a passion project looking at corporate sustainability practices —something you’re really invested in. Well, let’s also say that you’re interested in the University of Pennsylvania because of Wharton’s Business, Energy, Environment, and Sustainability concentration.

Because of your passion project, you now have the ability to make a very natural, compelling case that your values line up with Penn’s. Showing your commitment to similar values will help admissions officers imagine all the ways you’d contribute to and benefit from their community.

Key Takeaways

We spend our time on what we value most. As a high schooler, you have limited time outside of your school day. Admissions officers appreciate seeing how you’ve committed yourself to projects, activities, and causes outside of the four walls of your high school.

Writing about an extracurricular or passion project in your personal statement or supplementals can be one of the best ways to expand on an activity that is important to you and forge significant connections with the schools you’re applying to.

No matter what kind of college essay you’re writing, avoid getting too caught up in the minutiae of your activity, and be sure to emphasize the meaning and outcomes.

Above all, take stock of your application narrative, and consider how your extracurriculars make you a more compelling candidate for admission.

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• anjaliraghbeer
• Aug 19, 2023

How to Write a Great Extracurricular Activity Essay

Introduction

Extracurricular activities are an important part of the college application process. They give admissions officers a chance to see your interests, talents, and leadership skills outside of the classroom. If you're planning to write an extracurricular activity essay, here are some tips to help you write a great one.

Choose the Right Activity

The first step is to choose the right activity to write about. It should be something that you're passionate about and that you've made a significant commitment to. If you're not sure which activity to choose, try brainstorming a list of your interests and then narrow it down to the ones that you've been involved in for the longest period of time.

Start with a Strong Introduction

Your introduction is your chance to make a good first impression on the admissions officer. Start by stating the name of the activity and why you chose to participate in it. Then, give a brief overview of your involvement in the activity.

Tell a Story

The best extracurricular activity essays are those that tell a story. Choose a specific experience that you had in the activity and use it to illustrate your growth and development. This could be a time when you faced a challenge, overcame an obstacle, or learned something new.

Focus on the Impact

What impact has the extracurricular activity had on you? How has it shaped your values, interests, or goals? Be specific and use examples to illustrate your points.

Show, Don't Tell

Don't just tell the admissions officer about your experiences in the extracurricular activity. Show them by using vivid language and concrete examples. This will help them to visualize your experiences and understand the impact that the activity has had on you.

Be Yourself

The most important thing is to be yourself in your extracurricular activity essay. Don't try to be someone you're not. Admissions officers want to get to know the real you, so let your personality shine through in your writing.

Here are some additional tips for writing a great extracurricular activity essay:

Keep it concise. Your essay should be no more than 500 words long.

Proofread carefully. Make sure your essay is free of errors in grammar and spelling.

Get feedback from others. Ask a trusted friend, family member, or teacher to read your essay and give you feedback.

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Choose Your Test

Sat / act prep online guides and tips, amazing extracurricular activity examples for college applications.

Extracurriculars

Extracurriculars are a great way to participate in an activity you enjoy and meet new people, and they can also be an important part of your college application.

What makes an extracurricular activity particularly impressive to colleges? How do your extracurriculars measure up?

Read this guide to see four amazing extracurricular activities examples. I'll discuss why they're exceptional and how you can participate in similar activities to boost your own college application.

What Are Extracurricular Activities and How Are They Useful?

An extracurricular is any activity you participate in outside of class. It can be associated with your school, such as a sports team or club, or completely separate. They also include any jobs or internships you have had, as well as volunteer work you have performed. Extracurriculars cover a wide range of activities and interests, from painting to science to helping the homeless and more.

Why would you want to participate in an extracurricular? There are several ways they can benefit you:

They Let You Do Something You Enjoy

Extracurriculars let you participate in an activity you enjoy, whether that's playing football, painting, or another activity. Practicing this activity regularly will help you get better at it, and you may be able to develop new skills that you find useful in the future. Doing something you enjoy not only makes you happier but can also give you a much-needed break from schoolwork.

They Introduce You to New Friends

Students often make many friends through their extracurriculars because they see other members regularly and have a shared interest.

They Are Important for College Applications

Extracurriculars can also be included in your college applications to show your interests and talents. Read on to learn more about the importance of extracurriculars when applying to college.

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How Are Extracurriculars Important for College Applications?

Extracurriculars can be a key part of your college application. Most applications have a section where you can list all the extracurriculars you were involved in. If a certain extracurricular is particularly important to you, you can also write about it in your personal statement and have the people writing you letters of recommendation discuss it so that it is a more prominent part of your college application.

Why do colleges care about extracurriculars? Colleges like to admit students who are involved in their communities, interact well with others, and work to develop their talents and passions. A student who participates in extracurriculars is more likely to do each of those things than a student who has no extracurriculars.

Also, there is more to college than simply going to class; colleges are full of opportunities to be active, interact with others, and give back, and schools want to admit students who will keep their campuses connected and interesting. Great extracurriculars can also help you stand out from the thousands of applications colleges receive by highlighting a particular skill or interest of yours that makes you unique and memorable.

How competitive your extracurriculars need to be depends on how selective the colleges you're applying to are. For Ivy League and other top schools, strong extracurriculars are usually required. For more information, check out our guide that explains how to develop extracurriculars that will help you get into Harvard and other top schools. If you're applying to your state school, you likely don't need your extracurriculars to be exceptional, but if you do have awesome extracurriculars and decent grades, then you have an excellent chance of being accepted.

What Makes an Extracurricular Activity Great?

