how to talk about extracurricular activities in personal statement

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 .

Should I Write About My Extracurriculars in My 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.

Should I Write About My Extracurriculars in My 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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Personal Statement: Extra-Curricular Activities

Introduction.

When thinking about extra-curricular activities it is sometimes difficult to decide what to include and what not to in your personal statement. There are many things you can talk about.   Volunteering, Schemes and Hobbies. These are the three main categories that you want to include. 

• Volunteering – experiences such as volunteering in a care home, hospice or with charities are great to mention. This can help to demonstrate your commitment to a caring role, especially if you have undertaken this volunteering over a long period of time. Remember to think about what your learnt, as your reflection is what the examiner is often looking for.
• Schemes – such as Young Enterprise. This experience will have provided you with some great skills such as leadership, teamwork and communication skills. Think about what you learnt while completing such a scheme, as well as why these skills are essential for doctors to have. 
• Hobbies – Sports and music are great examples here. Think about why you enjoy doing a particular sport of musical instrument for example. Also think about why it is important to have a good work-life balance when studying at university. 

How do I talk about my extracurricular activities? 

Try to link your activities to skills that you have learnt through them, and then on to why you ultimately want to study medicine, and how this will help you. This shows insight and maturity of thought.  

There is more to university than just medicine , and medical schools do want to hear about that aspect of you too. It is really important that you show you do more than just produce good grades. Extracurricular activities is a great way of showing that you do more than just study, so make sure to include it. Some universities even penalise you for not including any information about your extracurriculars. 

Be enthusiastic in your tone, – similarly to your introduction you want to make sure that you have an enthusiastic tone in your writing, however remember it is an academic piece of writing. Therefore, try to avoid talking about things such as watching TV, instead think about sports and other extracurricular activities you do. 

Worked Examples

We wanted to show you a bad and good example of what you can write. These are generic examples, but please do make your own. Remember medical schools want to hear about your unique experiences and what you have learnt. Also they may ask you about it at interview, so be sure to be truthful with your examples. 

“I have a grade 2 piano, and I like playing football every week.”

This is a bad example because the student has just listed what they have done/do. This doesn’t show what you have learnt from your extracurriculars or why you enjoy them. Instead try to focus on one and explain it in more detail.

“I have a passion for creative projects, so being part of a Young Enterprise company enabled me to nurture my skills and explore the world of business. I learnt invaluable lessons on teamwork and leadership. This has also helped completement my role as Captain of the School Football Team.”

This example is much more interesting and you have told the reader much more detail. The reflection on what you have learnt with regards to skills is what they are looking for. You could further add a specific example about your project for a more indepth answer. Do remember the character count, so you may not be able to do this. You can always go into more detail in your interview if asked about this.

Hopefully this helped  guide you as to what to and what not to include, as well as how to write about your extracurricular activities in an interesting way. It is always important to remember that many medical schools mark your personal statements, just like an essay, and this can help to decide which applicants are shortlisted for an interview. It is likely extra-curricular activities on this shortlist, therefore mentioning these is very important.  

Frequently Asked Question

→what kind of extra-curricular activities should be included in a personal statement.

Extra-curricular activities that should be included in a personal statement include activities that demonstrate leadership, teamwork, communication skills, and community involvement. These can include volunteering, sports teams, clubs, student government, or other leadership positions.

→How should extra-curricular activities be presented in a personal statement?

Extra-curricular activities should be presented in a way that highlights the skills and qualities that they have developed through participation. Candidates should provide specific examples and describe their impact on the activity or organization.

→What are some tips for including extra-curricular activities in a personal statement?

Some tips for including extra-curricular activities in a personal statement include choosing activities that are relevant to the program or field, emphasizing leadership and teamwork skills, providing specific examples and achievements, and showing the impact that the activities have had on the candidate’s personal and professional development.

→Why is it important to include extra-curricular activities in a personal statement?

Including extra-curricular activities in a personal statement can help to demonstrate a candidate’s skills, interests, and personal qualities. It can also show that they are well-rounded and have experiences beyond their academic studies.

→What are good extracurricular activities for a medicine personal statement?

You don’t need to showcase medically-related activities in your personal statement! Admissions tutors are looking for you to demonstrate how you have contributed to these activities and how you can relate it back to skills needed as a doctor and how it has strengthened these. They are also looking for skills that you can show that will enable you to take on the challenges of studying medicine.

→How to write extra curricular activities in SOP?

By following our advice above, you should have a good idea about how to write about extracurricular activities in your personal statement. Just remember to continue to link it back to skills that you have demonstrated and not just writing a statement. Reflection is a great way to show that you are able to learn from your experiences.

Cancel reply

Iqra medic mind tutor 28 february 2022.

Thanks this is very helpful. Now i can write about my extracurricular, which is semi classical dancing.

Ebune Franck Medic Mind Tutor 29 June 2022

Thanks a lot I was very helpful 🙂

• Personal Statement: Conclusion
• Personal Statement: Academic Interest

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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.

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.

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.

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 About Extracurriculars on the Common App

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It’s a conundrum countless students have faced during the college applications process : you’ve dedicated innumerable hours to your favorite club, risen in the ranks to become president your senior year, organized what feels like hundreds of lunchtime meetings – but when it finally comes time to describe those accomplishments on your college applications, you draw a blank.

It’s not easy to describe the activities you’re most proud of within 150 characters, and it’s even harder to describe them in a way that adequately conveys the time, energy, and hard work you’ve devoted to them. However, there are some ways to make the most of the space you’re given and describe your extracurriculars in a way that best showcase your dedication and passion.

In order to write effectively about extracurriculars, the first step is selecting extracurriculars that will present the best image of yourself to colleges. While it may be tempting to put down as many extracurriculars as you can think of, or list activities that you think will sound very impressive even if you weren’t very heavily involved, colleges aren’t looking for the candidate who attended 15 club meetings once and never made another appearance. Instead they want students who demonstrate commitment, leadership, and passion. Select activities to which you devoted significant time, were involved with over the course of more than one year, and if possible, in which you served leadership roles. Once you’ve selected the activities you plan to write about, you can focus on how exactly to write about them. Keep in mind also that the most competitive applicants always fill out the 10 slots on the Common App Activities list, so you should aim to do so too.

