I used to hate the phrase “productive member of society”. I thought it focused a bit too much on the act of “being busy” instead of actually experiencing life. The merit of humanity, I believed, came from the great inner world of the mind and its limitless boundaries!
But that was before I started applying for college. And for scholarships. And for jobs.
Because both colleges and workplaces aren’t too interested in your beautiful, limitless mind unless you know how to apply it. So while other college readiness sites will sing about how extracurriculars give your admission personality- which is sort of true- But personality isn’t necessarily what colleges are looking for. A lot of sites won’t really talk about the fact that the extracurriculars that will really earn their spot on your application are going to be the ones that show how your passions and interests are used productively.
It’s bitter tea to swallow, but luckily, we can give you some tips on revisiting your choice of extracurricular activities.
1. Don’t consume; create.
It’s fine to like movies, TV, and videogames. But it’s even better to produce them. If you learn the skills to either make the content you are passionate about (learning to program video games, create video analyses, or hosting a student film festival), you will come across as more prepared for the professional world and have far more engaging experiences elaborate on in your admissions essays.
2. Try to be a leader.
You don’t have to be the Vice President of your club, but having a leadership position gets it across that you are a proactive member of your community. If you write in your admission essay that you are passionate about something, they will take you much more seriously if they can see that you’ve taken on responsibility as a consequence.
3. Be relevant.
While it’s usually great to be a jack of all trades, you will have more control over the narrative your admission application paints if you try to keep it some-what relevant to your ambitions. Want to study plants? Volunteering for your local arboretum paints that picture. Want to be in government? Becoming part of school politics can help you tell that story.
In the end, the main focus is to channel activities that you already like or excel at into relevant documentation so you can sell yourself. If you love to write, apply to writing scholarships or make your own blog. You don’t have to be an overwhelming success, you just have to be able to show that you can talk the walk AND walk the walk- even if all you’ve accomplished so far are baby steps, you’re at least moving in the right direction.
Victory Step Education Team