While colleges like to see a student with extracurriculars, not all extracurriculars are considered equal. There are specific qualities that colleges look for in extracurriculars that will make them more impressive and boost the applicant's resume. Having one amazing extracurricular on your college application is more impressive than a list of activities you had little interest in or impact on. One great extracurricular can give your college application a significant boost.

However, getting an amazing extracurricular is not as simple as choosing a particular sport or club you think colleges will find impressive. When applying to college, what activity you do is not nearly as important as why you are doing it or the effort you put into it. There are three qualities admissions look for in particular when they review extracurriculars:

Leadership experience includes any time that you have been responsible for leading a project or guiding, motivating, or instructing others. Colleges want to admit students who have a history of leadership experience because they are hoping those students will continue to be leaders and have a significant impact on the world in the future.

You don't have to be team captain or club president in order to get leadership experience. You can show your leadership skills by helping to organize an event, mentoring younger members, or developing a fundraiser.

Are you participating in that activity because you truly want to or just because you want to include it on your college application? For colleges, there is a huge difference between the two. Admissions officers want to see you doing activities you are interested in and passionate about, not just as a way to impress others. Passion is a critical contributor to success, and colleges see genuine passion as an indicator that you are more likely to succeed than someone who's just going through the motions.

Great extracurriculars show what your passion is. This can be accomplished by having multiple similar extracurriculars (such as being part of multiple science clubs), or showing a deep commitment to a particular extracurricular, often by pursuing it for many years and spending a significant amount of time on it.

Colleges measure impact by looking at how you influenced the activity you participated in and how it influenced you. The strongest extracurricular examples clearly show that you have changed and improved as a result of participating and that you also had a lasting impact on the activity as well.

Colleges want to admit people who will have a positive and lasting impact on their school, so they look for students who already have a history of this in their extracurriculars. Having an impact on an extracurricular can include recruiting new members, expanding a club's focus, or developing a way for the club to reach more people. Colleges also want to see that your extracurriculars made you a better person. Are you more responsible? A better team player? More confident?

Colleges love to see confident applicants.

To get a better idea of what good extracurricular activities are, read on to see examples of outstanding extracurricular activities.

Great Extracurricular Activity Examples

Below are four fictional examples of great extracurricular activities. For each, a paragraph is written from the student's perspective. Most college applications don't allow much space to discuss your extracurriculars, but you will likely want to include a more condensed version of the same kind of information. For a more in-depth take on this topic, take a look at our guide on how to write about extracurriculars on your college application .

Each example also includes a breakdown of what makes it a great extracurricular, as well as ways for you to pursue similar activities.

Example 1: Elizabeth the Ballerina

I took my first ballet class when I was three years old, and ever since then I have known that I want to be a ballerina. During the school year, I would take ballet classes six days a week, and beginning in middle school I spent summers at intensive ballet camps. When I was 14, I was accepted into the Joffrey Ballet's pre-professional program, one of the most competitive youth ballet troupes in the country. I have now spent three years in the pre-professional program, which involves practicing and performing roughly 30 hours a week. I have also auditioned and been selected for roles in 8 company productions that are seen by hundreds of audience members each night. I have loved ballet nearly my entire life, and I plan to continue working as a ballerina and mentoring children and teenagers who are interested in ballet.

Why It Stands Out

The main thing that causes this extracurricular to stand out is Elizabeth's clear passion for and dedication to ballet. Elizabeth has been practicing ballet since she was a toddler, and she practices many hours each week. She gives specific numbers (30 hours a week, 8 company productions), to help admissions officers get a clear idea of her work and the impact it had.

She makes her talents clear by stating that she was accepted into a competitive program and was chosen to perform in company performances. This helps show that she is exceptionally skilled ballerina and helps her stand out from other applicants who may just pursue dance as a fun hobby.

Finally, Elizabeth states that she would like to teach others about ballet and act as a mentor. This both shows her leadership abilities and lets schools know that she would like to continue her extracurricular as a college student.

How to Have a Similar Extracurricular

Is there a hobby or activity you have practiced for multiple years? You don't need to have practiced it as long as Elizabeth has, but sticking with one extracurricular for a long time can show colleges you have a deep interest in it.

This activity doesn't necessarily have to be an official club or sport either, having a hobby you are passionate about and practice regularly also counts as an extracurricular. If you've been interested in art since you were young, you can expand that into a strong extracurricular by taking art classes, getting your work displayed in your community, and developing a program or class that introduces kids to art.

Example 2: Scott the Volunteer Leader

I have been a member of my high school's volunteer club since my freshman year. During my first year, I enjoyed tutoring elementary students and painting houses with the club, but I thought students should have more options for volunteering. As a sophomore, I spoke to club leaders and proposed five new locations where students could volunteer including a hospital, animal shelter, and homeless shelter. After getting my suggestions approved, I contacted the organizations and arranged for them to form volunteer partnerships with the school. This included developing activities volunteers could do, getting the organizations approved by the school, and arranging volunteer times and transportation. Other students in the volunteer club were excited about having a bigger impact, so I continued to look for new opportunities for volunteers. I am currently president of the volunteer club and in charge of developing new volunteer activities. Under my direction, the volunteer club has grown from 30 to over 100 members and quadrupled the number of places where students can volunteer. I'm proud that our club is continuing to grow and help more people each year.

This extracurricular clearly shows that Scott is a leader who knows how to take initiative and get things done. Scott clearly describes the work he did to expand and improve the volunteer club, from proposing ideas to club leaders to working with organizations to establish volunteer programs.