One of the most important things to keep in mind while describing your extracurriculars is the importance of action-oriented verbs. Many students automatically begin their descriptions with phrases like “responsible for” or “in charge of”, but such phrases actually add virtually nothing to your description (of course you were responsible for something, that’s why you’re putting it on your college applications!) and take up much needed character space. Begin sentences or phrases with action-oriented verbs such as “facilitated”, “managed”, “maintained”, “networked” – words like these carry a connotation of responsibility and ensure that every character allotted to you is used effectively. Using strong verbs also lends your description an active tone, as opposed to the passive tone of “responsible for”, making your description sound more engaging and impressive. Take a look at the example below:

Before: French Club President – Responsible for overseeing club, holding meetings, and increasing membership.

After: French Club President – Facilitated weekly meetings, delegated responsibilities among senior officers, publicized club events and maintained communication via social media.

Another quick way to increase the quality of your description and demonstrate responsibility in your description is to quantify your accomplishments as much as possible. Numbers are objective and easy to understand, while qualitative descriptions can be more subjective and offer a less clear picture of your degree of involvement. If you can assign numerical values to your accomplishments, your description becomes more credible and readers can better understand the amount of work you’ve devoted to an activity. For example, if you ran a book drive, name the amount of books that were donated; if you led a fundraiser, name the amount of money raised; if you were president of a club, name the number of people in the club and the number of officers who worked under you. Quantitative descriptions, like action-oriented verbs, are a way to demonstrate responsibility and involvement while still using words economically. See how significant an impact using numbers can have on your description:

Before: Annual Holiday Charity Publicist – Networked with students, local business, and school administration to publicize largest student-run event on campus.

After: Annual Holiday Charity Publicist – Networked with 4000+ students and 13 local businesses to publicize largest student-run event which receives over $15k worth of donations annually.

Another important thing to remember while describing extracurriculars is that sometimes the actual work done is not as important as the skills learned. For example, let’s say you worked at a supermarket all throughout high school; you felt like you learned so much working there, but you don’t think colleges will be very impressed by your job description, which included restocking the shelves, manning the cash register, and organizing carts. Rather than focus your description solely on the actions you completed, emphasize the valuable skills you learned. See below:

Before: Safeway Grocery Clerk – Restocked supply shelves, worked at cash register, created product displays, fielded customer service requests.

After: Safeway Grocery Clerk – Performed clerk, customer service, and cashier duties, developed skills in cooperative work, time management, and interpersonal communications.

Above all, remember to be specific! While applications give you ample opportunity to describe the vast amount of time you’ve committed to an activity, all that time doesn’t mean much if you don’t execute correctly. The best way to showcase dedication and interest is through concrete accomplishments and specific references to what you achieved in your position. Be sure that the description you give is not a general description of your club, team, or other activity as a whole, but the role you played. While for some activities and organizations you may need to give a brief description in order to contextualize your accomplishments, for most extracurriculars you don’t need to waste space describing the purpose of your club or team more generally. Chances are, admissions officers will already know.

Before: Mock Trial Attorney – Attorney on Mock Trial team, in which students are given a court case and write arguments for either side in a simulation of a criminal trial.

After: Mock Trial Attorney – Delivered direct and cross examinations of principal witness for prosecution and defendant, named MVP in county competition.

Despite the frustration that accompanies trying to summarize 3 years of dedicated participation on a sports team or volunteering with a charity in 150 characters, employing the above techniques will help you communicate as effectively as possible your accomplishments in high school and stand out to admissions officers.

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Our advice when writing a personal statement

Your personal statement is your place to write whatever you’d like to say about yourself and your motivation to study your course.

It’s important to remember that  you can only write one personal statement  and so the same wording will be seen by all the universities you apply to. your personal statement should therefore focus on the course you want to study, not the universities themselves., what are universities looking for in a personal statement.

People with the skills and attributes required by the course

People ready for university-style learning

People who genuinely enjoy the subject that they are applying for

People who have engaged with their subject, above and beyond whatever they have studied at school or college

Where do I start?

Before you start writing, try talking to your friends or family about what you want to study at university: what would you tell them? What have you read or watched or seen that has inspired you? Why was it interesting? What do you want to find out next? 

How should I structure my personal statement?

Around 80% of your personal statement should be focused on your academic interests, abilities and achievements  (including super-curricular activities) and 20% on unrelated extra-curricular activities.

Opening Paragraph

  Personal statement openings tend to follow a similar format:

• Why you are excited about your subject?
• What you have done academically to show this?
• Keep it short and simple.
• Leave it until last.
• Draft five first sentences and choose your favourite. 
• Avoid clichés! (e.g. 'From an early age I have been passionate about...')

Your current studies

• Why do you want to study this course?
• What have you learnt about this topic?
• What has inspired you?

When you start to write, remember not just to list your achievements but show how they have affected you, how you have benefited, and what you’d like to learn next. 

Super-curriculars

  Super-curriculars are hobbies or activities that demonstrate how you have developed your knowledge outside of the classroom.

• What have you read, watched, visited or listened to that has inspired you? (e.g. books, documentaries, podcasts, lectures, museums)
• Have you attended any summer schools, completed any work experience, or volunteered anywhere?
• Why was it interesting?
• How do these support and compliment the course you are applying for?

Super-curriculars can also be used as 'stepping stones' within your personal statement. For example, did a super-curricular spark your interest in something new, leading you to do further research into this topic?

Extra-curriculars

• Try and focus on transferrable skills - how has balancing your extra-curriculars allowed you to become a better student?

With thanks to Wadham and Merton Colleges

Will my extra-curricular activities enhance my application?

There's a myth that Oxford is looking for the most well-rounded applicants, with a long list of varied extra-curricular activities. In fact, tutors are primarily concerned with your academic ability and potential, as well as enthusiasm for your chosen subject. We welcome applicants with extra-curricular interests, though they will only be considered in so far as they help demonstrate how you meet the  selection criteria  for your chosen course. There is advice on how to write about extra-curricular activities within your personal statement  on our  UCAS application pages .

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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 (and why) to write a college essay about your extracurricular activities | guide + examples, what to write about.

Brad Schiller

😢 Won’t anyone think of the college admissions readers? 😢

In our work as college essay coaches , we’ve lately been delighted to learn that many people are in fact worried that college admission officers might be bored — specifically due to redundant college essays that rehash all the stuff that’s in the Activities List in prose-form.