Like Elizabeth, he gives concrete numbers to show his impact on the volunteer club and how he contributed to its growth . The fact that he worked to expand the volunteer club and provide more volunteer opportunities for other club members also shows that he cares about volunteering and believes it can have a positive impact on both volunteers and the people they help.

Scott's extracurricular is great because he took initiative and worked to improve it, even before he had a leadership position. You can do the same thing with any of your extracurriculars. Is there a club you enjoy but think could be better? Perhaps you are part of an art club but wish members had more opportunities to showcase their work.

You could contact a local library or cafe and organize a display of artists' work for the community to enjoy. Perhaps you're on an academic bowl team and wish there were more competitions. You could contact other schools and set up an invitational tournament to help teams get more practice competing. The main point is to take initiative and lead a project that will improve your extracurricular, no matter what that activity is.

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Example 3: Jessica the Scientist

When I was 15 years old, I decided to get a part-time job to help pay for college and have some spending money. Because I was already part of my school's Science Olympiad team and plan on majoring in microbiology, I applied to be a lab technician at a local science lab. My work primarily consisted of preparing chemicals and cleaning equipment, but after speaking to my supervisor about my interest in microbiology, I was able to begin conducting some simple experiments for the lab. This past summer I became a full-time intern at the lab and took on additional responsibilities. I asked to work with a team doing a microbiology project that studies self-assembly properties of polypeptides. During my internship, I ran different chemical tests and analyzed data results for potential use in cancer research, and I have continued that work into the school year.

From the above paragraph, it's clear that Jessica's passion is science. She is a member of science clubs, she plans on majoring in biology, and she applied for a job in a science lab. Jessica took a not-too-exciting job, where she mostly cleaned lab equipment, and was able to grow it into an internship where she contributes to cancer research. That's a pretty impressive accomplishment for a high school student. She took initiative to increase the responsibility of her part-time job and turn it into something that has a meaningful impact and gives her useful experience for her future.

Jessica's part-time job didn't start off all that impressive; she worked to increase her responsibilities and impact. You can do the same with any job or activity you have. Think of ways to expand your role, or ask your boss or club leader if they have any ideas. For example, if you're a lifeguard, you could start a program that teaches kids basic first-aid safety at the pool.

I have a friend who worked at a grocery store in high school and planned on being a dietitian. She created a monthly group where kids whose parents were grocery shopping could stop by a part of the grocery store, have some snacks, and learn about which healthy foods they should eat. That's a great way to take a typical high school job and turn it into an extracurricular that shows motivation, hard-work, and leadership skills.

Example 4: James the Soccer Player

When I started high school I thought it would be a good idea to join a sports team since my family had just moved to the area. One of my classmates suggested I try out for the soccer team. I made the junior varsity team and stayed on it for two years until I joined the varsity team as a junior. I love playing soccer and the feeling I get knowing I'm a member of a team. Being part of the soccer team helped me make friends and feel like I was part of the school's community. Because my soccer team helped me so much, as a junior I proposed a mentoring program where experienced team members helped freshman players adjust to high school. The mentors would make sure the freshman weren't feeling overwhelmed, had people to talk to, and found activities and classes they liked. The program was a great success, with many members commenting on how much they enjoyed it. This year, I helped three other sports teams implement the program. Doing this has helped me become more confident and better at public speaking. My high school dean has also asked that I speak to other teams in the hopes that, eventually, each of my school's sports teams will have a similar mentoring program.

Unlike Elizabeth, the highly-skilled ballerina, James is not one of the top high school soccer players in the country. While making varsity team does show he's talented at playing soccer, there are thousands of high school varsity players across the country, and unless you are playing at a national level, simply being a varsity athlete is not enough to make an extracurricular outstanding. What makes James' extracurricular exceptional is not his soccer skills but the mentoring program he started for athletes.

James took his experience of being the new kid and used it to help others avoid feeling lonely and isolated in high school. He decided to create a program that helps new students and bonds the team together. This shows leadership, as well as consideration for others. Colleges want students foster a positive atmosphere by working well as part of a team and being the kind of person other students want to be around. James' commitment to his mentoring program makes him seem like that kind of person. He also states how working on the mentoring program made him a more confident person . Similar to previous examples, James took initiative to start a new project, and he continues to lead and expand it.

James' extracurricular shows that you don't have to be the best at a certain activity to have it be a strong extracurricular. James wasn't team captain and didn't make the varsity team until he was a junior, but he still had a significant impact on improving the soccer team and helping out other students at his school.

If you aren't the top athlete or best science student at your school, you can have a strong impact in another way. A great way to do this is to foster relationships among your classmates. If your school has several science clubs that don't often interact with each other, you can suggest hosting a science event together that can include cool science demonstrations for kids and help the science clubs become more connected. You can also start a mentoring program similar to the one James created.

How to Create Your Own Great Extracurriculars

In none of the above examples was a student handed an amazing internship or club membership; they each had to put in time and effort to create exceptional extracurriculars. It will likely be the same for you. By following the steps below, you can develop great extracurriculars that will show the passion, impact, and leadership abilities that colleges love to see. If you have already chosen your extracurriculars and simply want to strengthen then, you can begin at step #4, although you may still find reading the previous steps useful.

#1: List Your Interests

Colleges want to see you participate in extracurriculars that you are passionate about, not ones you are only doing to impress others. Doing an extracurricular you are interested in will also make it more enjoyable (which is really the point of an extracurricular) and will likely also make you more willing to pursue leadership opportunities and increase your impact.

Make a list of all your interests. This can include your favorite classes, hobbies you enjoy, sports you've wanted to try, or what you plan on studying in college, basically anything you think you would enjoy spending more time doing.

#2: Research Extracurriculars

Once you have your list of interests, find extracurriculars that relate to them. Look at clubs and sports your school offers, local jobs and internships for teens, and volunteer opportunities, and make a list of extracurricular activities you might be interested in. If you need ideas, we have a complete list of extracurriculars that includes hundreds of different options.

If you need more help, ask your guidance counselor, classmates, or local community members. You can also try doing an internet search for "your interest" + "your hometown" to find nearby activities you can get involved with. If your school doesn't offer an extracurricular you're interested in, you can start a club yourself, which is a great way to show initiative and leadership.

#3: Choose and Narrow Your Extracurriculars

If you are able to, choose several extracurriculars that you think you will enjoy. After participating in them for a few weeks or months, you can narrow them down to one or a few that you feel particularly passionate about and want to devote more time to. Colleges are more interested in depth than breadth, so having a few extracurriculars that you put a lot of time into and have a significant impact on is more impressive than a laundry list of clubs and sports you don't really care about.

Narrow down your interests in order to choose the best extracurriculars

#4: Increase Your Impact

Now that you've chosen your extracurriculars, it's time to strengthen them to help your college application stand out. First, look for ways to increase your impact. Like the examples mentioned above, this can include recruiting more members, creating new events, expanding the club's focus, and more. Try to leave your extracurricular better than it was when you joined it.

#5: Gain Leadership Skills

After you have started to have a larger impact, work to become a leader in your extracurricular. This doesn't always mean being club president or team captain. You can gain leadership skills by mentoring other members, leading a project, or developing a new activity.

Once you've started applying these five rules, you'll be well on your way to developing a great extracurricular to include on your college applications.

What's Next?

Want to learn more about community service? We have a guide that explains what community service is and how it can benefit you.

Are you thinking about doing an extracurricular or volunteer work in a foreign country? Read our guide on volunteer abroad programs and learn if they're really the best option for you.

Not sure if you want to go to school in a big city or small town? Read our guide to learn if you should go to a rural, urban, or suburban school.

Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points? We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Christine graduated from Michigan State University with degrees in Environmental Biology and Geography and received her Master's from Duke University. In high school she scored in the 99th percentile on the SAT and was named a National Merit Finalist. She has taught English and biology in several countries.

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How to write the ‘Extracurricular Activity’ essay

How to write the “extracurricular activity” college essay.

Bonus Material: Examples of real supplemental essays that worked for schools like Princeton and Yale

If you’re in the process of applying to colleges, you likely already know that many universities (especially top-tier schools like Ivies) ask you to write essays in response to supplemental prompts. 

When it comes to selective schools, these supplemental essays make a huge difference! Some schools even prioritize your supplemental essays over your Common App personal statement. 

One of the most common supplemental essay prompts asks you to expand on an extracurricular activity you’ve been involved with. This is what we call, for obvious reasons, the Extracurricular Activity essay . 

While it might seem simple, many students misunderstand what colleges want when they ask this question. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through what you need to do to write this supplemental essay in a way that gets you to stand out to elite universities. 

As universities get more and more selective, you’ll want to make sure you do everything possible to ensure your admissions application is perfect. At PrepMaven, that’s exactly what we do: for years, our expert tutors have guided students through the college application process, helping them land acceptances at schools like Princeton, Harvard, and MIT. 

Read on for our guide–backed up by years of experience–on how to approach the Extracurricular Activity essay prompt. 

Download 50+ Real Supplemental Essays for Ivy+ Schools

Jump to section: What is the “Extracurricular Activity” essay? Examples of “Extracurricular Activity” prompts What are colleges looking for in this supplemental essay? How to write the “Extracurricular Activity” essay Example of a successful extracurricular essay Analysis of a real extracurricular essay How to choose the topic for the extracurricular essay Next steps

What is the “Extracurricular” essay?

This is pretty much what it sounds like: many universities will, as one of their supplemental writing prompts, ask you to expand upon an extracurricular activity you’ve been involved with. 

But while the directions are pretty clear, what top colleges actually want from you here can be harder to figure out. This guide will teach you everything you need to know about the Extracurricular essay prompt: what the prompts look like, what admission officers want, and how to structure your essay. 

In addition, we’ll break down a real sample essay and analyze how it effectively checks all the boxes for an incredibly strong Extracurricular supplemental. 

After the “Why us?” prompts (on which we have a detailed guide here ), this is one of the most common supplemental essay prompts you’ll encounter, so you’ll want to make sure that you’re ready for this one well ahead of the application deadlines. 

Below, we’ll walk you through what these prompts look like, and what you need to do to answer them effectively. 

Examples of “Extracurricular Activity” prompts

Lots of schools ask a version of this question, but each university has their own spin on it. Take a look below for some examples from the 2023-2024 application cycle: 

Briefly describe any of your extracurricular activities, employment experience, travel, or family responsibilities that have shaped who you are. (Harvard) Most students choose their intended major or area of study based on a passion or inspiration that’s developed over time – what passion or inspiration led you to choose this area of study? (300 words, Carnegie Mellon) What academic areas are you interested in exploring in college? (200 words, Emory University)

As you can see, each of these looks a bit different, but really they all want to know the same thing: what interests you, and how have you gotten involved with it?

What are colleges looking for when they ask about extracurriculars?

Simply put, they want to see whether you’re really passionate about something. Almost nothing is as impressive to college admissions officers as real, demonstrated passion for some particular interest. 