Ugh! That would indeed be horribly boring. (And it does indeed happen.) 

[Shaking head.] Poor admissions readers.

But — little nuance — you don’t have to rehash what you put in your activities list. You could instead expand upon what’s there by either: 

• Talking more about the impact you had and the actions you took to achieve that impact ✨, or 
• Showing how the activity relates to your personal brand as an applicant who will succeed in college and beyond. ✨

Bottom line: writing a Common App Personal Statement (or supplemental essay) about a meaningful extracurricular activity is often a great idea. Read on for how to do it right.

In fact, many college applications specifically ask students to describe an activity or work experience — proof that colleges are interested in learning more about them. 

What you *don’t* want to do: Redundancy & the dreaded “it makes me feel alive” trap 

While the idea that you shouldn’t write about activities in college application essays is a pernicious rumor, as college essay coaches , we must admit that this territory does come with some real danger. 

The danger is that, instead of writing an essay that sheds light on how you’ll succeed in college and beyond , you talk about the activity in a way that adds little to nothing over what’s already in your Activity List. 

Here are some approaches that have been known to tempt those facing the terror of the blank page:

• “I love soccer so much. The thrill of the game is my favorite thing. I feel so alive when I’m on the field. One time, I scored this amazing goal. [Brilliant writing describes this amazing goal in gorgeous detail.]”
• [Same as above, except substitute “music” for “soccer” and “in front of an audience” for “on the field,” and so on.]
• “Debate is my passion. I began in ninth grade knowing nothing. But I worked hard at it, and won my first award as a freshman, even though it was only 9th place. As a sophomore, my skills really improved. I came in 3rd in the Semi-All Around [editor’s note: does that sound like a believable award?]. Finally, my junior year, I came in first in the National Regionals!”

Let’s analyze.

In the first two types of essays (the “[activity] makes me feel alive!” essay) the problem isn’t necessarily writing style. You could write a beautiful piece of prose about that amazing, game-clinching goal, with drama and stakes, reveals and surprises, and soul-plumbing moments on par with something out of Squid Game . 

But if the essay doesn’t say anything about your potential to succeed — elements we’ve boiled down to the 5 traits (more about them below) — it’s not going to matter to the college. 

Lots of students love music. Lots of people are passionate about sports. 

Those things aren’t enough (on their own) to make anyone stand out. 

The last type of essay is more of an obvious clunker. This student may be brilliant at Debate, but they can’t write for their life! The issue here is that they’re just laying out everything they’ve done — the admissions officer isn’t learning anything new. All of it would fit better in their Activities List.  

At least this example shows that college essays aren’t about “showing off.” You don’t need to have insane accomplishments to write a great essay. (Great accomplishments shine better in Activities Lists — although even there, it’s easy to undersell yourself. Here’s how to sell yourself in Activities Lists .)

Rather, it’s perfectly possible to write a great essay about a smaller moment or experience, so long as the essay focuses on your character traits, and how they’ll help you succeed. 

Speaking of which, let’s move on to ...

What you *do* want to do: Show how your activity connects to your potential for success 

Alright. Here’s the good stuff.

Yes, you can absolutely write about your extracurricular activities (including paid work). You can do this to great effect either in your personal statement or in a shorter supplemental essay (or even both!). If you still don’t believe us, here’s an example of a student who got into Harvard by writing about an extracurricular activity. 

Here are some reasons why activities make great essay topics:

• Fun! You probably enjoy these activities, so you might likewise have fun talking about them.
• Experience! Even if you don’t love the activity (maybe a job), you spend a lot of time at it, so you likely have lots of interesting experiences to choose from.
• Authenticity! Activities are usually something that can represent the “real you” easily.
• Potential!! Activities are great for showing off the 5 Traits that colleges look for in essays. 

That brings us to the 5 traits.  

If you’ve read almost any of our other articles, you know that the 5 traits that colleges look for in applicants are:

• Drive (aka Grit)
• Contribution
• Intellectual Curiosity
• Diversity of Experiences

These traits show you’re someone who has it in them to succeed. They’re more important than any one success or achievement. Because, if we’re being honest, one success or achievement in high school isn’t that impressive. But having a trait within you that leads to success? That actually is impressive. 

Let’s rewrite those essay types above with the 5 traits in mind:

• “I couldn’t believe it. My soccer team was discussing whether or not to schedule an extra practice during the upcoming long weekend. “Of course, yes,” I was thinking. But, shockingly, the room was not with me. A quick consensus formed around no added practice. It was my tipping point — I finally saw that I needed to convey to this team that settling for mediocre was not an option, and that none of us would regret doing what it takes to win.”
• “Nobody is musical in my family. Piano is something I made happen all by myself. I begged my mom for my first lessons as a freshman. The lessons soon got me fascinated by music theory, which I started studying on my own, since our school doesn’t teach it. Later, I found a Saturday class where I now study it.”
• “I started Debate Club just because I thought I needed an extracurricular activity for my resume. It didn’t mean much to me. It was only at the end of freshman year when I delivered an unsurprisingly lackluster performance in our final trials — and saw the look of disappointment on my teammates’ faces — that I realized I was letting everybody down, most importantly myself. After that, I …”

Let’s analyze. 

These examples turn the admissions reader from outsiders to insiders. 

Your Activities List was a teaser trailer, heavy on the special effects and with the greatest moments edited together to pack a wallop. Now, the college wants to know more . They’re metaphorically willing to cough up movie fare and schlep out to the theater (of course donning a covid mask) to learn the full story of what created this awesome list.

In an essay centered on one or more activities, they want to see what actions you took that led to these accomplishments. They want to see what traits within you caused you to take those actions. They want to see if you have what it takes to succeed. 

For the soccer example , we’ve tossed the game-clinching goal cliche out the window. Instead, we’re focused on rare, valuable traits — in this case Drive (aka Grit). This person gets things done. No matter what. Who would you rather have on campus? A student who’s great at soccer and has scored some extraordinary goals? Or … the person who rallied an apathetic team into adding work and improving their results? 

In the musical example, you see both Initiative (challenging the status quo) as well as Intellectual Curiosity (being excited about learning). This person doesn’t just love music, they made that love of music happen, and they got deep into it. What a cool type of person to admit to a college!

Finally, in our Debate Club example , you’re seeing some Contribution (giving back, helping others) in the form of a person wanting to do better by teammates, as well as perhaps some Drive and Intellectual Curiosity , both of which likely come into play later in the essay, as this person turns their performance around. 