In our broader guide on the college application process , we talk about the importance of highlighting your extracurricular profile for elite colleges’ admissions committees. While that happens in your Activities List, of course, the Extracurricular essay is your biggest opportunity to show them how you’ve engaged deeply with a particular activity. 

But admissions officers don’t just want to see you’ve been involved with something .

What they want to see in your extracurricular profile are: 

• Initiative 

These may feel like buzzwords (they are), but they really are how admissions committees evaluate your extracurricular profile. 

Did you just compete in a robotics activity, or did you win a state championship? The former is nice; the latter is excellence . 

Did you start volunteering at a local homeless shelter this year, for an hour a week? That’s good, and colleges will appreciate it. But compare that to someone who’s been volunteering for years, dedicating multiple hours a week to the same task: that’s dedication . 

Leadership is more or less self-explanatory: did you participate, or did you hold specific positions, with demonstrated (positive) effects on the club/team/organization you were a part of?

Initiative can be murkier, but it basically has to do with how much effort you had to put in to pursuing your extracurricular in the first place (this often intersects with the other three categories). For example: did you join an existing club, or found your own because of your intense desire to pursue what interests you?

In a nutshell, then, the extracurricular essay prompt gives you the rare and valuable opportunity to show admissions committees one or more of these traits. As you write your essay, think about it in those terms: how can you show your excellence, dedication, leadership, and/or initiative in whatever activity you choose to write on. 

Below, we’ll run down what one of these essays needs to have to wow admissions officers. Although this guide should give you the information you need, there’s never a substitute for a real college essay expert who can help you with your essay live–we always recommend reaching out to one of our essay coaches if you want to maximize your chances of admission.

How to structure an Extracurricular supplemental essay. 

Although every essay is different, there are certain things that the Extracurricular should always do, and there’s a straightforward structure to help you do it. Below, we’ll break down each step of the structure and analyze a real example. 

Generally, though, these Extracurricular essays follow a similar structure: 

• Start with a story
• Give an overview
• Show your passion
• Reflect on how the activity has shaped you

Below, we’ll get into each of these in detail, so that you can have a more precise understanding of what’s expected of you when it comes to this supplemental essay. 

This is often the advice with all college essays, and it’s no less true here: you want to start with something that grabs the reader’s attention. The best way to do that is, more often than not, by throwing the reader right into the middle of a scene or moment. 

As you most likely did in your Common App essay, try to begin with a short paragraph recounting a moment that showcases you in action. Perhaps it’s you in the lab, working on a hypothesis about plant nutrition. Or maybe you’re an artist, and have just dragged your easel and canvas into the forest to paint a landscape. Whatever you do, don’t just tell us–show us you in action. 

The story exists to hook us in, but it won’t tell us everything we need to know. Set aside a small part of the essay to give a broader background for the activity you’re describing so that admissions committees can understand more about the activity itself. 

This part of the essay won’t be the most exciting or flashy, but it will let you convey a lot of information very quickly–making it an excellent place to highlight things like your dedication or initiative when it comes to this extracurricular. 

What does the “overview” part of an extracurricular supplemental look like? We’ll actually take a look at a real sample essay later in the post, but we can describe it briefly here. 

Say you’re writing an essay about performing in musicals. 

The first section (the story ) of your essay might describe you on stage, about to belt out some showtunes. 

The second section (the overview ) might begin something like, “Since the age of 7, I’ve leaped at every chance to perform in musicals: at schools, in local productions, and even with a touring theater troupe.” In just one sentence, you can show us how long you’ve been engaged with the activity and what some of the highlights were. Then, you can continue on by describing more about what your involvement in this extracurricular entails: your role, how your involvement has changed, that kind of thing. 

A word of caution: don’t turn this into a list of your accomplishments and awards. That should already be reflected in the Activities Section of your Common App. But also, it won’t make for a very good essay, and it’ll sound like you’re bragging. Only include accomplishments if they naturally integrate with the story you’re telling. 

Not sure how to balance an overview so that it conveys the right information without becoming bloated or braggy? The best way to be sure is to work with someone who has experience wowing admissions committees themselves. That’s why we always recommend getting a bit of professional help from one of our many Ivy League essay tutors and checking out or collection of real supplemental essays from successful applicants below 

We say it in almost all of our essay guides, but it’s true: nothing makes an essay stand out to admissions committees like a believable, personal description of the passion you feel for what you do. It’s human: we love people who really love what they do.

Whatever you choose to write about, the next section of your Extracurricular essay should focus on conveying the passion you feel for this activity or the satisfaction you gain from it. As always, specific details are key!  

Don’t just say “I love to ride dirt bikes.” It’s not specific, it’s not detailed, it’s not convincing: do you really believe that the person who has nothing more to say than that really loves what they do?

Connect the passion to specific details or moments that you’ve experienced while pursuing this extracurricular. Maybe it’s the specific sensation of dirt showering on you as you land the bike from a jump; maybe it’s the moment a student you tutor turns to you and says how much you’ve helped their confidence. 

Convey your passion by integrating it with the unique details that only you can recount. That’s what makes the difference between a generic, ChatGPT-style extracurricular essay and a compelling, personal one that can wow college admissions committees. 

As always, the extracurricular activity essay isn’t just about the extracurricular activity: it’s about showing how something you’re deeply involved with has affected who you are on the cusp of college. 

What does that look like? It could be a lot of things! Maybe your extracurricular activity actually shaped what you want to study, or how you live your life–if so, great. But it’s also no less important if your extracurricular activity is simply a source of peace or joy, something that takes you away from the stresses of school or other obligations. 

In any case, it’s important to show that you’re the kind of person who thinks about how the things in your life shape you. This section doesn’t have to be long–a sentence or two will do–but it should show the admissions officers what it is you’ve gained from the pursuit of this hobby, passion, or job. 

Example of a successful Extracurricular Essay

Below is an example of a really excellent response to an Extracurricular essay prompt. This sample actually comes from our guide on how to respond to the University of California’s supplemental prompts, but it’s the kind of essay that could easily be used to respond to any college’s Extracurricular supplemental essay prompt. 

The stall horn blares, and the plane sways under the control of my feet. Shoulders tense, I look outside to maintain balance: even a small tap of a foot or shift of the stick could throw the plane into a downwards roll. The plane begins to shake- my cue to recover. I pitch the nose down and push the throttle full forwards. Despite high-stress situations, piloting is my dream career. Whether airliners or navy jets, I know I will be happiest in the air. I started out building model airplanes out of paper and pencils at Civil Air Patrol meetings, which first introduced me to basic aviation principles: pitch, roll, and yaw. From there, a presentation in my computer science class taught me about Joby Aviation, a local startup working on electric gyrocopters for everyday travel. Already knowing I wanted to fly, I felt inspired to work with aircraft as an engineer as well. I decided to enroll in flight lessons and subsequently took a job as a receptionist at my flight school. When flying, time passes by as fast as the air around me. As warnings blare, pilots chatter over the radio and the plane’s glass bubble gets swelteringly hot. There’s a lot to be aware of, but I’ve learned to multitask and focus amidst distractions. Similarly, being at the airport quickly thrust me into the world of aviation. I found myself fascinated not only by aerodynamics but also by fuel chemistry, avionics, and materials. Sumping fuel from the fuel tanks, I wondered, how do different fuel textures affect planes’ engines? Running my hand along the propeller, I pondered: how would the aircraft fly if this were wood? Plastic? I became fascinated by the specificity and variability of aerospace materials and eager to learn more about them. My love for aerospace is part of why I am eager to study engineering. I imagine myself designing new aircraft and optimizing the ones I fly. Whether I become a pilot or an engineer, the lessons I learn flying will be beneficial in any future paths I take.

Analysis of a real Extracurricular supplemental essay

Take another look at the above essay, and notice how it actually neatly follows the structure we’ve been talking about. 

The essay starts suddenly, and with a ton of detail: a stall horn (what’s that?), a plane swaying, a lot of tension. 

It’s important that the story is, itself, hooking and attention-grabbing. But that’s not the sole purpose of the story: the real key here is that it shows the writer in action. They’re not a passive observer or someone along for the ride. They’re making decisions and taking control of a situation, displaying both confidence and competence. 

Those elements together are the key to a successful opening for the extracurricular essay: get our attention, and show us you in action. 

Notice how the second paragraph feels totally different. It’s no longer a pulse-raising story: it’s a quick but detailed overview of how the writer got involved with and pursued this extracurricular activity over a long period of time. 

What do we learn from this overview? The writer started simple, with models at Civic Air Patrol meetings; they continued pursuing this passion through a compsci course and a local internship; they took flight lessons and got practical work experience at a flight school. 

It’s all super quick, and super efficient. There’s some nice details in there (the models, the gyroscope), but the primary function of this section of the essay is just to put the story in context. Think about it as the background that explains how we got to the story in the first place. 

The next paragraph immediately begins by conveying why this activity is so meaningful to the author. We learn that time (literally) flies, that the author learns how to multitask and stay focused under pressure, and that all this leads to a fascination with the science and engineering behind flight. 

Remember when we talked about specifics being the key to conveying passion? Here’s what we meant. The author doesn’t stop at saying what fascinated them. They go way further, posing multiple hyper-specific questions that convey the author’s real, sustained engagement with this activity. 

• Reflection/change

As you can see, this section can be super short! It really just needs to wrap up the essay by showing us how this extracurricular affects the writer. In this case, it has helped shape what the student wants to pursue, even if the student isn’t yet 100% certain about what that path will look like. 

But this essay could have worked just as well if this student wanted to be an English major. The essay would simply have ended with a different kind of reflection, one about the value or lessons that they’re able to take away from the experience of flying. 

At heart, these essays aren’t complicated. But that doesn’t mean they’re easy. Writing the perfect Extracurricular supplemental essay can be incredibly challenging: how do you balance the story, the overview, the passion, the lesson? And all within a very short word count! 

Taking the right approach can mean the difference between boring an admissions committee and stunning them, so it’s not the place to take risks. It’s why we recommend working with a one-on-one PrepMaven essay coach. Not only have our tutors been accepted to the most prestigious schools in the country, but they’ve helped countless students get their own acceptance letters. 

How to choose the topic for an Extracurricular essay

This is a crucial decision, and you don’t want to take it lightly. 

Many students simply pick the activity that they’ve excelled most in, or the one they spend the most time doing. 

That’s often the wrong choice. Not always, of course, but often!

The key consideration is what activity will add the most to your application when described in essay form, as opposed to merely being summarized in 150 characters on your Activities List. 

Sometimes, that really is the same thing as the one you’re most active in; sometimes it’s not. 

For example, let’s say you’re an absolutely amazing athlete who has won titles and awards and all sorts of stuff. Your activities list can, if you’re careful with word count, convey all of those titles, awards, etc. If you were to write a whole essay about your sport, would you really be able to add much that the admissions committee won’t already see?

On the other hand, let’s say that in addition to being an all-star athlete, you’re also a tutor or mentor for a younger student. On the activities list, that won’t look impressive: so many students do peer tutoring that an admission officer’s eyes will glaze right over. But what if you actually developed a strong relationship with a student you mentored? There’s no way to convey that in 150 characters, but it might make for a nice story in 150 words. 