Another thing you might want to do: Tell a fuller version of the impact you had and how you achieved it   

Another way we, as essay coaches , have seen students successfully discuss an activity is when the 150 characters allotted for each of your activities isn’t quite enough to tell its story. 

Let’s take this Activities List description as an example:

• Won a series of 6 deadly contests without losing my humanity. Subverted VIP expectations and made possible the redemption of a teammate gone evil. 

(Yes, this is Squid Game , and no there are no spoilers up there. I mean, you know one of them is going to win, right? It’s a very mild spoiler. Email us if you’re upset.)

Well, there might be a lot more to say here about this person’s participation in the Squid Games. About …

• Drive — How they kept at it despite long odds (game #2 springs to mind).
• Initiative — How they found new ways to defeat the odds (bringing in a welcome spirit of camaraderie in an otherwise dog-eat-dog atmosphere).
• Contribution — so many examples.
• Diversity of Experiences — if emerging victorious from the Squid Games doesn’t give you a unique outlook, I don’t know what does.

If you’ve got some great accomplishments under your belt, why not elaborate beyond 150 characters? There’s almost certainly much more to explore that admissions officers would find impressive.

Just make sure that you’re focusing on your actions and how they relate to one or more of the 5 traits. Avoid going on overly long about your deep feelings for the activity or simply recounting “facts,” such as awards or achievements (that clinching soccer goal) — the college wants to know what enduring traits are behind those fleeting achievements.

More articles on Prompt.com’s admissions-boosting methods:

• Work with a college essay coach
• Strong essays increase your chance of admission by up to 10x
• Don’t let influencers influence your college essays
• Should I apply test-optional?
• Early admissions: Everything you need to know
• College Essay Help Center

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Writing About Extracurriculars in Your College Essays

Extracurricular activities are an important part of the application. How can you include them in your essays? Get tips and tricks with CollegeAdvisor.com.

Admissions and essay expert Ann Vande Velde will share her insider knowledge on how to include extracurricular activities in your essays during a 60-minute webinar and Q&A session.

In this webinar, you’ll have all your questions answered, including:

• How can I write about my extracurricular activities?
• How can I choose an activity that will make me stand out? -Are there any topics I should avoid writing about?

Come ready to learn and bring your questions!

Webinar Transcription

2022-10-25 – Writing About Extracurriculars in Your College Essays

Hi everyone. Welcome to CollegeAdvisor’s webinar on Writing About Extracurriculars in Your College Essays. I’m McKenzie and I’ll be your moderator tonight. So if you have any questions, you can direct message me. Uh, and also, uh, if you have any questions, uh, related to tech issues, you can direct message me.

Uh, otherwise, to orient everyone with the webinar timing, we’ll start up with a presentation. Then answer your questions in a live Q&A on the sidebar. You can download our slides and you can start to meet your questions in the Q&A tab. Now let’s meet our. Hi everyone. My name’s Anna Vande Velde. I’m super excited to be here tonight.

Um, just to give you a, a brief sense of who I am, um, I got my bachelor’s at Carnegie Mellon in psychology. Um, I thought I was gonna be a clinical psychologist. My life took a different path. I ended up at Harvard Law School and I’m now working as a nonprofit attorney and have been with CollegeAdvisor for over a year, um, advising students and also as a captain on our essay review team.

Great. And now real quick, we just wanna see where, um, everyone is at. So what grade are you currently in? Eighth, ninth, 10th, 11th, 12th or other. And other can be if you’re a transfer student or if you’re taking a gap year, and if you’re a parent on the call, you can select the grade that your student is going into.

And while we wait for those responses to roll in, Anna, can you tell us, um, does the activity that a student write. Uh, writes about, uh, need to be on their activities list? Great question. I would want to know a little more about what the student’s thoughts are. Um, cuz my initial thought is, why wouldn’t you put it on your activities list?

If it’s an issue of like you’ve maxed out the space, um, then I think you just wanna prioritize your activities list based on importance to you impact on your life and the amount of involvement. Um, so if there’s a club you’ve only been in for a week, maybe take that one off and put on the club that you’re writing about.

Um, but it, it’s gonna all depend on like the specifics. Hmm. So it’s looking like we have a great mixture in the crowd. We have 1% eighth graders, 5% ninth graders, 17% 10th graders, 37% 11th graders, which is not the majority, but they have the most percentage, uh, 36% 12th graders, and 3% other. And you can control the slides.

Great. Well, welcome everyone. Um, so the first question we wanted to answer is, where in the application do you even talk about extracurriculars? Um, and there are a lot of options. The most obvious place is, um, in your activities list. Um, and we have here activities, work and family responsibilities to highlight.

Activities list is broad. Um, you can really include so many different things there, and we’ll get into that later. Um, there’s also a section tried about honors and achievements. Those are usually related to an extracurricular activity. Your personal statement. You can write about extracurriculars. You do not have to.

Um, for those of you who maybe haven’t looked at or aren’t this far in the process, um, specifically with the Common App, which is where probably most of your applications will go through, there are a list of questions you can choose from for your personal statement. They’re pretty open-ended, um, and it’s completely up to you what you write about.

Can be an extracurricular. Doesn’t have to be the same thing is true if the college you’re applying to has, um, writing supplements. They might ask additional questions and want you to write additional essays there. And then I have letters of recommendation on here. You would not write this, that’s probably clear.

But there is an opportunity if you are asking a teacher or maybe a mentor and to write a letter of recommendation and they have seen how involved you are in a certain extracurricular, it’s completely appropriate to ask them, Are you comfortable writing about what you’ve seen me do in math club and in whatever the, the extracurricular might be?

So that’s just one more creative way to get your extracurriculars in there. Um, but that is not one that you would write. So the real answer to this question, what activities can students describe in their activities? List your essays. The real answer. Oh, sorry. Did my audio cut up? Okay. Um, the real answer is anything you can write about.

Anything, this is the list that the Common App provides in the activities list section. Uh, Anna, can we pause for a second? There are students, uh, with tech issues at the moment. Um, can you try, uh, speaking without the AirPods? That might help. Did I just cut out for a second cuz my laptop tried to use Siri?

I’ll try.