Wherever you can tell the best story, that’s your topic for the extracurricular supplemental. 

Before writing, you should always spend time reading through sample essays. We’ve collected over 50 supplemental essays from our tutors in response to prompts from Ivies and other elite schools. They’re totally free, and you can download them below to see what worked for past applicants. 

Though the steps here might seem simple, they can be astoundingly hard to pull off in just 250 words or less, which is usually the word count for this kind of supplemental essay. But if you can thread the needle and do everything listed above on this kind of essay, it can make a huge difference for your application. 

Most people don’t treat the supplemental essays as if they were particularly important, but they absolutely are: each college has put time and resources into coming up with these supplemental essay prompts because they want to see what you have to say. 

If you’ve read this guide carefully, then it’s time to start drafting! If you want to ensure that you’re writing the kind of essay that can get you into a top tier school, however, it often pays to get a second opinion. Our college essay experts have helped thousands of students get admitted into their dream schools, and are ready to help you do the same as soon as you’re ready. 

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How to cite a blog, the importance of extracurricular activities: essay example.

School can be a drab place. For those who are not interested in one’s own education, school can be bleak. However, if you are active in extracurricular activities at your school, you can enjoy your education much more. Why is this? Joining in on extracurricular activities have been shown to improve academic performance, give the opportunity to learn a variety of skills, provide a sense of commitment, and create a wider circle of friends.

According to The Educator , “Studies have shown that students who participate in co-curricular activities have a marked improvement in the grades. This can be attributed to skills they learn such as better time management to accommodate their hobbies and class activities, better organizational skills and a boost in their self-esteem. Skills learnt in clubs such as debate can be applied in the classroom too, as the students learn how to express themselves better” (Jackson and Jackson, 2018). Though it may seem out of place to say such activities as being part of the Harry Potter Club, or something similar, would benefit one’s grades, it is scientifically proven to do so.

Extracurricular activities have been linked to the gaining of various skills. The Mountain Heights Academy expresses this finding: “These activities can also work to build professional skills that a classroom alone cannot always foster. A leadership-oriented club, for example, will help students to learn essential skills in management and delegation, while a debate or speech club will provide additional public speaking practice for students. In short, extracurricular activities can arm students with many of the skills future employers will be looking for” (Mountainheightsacademy.org, 2018). So, these activities can be seen as a necessary side education that fills in the gaps of our primary education.

Commitment is difficult to inculcate in the youth, but extracurricular activities seem to foster it. According to The Educator , “Students who participate in co-curricular activities have a sense of commitment to whatever they are involved in. This is because as they take part in whatever sports or club activity they are a member of, they have to commit to it and give their all, and this commitment extends to all other areas of their lives” (Jackson and Jackson, 2018). Students can be taught about commitment, but learning it firsthand through extracurricular activities is the best method of teaching commitment.

Schools can be lonely places, and extracurricular activities provide a venue for more social interaction. The Mountain Heights Academy agrees with this notion: “Extracurriculars are not solely about imparting stronger professional skills and supplementing education. These programs are also fun and offer students the opportunity to spend time with others of similar interests. Students can meet friends from different social groups by joining a sports team, student government or debate” (Mountainheightsacademy.org, 2018). It may seem out of place, but by making more friends through extracurricular activities, students can improve their overall academic experience.

Extracurricular activities are not only for enjoyment. They contribute significantly to the improvement of grades, to learning various skills, to garnering a sense of commitment, and to increasing one’s social circle. All of this makes one’s academic experience fulfilling and enriching.

Expository essays are quite popular. This is just one of the many possible ways you can compose this kind of texts. If you check out top homework helper websites, you’ll find many more samples, as well as some advice on how to better organize your writing process for it to be successful.

Jackson, N. and Jackson, N. (2018). The role of extracurricular activities in a student’s development – The Educator Blog. [online] The Educator Blog . Available at: https://www.theeducator.com/blog/role-extracurricular-activities-students-development/ [Accessed 10 Jan. 2018].

Mountainheightsacademy.org. (2018). Why Extracurricular Activities Are So Important | Mountain Heights . [online] Available at: https://www.mountainheightsacademy.org/why-extracurricular-activities-are-so-important/ [Accessed 10 Jan. 2018].

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Student Development and Extra-Curricular Activities Essay

Introduction.

The learning process does not end with the classroom experience. Rather, a complete learning process involves personal development and healthy participation. This analytical treatise attempts to examine the significance of student development and extra-curricular activities on a student’s academic achievements.

Extra-curricular activities and academic performance

Extra-curricular activities are vital towards positive academic performance. According to Stephens and Schaben (2002), “a study by the United States Department of Education revealed that students who participate in co-curricular activities are three times more likely to have a grade point average of 3.0 or better” (Stephens & Schaben, 2002, para. 4) than students who do not participate in these activities.

Extra-curricular activities such as sports, drama, debate, and community service are important in improving the confidence, engagement, and reasoning among the learners. Reflectively, the learner is involved in these activities and is expected to have creative input in the class environment. The engagement is noted in resource materials distribution and level attentiveness since extra-curricular activities improve the development of the brain.

Students who are involved in extra-curricular activities are more likely to create a balance between the challenges of learning and the expectations. For instance, in a relatively diverse classroom environment, fear and low self esteem is a common occurrence especially when the learners have to cope with certain challenging exercises.