Can you hear me now? Yeah, I can hear you. Okay. Is this better? Everyone? I think that should help, but I’ll stop if we have anymore. Sorry about that. No, thank you for interrupting. Um, so I was just saying on the, on the Common App there is a section for activities and there’s literally a dropdown. That lists every single thing here.

That’s where I got this list from. So these are the types of extracurriculars that the Common App is thinking you might include. Um, you’ll notice the last one is other clubs slash activity. So truly you can put anything, um, it should be meaningful to you. It should be something you’ve been very engaged in.

Um, I did see one of the questions that people submitted ahead of time was about does it have to be like an official club affiliated with a school or a program? No. Um, so maybe, you know, if you’re dancing with friends, you could put it under dance or you could put it under other activity. They’re also gonna ask, you know, how many hours you’ve spent on it.

There’s a place for you to describe your engagement with that extracurricular. So you have a lot of leeway to write about what activities are most important to you.

So why, why are we even having a training on writing about extracurriculars and why is that something you would want to do? Um, first of all, writing about it in your essays will allow you to convey a lot more than you can fit in the activity section. Um, so that the description that you can put in that section is limited to 150 characters that is very short, that is less than like half of what you can put in a tweet.

Um, so you can’t fit a lot there. It’s hard to convey personal growth, um, really deep things there so you can capture that instead in an essay. Um, it also allows you to highlight things on your activities list that are maybe extra important to you. Um, and they’re just a great source I have found of stories.

And we’ll talk about storytelling and how important that is in your essays.

Speaking of how can students write meaningful essays about their activities? Tell a story. I say this a hundred times a day. I’m like a broken records. I drive my students not to lit, but I believe in it. It is so important when you are writing an essay, tell a story. You have the activity section to list, you know, what you did.

Here is where you show us what it looked like, what it felt like, what you experienced, what you learned, um, and any opportunity to connect that activity or what you learned in it to your college or career interests. Um, that’s a great thing to do in your essay.

Yes. Uh, so now we’re just gonna do another quick poll. So where are you in the college application process? Haven’t started. I’m researching schools. I’m working on my essays. I’m getting my application materials together. Or if you’re really lucky, I’m almost done. And while we wait for that, Anna, can you tell us how can writing about an extracurricular help those who have trouble writing about themselves?

Well, I think writing about ourselves can be difficult, and if you’re writing about an extracurricular, it maybe provides a little more structure to a question. Um, and like I said earlier, they’re just great sources of stories. So instead of thinking about like I’m writing about myself, you can start out by just describing the moment.

What did you see when you went to this new club? What did you think? What did you feel? What have you learned? Um, and if you can frame it like that, maybe it feels a bit less like you’re writing about yourself even though you are. Um, so starting with like a specific moment in mind that was really meaningful to you, I think is an easy way to, or easier way to start writing.

Mm-hmm. . So it’s looking like we have 26% have been started. 35% are researching schools, 21% are working on their essays. 11% are getting their application materials together and 6% though lucky if you are almost done and you can control the sides. Great. Well, it’s nice to have thread here. Um, so here are some high level tips for describing your extracurriculars.

Um, I’ve broken it out because my advice is different depending on where you’re writing about ’em. If it’s in the activity section. Um, You don’t have to use full sentences. Start with action words, like on a resume. Um, highlight your leadership, focus on what you’ve done, not what the club is. Um, so you don’t need to explain what Debate Club is.

Folks will know that. Um, and here’s a place to be specific. Um, so one example might be you could write Belong to Debate Club, where students debate controversial topics at various high schools in the region. Or you could write, participated in 15 debates. Organized team fundraiser, which raised over a thousand dollars in co-led practice sessions.

So I would say that second example is much stronger because it’s specific, you know, 15 debates raise over a thousand dollars and it uses action words like participated, organized, co-led. and it doesn’t waste that valuable 150 characters describing what debate club is. Um, in contrast, in your essay, you’re gonna tell me one to two stories of a debate practice or a debate you were in, Put us in your shoes.

What did it look like when you were standing on stage? What did it feel like? What did you hear? Um, and then really importantly, what did you learn about yourself? How did you grow? How has this shaped your college aspirations, your career aspirations? So there’s a lot more depth in the essay, um, versus in an activity section where it’s, you know, a lot, a lot briefer.

Um, things to avoid in your essays. I’ve already said this. You don’t need to describe the club organization if it’s obvious from the name. Sometimes it’s not. Um, and if it’s not, describe it. You want your readers to know what you’re talking about. Um, I would be as brief as possible there, so you save as much space as you can for you and what you’ve done in this club.

Um, similarly, an essay is not the place to list, you know, all of the clubs you’ve joined or all of the things you’ve accomplished in them, like simply as a list. Um, you can do that in that activity section, but here in an essay, you want to really pull your reader in, be engaging. We can do that best through storytelling.

Um, I have negativity on here. That’s not to say that you can’t write about. Negative moments. Sometimes those can be really rich areas to write about. Someone asked the question ahead of time about, um, is it okay to write about things we failed at? Absolutely. If you frame it from the perspective of, I failed at this and here’s what I did in response, here’s what I learned, here’s how I grew.

That could be a fantastic essay. Um, it’s okay to say you’ve failed, but you won’t want to end the essay there. Right. That would be your starting point. And then show us how you responded to that failure.

My experience reviewing essays, um, is that truly, you can relate almost anything back to your career or academic interest. Um, so I think sometimes students get a little worried, um, if I’m applying to. For a math major, and then I have to write about math club. Not necessarily. If you’ve been the most involved in theater and you’ve learned a lot about yourself there, then there you might have more to write about that might be more engaging.

And what have you learned about yourself in theater that confirms for you that math is going to be a, a good major for you? Um, it can be a personality trait. It doesn’t have to be I love math. I’m in math clubs. I’m going to be a math major Also, any amount of impact can be meaningful. There are some questions about impact.

Does it have to be world, world impact? No. Oh my goodness. Please do not put that pressure on yourselves. Um, these stories do not have to be TV worthy at all. Um, I read a fantastic essay. That was about a student’s journey in golf. Um, and it started out by him saying, Snap, the song of the, or the sound of the club as it hits the ball.

Da da da da da puts me in this place. And then this was actually an essay where he talked about how he didn’t do well the first year. Here’s what he did to get better. And it was all in like from his perspective and it was great, right? But that impact was mostly internal for him and a bit on his team.

Not a world changing impact at all. And that’s okay. Um, we can’t all impact the whole world. That’s just not realistic. Colleges know that. Um, and then there are interesting stories everywhere. Everywhere. I’ve read essays where a student just read something like on the subway. That sparked an interesting thought for them.

They followed it through, or a student heard someone say something about common sense and they thought, Oh, what does that even mean? They followed it all the way through. It’s interesting. If you put us in your shoes and you show us how you thought through a concept, it might sound overwhelming. I really encourage you to just take some time, sit and quiet or wherever you think best and just reflect where have I had impactful moments?

What, what, Where was I? What was I doing? What did I learn? And this is hard. This is hard for all of us, but I challenge you as. Having those thoughts and as you’re putting this work in to turn off that part that we all have in our brain that wants to immediately jump on it and say, Oh, I don’t know if a college is gonna like that.

I don’t know if that’s impressive to a Harvard, I don’t know about this. If you can turn that off just for a few minutes while you’re just brainstorming and thinking, let yourself take that story that you could tell there to completion. Take a step back and think like, Okay, is this a good story? Would I want to read this?

And does it tell the readers more about who I am as a person? So all that to say this is a process and it requires some thought and you can absolutely do it. Um, some high level advice. Show don’t tell is another way of me saying tell a story. So sorry, I had to get that in there one more time. Um, remember that lists are for activities sections, not your essays.

Number one rule, really, I should put this at the top. For anything you write, be genuine. Show us who you are. Um, actually write about the extracurriculars that mean the most to you, not the ones that you think colleges are going to care the most about. Because I can tell you they do not have a list. They do not have a rubric of this club ranks above that club.

This activity looks more impressive. Someone, um, asked if out of school extracurriculars look more impressive than in school. No. What they want to see when you’re writing, it’s just more about who you are, what you like, what you enjoy. So it can be any. Type of activity. Just be genuine, be yourself. Also, sometimes we just have to start writing.

Um, I know for me sometimes just getting that first sentence out, I could, there’s like such a writer’s block I challenge you. Let go start writing and then be open to rewriting and, and revising and getting feedback. Um, there’s that saying good writing is rewriting. I’m a big fan of that thing. Um, and feedback I think is really, really helpful.

With any essay from your teachers, your peers, your family, your CollegeAdvisor, um, that is what we are here for. And then this might be annoying to say, I’m sorry if it is, but if you can have fun when you’re writing these, why not? Um, you’re writing about the things you love the most and are the most passionate about, and hopefully even with all of the work on your plate and all of the stress of this process, I hope you can find an ounce of fun at least, um, in, in writing about what you love.

Yes. So that is the end of the presentation part of the webinar. I hope you found this information helpful. And remember, again, that you can download the slide from the link, the handouts tab. And this webinar is being recorded if you would like to view it again later on our website at app.CollegeAdvisor.com/webinars.

Moving on to live Q&A. I’ll read your questions, you submit it in the Q&A tab and read them aloud before a panelist gives you an answer. As a heads up, if your Q&A tab isn’t letting you submit questions, just make sure that you join the link through the custom, uh, join the custom link sent your email and not, uh, from the webinar landing page, also known as the website or else you won’t get all the feature that big marker.

So just make sure you join through that custom link. Uh, and, and real quick just before we get started, I have put some additional information in the Q&A tab. So yes, the character limit is meaning this. It’s150 words on the Common App. Um, different applications have different rules about that, but uh, the characters mean that, um, you can’t go, It’s gonna count each letter and digit that you type in, and I believe spaces are not included in that.

Punctuation? No, I don’t think punctuation is actually. Um, and then with the essays, you have a word count limit. So you get whole words, um, ranging from one word to 800 words depending on the, if it’s a supplement. The personal statement, which is the big essay that most people tend to write about extracurriculars in, um, is a minimum 250 words and a maximum of 650 words.

Uh, that is for the Common App. Every application portal has different, um, rules. Uh, and then also because it is a larger audience tonight, we ask that you do not vote on your, um, questions that you ask, cuz it disrupts the order of the Q&A tab. So, yes. Okay. So for our first question, this is a big question that everyone, uh, wants to know about.

What makes an essay about an extracurricular activity stand out? Love this question. What makes. Any essay stand out about an extracurricular or otherwise, is that I get to learn more about you. So if you can for a minute, put yourself in the shoes of the college admissions reader. They are reading a lot of essays, um, and they’re not always spending a whole lot of time on them.

So the more you can pull them in and engage them right at the beginning, the more likely they are to remember your essay at the end of the day. Um, and that’s, that’s what you want, right? So not here’s my spiel again, but if you can tell a story, put us in your shoes at the very beginning, only you have had that experience.

Only you have had those exact thoughts and feelings. So it’s immediately. Unique, even if it’s about something millions of people do, like golf, If it’s your specific experience with golf, it’s unique, it’s engaging. And I wanna know more. The essay is where people learn about you as a human and everywhere else in the application, the list, the transcript is you as a student on paper.

Um, so that’s, yes. Um, going on to the next question, more about the pros of the essays. A students asking should you use professional language or should the essays be casual? Good question. Um, an annoying thing about lawyers is that we say it depends a lot. Um, so I’m gonna say it depends and then I’m going to elaborate.

I would err on the. Of less casual. Um, you certainly want the essay to sound like yourself. Um, like if someone read the essay and then met with you and had a conversation, they could see like, Oh yeah, this person sounds on paper, similar to how they sound in person. Um, that does not mean that we would write LOL or whatever casual slang is popular these days.

I know it’s not lol. I know I’m old. Um. So find that balance between keeping your voice clear and prominent and not falling too casual. So, I mean, if you’re writing Google Docs and it underlines it as a word, that’s not a word, maybe um, swap that out, um, or explain why you’re using the word that you list.

Mm-hmm. Uh, kind of going off of that, versus asking, when you say that you do not have to write in full sentences in the activity section, do you mean to use bullet points? I don’t think bullet points all are even allowed, just like I don’t think you can enter them. Um, but you can use periods to abbreviate, um, before a full sentence.

Like you, you can take out the word the, uh, similar to like advice you get on, um, resume writing, if you’ve done that or Googled that. Um, yes, no bullets, but you can abbreviate. Mm-hmm. Uh, so I’m seeing a lot of, uh, specific questions, , about, um, various activities from, um, the first Lego League, um, versus, um, what are some other ones?