Subsequently, limited space for activating positive self esteem may result into lack of confidence and diminished courage to practice inquisitive learning. Fortunately, extra-curricular activities are successful in relieving the mind to inclusive participation in the academic calendar and assessments.

Since participatory learning triggers creativity and inquisition, interaction with peers during the extra-curricular activities create a comfortable room for boosting self esteem irrespective of physical or cultural variations which may exist in the academic endeavors. As the learner interacts with peers, confidence in expression and self ingenuity naturally surface. In the process of learning from the peers, a learner will develop lifelong skills such as better concentration, critical thinking, and objectivity in handling the class assignments.

Generally, use of interactive and inclusive mindset developed through participation in the extra-curricular activities offers a learner a comprehensive approach in understanding acculturation and impact of the same on learning as a process and a system. In the process of internalizing competency, secondary aspects of inclusive learning through direct participation in extra-curricular activities facilitates formal and informal establishment of a healthy environment for better performance.

There are several opportunities that come with participation in extra-curriculum activities. For instance, sports and drama promote higher self contempt and morale to attend the school regularly. As a result, a student will be able to mould his or her social being. In addition, these activities promote leadership and teamwork spirit. In the end, the connectedness to academic programs and assessments will boost achievements within the learning environment.

However, participation in some extra-curricular activities may lower the academic achievements of a learner when learner is coaxed to participate without full consent. Since student development starts from within, it is important to give the learners the freedom of choice for the activities to have maximum impact in their academic achievements.

In conclusion, it is apparent that extra-curricular activities often motivate students since they form part of their daily interests. Besides, these activities attach the learners to academic activities. Through peer interaction, a learner will become a team player and participatory leader. These skills are part of greater academic achievements.

Stephens, L. J., & Schaben, L. A. (2002). The effect of interscholastic sports participation on academic achievement of middle level school activities. National Association of Secondary School Principals Bulletin , 86(2), 34-42.

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Essay on Extracurricular Activities

Students are often asked to write an essay on Extracurricular Activities in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Extracurricular Activities

What are extracurricular activities.

Extracurricular activities are things you do outside of your regular school work. They can be clubs, sports, art, music, or volunteering. These activities help you learn new skills, make friends, and discover what you like to do.

Benefits of Joining

Joining these activities can make you happier at school. They teach you how to work with others and give you a break from studying. They also help you do better in school and can lead to better jobs in the future.

Types of Activities

There are many types of activities to choose from. You can play soccer, join a science club, or learn to play an instrument. It’s important to pick something you enjoy.

Getting Involved

To get involved, ask your teachers or friends about different activities. Try out a few and stick with the one you like best. It’s a fun way to learn and grow outside the classroom.

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250 Words Essay on Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are things you do outside of regular school classes. They can be sports, clubs, debate, drama, school publications, student council, and other social events. These activities help students learn new skills, make friends, and find what they love to do.

The Importance of Extracurricular Activities

Joining these activities is important for several reasons. First, they help you grow as a person. You learn how to work with others, solve problems, and manage your time. They also make school more fun because you get to do things you enjoy. Colleges and jobs often look for people who have been involved in extracurricular activities because it shows you’re a well-rounded person.

Types of Extracurricular Activities

There are many kinds of activities to choose from. Sports like soccer, basketball, and swimming teach teamwork and discipline. Clubs like chess, science, or art encourage you to explore your interests. Activities like drama or music can help you be creative and confident.

Balance is Key

It’s important to balance schoolwork with these activities. Too much of anything can be bad, so make sure you have time for both. It’s okay to pick one or two activities that you really enjoy and focus on them.

Extracurricular activities are a great part of school life. They help you learn new things, meet new people, and have a good time. Remember to balance them with your studies, and you’ll have a great experience.

500 Words Essay on Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are the fun things students do outside of their regular school work. These can be sports like soccer or basketball, clubs like art or music, or even groups that help the community. They are not part of your grades at school, but they are still very important. They help you learn new skills, make friends, and discover what you love to do.

The Benefits of Joining In

When you join an extracurricular activity, you get to enjoy a lot of good things. First, you can make new friends who like the same things you do. This can make school more fun because you have buddies to share your interests with. Also, you learn how to work with other people as a team, which is a skill you will use your whole life.

These activities also help you become better at managing your time. You have to figure out how to fit your homework, your activity, and your rest time into each day. This makes you more organized and responsible.

Discovering New Passions

Sometimes, you might not know that you are really good at something until you try it. Extracurricular activities give you the chance to try new things. You might find out you are a great actor when you join the drama club, or you might learn that you love science when you join the science club. Finding what you love doing is a big part of growing up, and these activities can help you with that.

Staying Healthy and Active

Sports and other active clubs are great for keeping your body healthy. Running around and playing games is not just fun, it also makes your body stronger. It is important to move and not just sit all day, and sports are a great way to do that. Plus, being active can also make you feel happier and more ready to learn when you are in class.

Getting Ready for the Future

Believe it or not, extracurricular activities can even help you in the future when you are looking for a job. They teach you how to be a leader, how to solve problems, and how to talk to other people. These are all things that bosses like to see when they are hiring someone. Also, if you want to go to college, they like to see that you have done activities outside of class too.

Choosing the Right Activities

With so many different activities out there, how do you pick the right one? Think about what you like to do. Do you like drawing or painting? Maybe the art club is for you. Do you like being outside and learning about nature? Then maybe a gardening club would be fun. It is okay to try a few different things until you find the one that feels right.

Remember, the most important part is to have fun and try your best. You do not have to be the best at something to enjoy it. Just by being there and giving it a go, you are already doing something great. So go out there, join a club or a team, and start having fun!

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

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