Dance and sports. Um, how do you know if a topic is good to write about, um, for your application? If you love it, if it’s meaningful to you, If you can tell me a story about something you have done in this activity, be it dance or legos, anything. And I can learn more about you as a human and how you would be as a friend to other students on campus or how you’d be as a student in class or a community member and maybe a new, a new city.

That’s it, y’all. There’s not, there’s not like a. This activity is good, this activity is bad. It can actually be anything. If you love it, if you have learned from it, if you have grown as a person in it and you can capture that in an essay, then it’s a great topic. Uh, going on to the next question, are there any activities that are cliche to write about?

I don’t think so. Um, I think, I think when essays come off as cliche, it has nothing to do with the topic and it’s coming off as cliche cuz students are maybe, you know, pulling together different cliche phrases in a way where it feels like, I don’t think the student talks like this. I think they’re saying this because they think.

I want to read that as an admissions reader, I think they’re, they’re writing this, hoping it’ll impress me instead of writing well from a genuine place’s passion. Mm-hmm. So there are no cliche topics. Only disingenuous. Mm-hmm. A good way to, um, see if your essay is coming off genuinely, um, is to have someone who knows you pretty well to read your essay and they can tell you if they think it sounds like you, if they think it represents you.

I know for me, with one of my essays, I wrote, um, something about identity, but it wasn’t really something about my identity per se, or nothing that I felt strongly about. And one of my teachers, uh, questioned whether or not it would be the best essay because it came off kind of bland and didn’t really connect with anything about my character and my personality.

So that can be a good way to see if your essays coming off cliche. Um, if it can apply to pretty much any other student and it doesn’t really relate to you. There are a lot of shared experiences, but if it can’t be directed back to you, that’s kind of where cliche or in genuineness, uh, comes in. Uh, going on to the next question.

Uh, should we write about an activity we did not enjoy? If you’re going to tell me why you didn’t, why you didn’t enjoy it, what you learned through that experience. Sure. Especially if that’s really relevant to what you wanna do in college. If that, if doing something you didn’t like, taught you a really big thing about yourself and your future goals, I would definitely write about it.

I would caution you to not frame, to not be overly negative and blaming the activity or the person who is leading it. Um, cause we don’t wanna come across too negative. Um, but yes, if you can, if you can tell me why you didn’t like it and how you drew. Uh, going on to the next question, a parent is asking, um, about the additional information section and if that is a good place to put, um, to write about activities that maybe weren’t on your activities list or if you wanted to use your essay for something else, would the additional information section be a good place to do that?

Um, is this, I’m not sure what additional information section there is. Um, so like there’s the Common App essay and then there’s the activities list and on like the, one of the last sections of the Common App application, and I’m not sure about other application portals. Um, but on the last section it asks is there anything else that you would like to add to your application?

And it gives. I, I wanna say it’s like 250 or six 50 words, but I’m not sure, Um, just to add any additional parts to your application. Usually people use it to like, explain maybe dips and grades or people have used it for activities, um, before. And then, um, it can be used to just expand on something, uh, in your application that wasn’t touched on anywhere else.

Thank you, McKenzie. Um, I understand the question now and, and I agree with everything you said. Um, you can use it for that. I, I caution my students against including activities just to have a long activities list. Um, so I think common epilepsy put 10 mm-hmm, um, if you genuinely have 12 extracurriculars that you.

Are so passionate about and they’re really impactful to you. Yeah, you, you can totally include it there. Um, I just, I wouldn’t feel any pressure to, to do that or to, to show colleges like I have done, I’ve set up world record in like, number of extracurriculars I’ve participated in, um, cuz they, I really are taking a holistic, uh, view of these applications and it’s not like maxing out the activity section, boost your points or anything.

There’s no point system. Um, so I hope that answers the question. You can, but I caution students to only include activities that they’re really genuinely engaged and excited. Mm-hmm. . Uh, going on to the next question, I’m gonna kind of combine these two, but does it need to be an activity or experience? We were recently involved in, and this kind of goes with the student’s question, asking if an activity that they were in, uh, in elementary, during elementary and middle school, but didn’t do in, um, high school can be written about because it inspired their, uh, in current interest.

Awesome question. I believe the Common App in the activity section wants you to talk about just high school activities with the essays, there’s a lot of freedom. Um, so that question about this thing I did in elementary or middle school that really informed what I wanna do. Yes. That sounds like a great starting point for your personal statement or for supplemental essay.

Absolutely. You can really write about anything in the essays. Um, doesn’t have to be just something you’ve done in high school. Uh, kind of going off of that, another student is asking, can they write about a camp that they attended and then sort to add on, uh, can we write about an activity that was only one day, such as a conference or a competition, uh, or an activity that we were not in for a long, that we were in for a short time?

Yes. Thank you. I actually, I had in my notes to address that one during the presentation and I skipped over it. Yes. If you go to a conference and it changes your life, where it tells you what you wanna study and what you don’t wanna study, yes. Please write about it. That sounds really important to your story, to knowing you as a person.

Absolutely. Camps similarly, um, you can include them on the activities list and or in an essay, uh, focusing on the impact that they’ve had on you. Uh, going on to the next question, um, just to kind of broadly talk about extracurriculars, cuz I’m seeing a lot of questions on it. Uh, a student is asking if there’s a disadvantage if you don’t have a large number of extracurriculars.

Uh, and another student is asking on the opposite end, Is it good to have a lot of extracurriculars? They just wanna know like, what is it about these extracurriculars? Yes. Yeah, good question. Be genuine. Don’t be like, me as a high school senior who joined every club my school offered because I thought that’s what colleges wanted to see.

It is not, that was a, I was pushing myself too hard and I was overextending myself. Go to the clubs and extracurriculars that excite you, that are interesting to you. and then just be genuine about that on your application. Colleges are really like, I know it can feel like they’re not, but they really genuinely are taking the holistic approach.

So they’re gonna look at your activities list, but they’re also gonna look at your transcript and they’re also gonna look at your essays. So if there’s something in, if you, if you’re like, Ooh, I’m worried I have only one or two extracurriculars. First of all, I would challenge you to look really closely at that list.

Uh, cause there are a lot of things on there, um, that you might not be thinking of as an extracurricular. You, I’m just scrolling back to it. Um, if you are engaged in any religious community, if you have any family responsibilities, um, so helping with siblings or grandparents, parents, if you have a job, there are so many things that you can put on that list.

Um, but first of all, if you think you don’t have enough, really go through that list closely and see if we might have more than you think. Um, and then just follow our natural passions and tell your story and your application. I don’t know, I’m forgetting there are two questions that, Did I get both of them?

McKenzie? Yeah. Like, is it, um, a disadvantage, uh, to have a low number of activities also, or a large number? It’s not a disadvantage, it’s just a fact. Um, and tell your story. If there’s a reason why that you think is worth sharing, do that in your personal statement or in the extra space. Um, but no, they’re, they’re looking at you as a whole person, not just as someone who should sign up for extracurriculars.

Yes. And for me, uh, cause I see that someone asking about the average, uh, on the Common App, you’re able to upload 10 activities and then they have a separate section for honors and awards. So you don’t need to use that space there. Um, a lot of people try to meet that, um, maximum number of 10, and we have other webinars that go over this, but you do not need to do that.

I believe that when I was applying to college back in 2019, oh my gosh, um, my senior year I had about, I wanna say seven activities on my list and I got into Cornell University early decisions. So it’s more so about what your, um, commitment and your involvement, even if it was a one day thing, it’s like what did you do in that?

Why was it meaningful? Getting, uh, across that point in your application overall is more important than the number of activities that you have. Though a lot of people do try and meet that number of 10 just because the space is available. Um, the coalition application, I believe only goes up to eight activities.

So if you wanted to submit more than that, I’d recommend the Common App, Uh, different, uh, portals, like the UCs, I don’t remember what they do, but some applications don’t allow you to submit anything. Like they don’t really ask for much information. So it really depends on, um, what schools and what application portal you’re using.

Uh, going on to the next question, cause I’m seeing it come up a lot, students are just really curious about, um, whether or not the, the activity or the essay needs to be related to your major or career interest. Great question. Um, I think first of all, uh, it depends a little bit on the prompt. Uh, if the prompt is a supplemental essay and it says, Tell us about an extracurricular you’ve done.

There’s maybe a little more leeway, but I think even there, you can bring it back to your interest somehow. It might not be obvious. Um, I read an essay the other day that related, um, archery to forensic science. Right? Those are not related, but the student learned certain things in archery, like patience, working independently, attention to detail.

Those are all super relevant in forensic science. And she made a really convincing argument that they are, and because of this extracurricular, she’s done, she’s now better prepared to be a forensic science. So I’m telling you, there is a connection there because in everything we do as humans, we are learning and we are growing.

And if we’re learning and growing, then we’re getting something that is going to be useful in a big new chapter like college. Uh, going along with that, uh, there are gonna be multiple essays in your application. So you have the personal statement, and I’m going off the Common App again, but the personal statement is big essay, um, that you find under the, my Common App, uh, section of the Common App.

Uh, and then you have the supplemental essays, which is found under each individual college, under the My Colleges section. And then, so, um, the personal statement, um, is a good place to write about this. Supplements can be a good place to write about, um, majors, uh, career interests, just because schools typically are asking the why school question, like, why do you wanna attend there?

Why do you wanna do this program? So that can be a good place to explain that and then maybe talk about a different activity or experience or whatever else in your personal statement. Um, but if schools aren’t asking that question or if you don’t have the space to talk about an extracurricular there, um, you can always, um, Use your personal statement.

And then also some schools will even ask you what activities you would like to participate in college and why. So that can be a good space to say like, Hey, I participated in this in high school and I’d like to continue. Um, that’s another space. It all makes more sense when you actually see it on the application.

Uh, and it does not need to be, your essay does not need to be related to your career or anything. I wrote about a college prep, uh, club that I started at my high school and I was applying pre-med and public health. Uh, I did eventually switch into the education side, but um, initially I got into pre-med and public health with my, um, essay talking about.

Education. There we go. Uh, but my supplements, were talking more about my interest in health and health. Uh, so, yeah. Uh, going on to the next question, a student is asking, should a person write about, uh, extracurricular activities or life experiences in an essay which would be more engaging and memorable?

I’m sorry, McKenzie, you cut out at the very beginning. Yes. Uh, so a student asking should a person write about extracurricular activities or life experiences in the essays, uh, which would be more engaging?

I’m curious how an extracurricular is different from a life experience. Um, in that everything we do is a life experience. If the question is about, is it better to write about an extracurricular, like a formal club or something that happened in my personal? No. Like none is, neither is better than the other.

Uh, write about what’s gonna, tell me more about you. You want the admissions readers to look at your entire application and see like, Oh, I know a bit about who this student is. I understand where they’re coming from and where they want to go, but they make, it makes sense. They’ve told their story throughout the application.

Um, so you don’t have to write about your extracurricular and your essay. Um, you can absolutely write about personal things. Um, I just got a, a chat question about writing about weaknesses being vulnerable. Yes. You can do all of that. Um, just, you know, frame it how we’ve been talking about. Tell the story.

What have you learned? How do you feel it’s prepared you, um, for where you want to go? Yes. And I’m seeing a question in the chat asking, Do I have to limit my essay to six 50 words? Is there a drawback to exceeding the limit? So on the Common App, it is going to cut you off after six 50 words, so you won’t be able to go over that.

Um, we recommend writing your essays in like a separate Google Doc or Word doc. Um, and then, uh, cutting it down, editing it there, and then, um, copying and pasting it into your, uh, application. Uh, and then it’ll show you whether or not you, um, your essay fits in or not. And you can like check the word count.

You need a minimum of 250 words to be able to submit your Common App. And, but you have a max at six 50, so there’s no way to exceed it. And on that, Um, we know that the admissions process is hard for, um, is overwhelming for parents and students alike, especially when trying to figure out how to get these essays down.

Um, cut down the word count, figure out what’s even right about and make the essays as strong as possible. Our team of over 300, uh, forum or admissions officers and admissions experts, such as Anna are ready to help you and your family navigate it all in one-on-one advising sessions. Uh, take charge of your family’s college admissions journey by signing up for a free strategy session with an admissions expert by scanning the QR code on the screen.

From there, you’ll be taken to, um, A form, um, which you can fill out to figure out when a good meeting time will be, and then you’ll be connected with someone from our team to figure out what our packages are, um, what our different services are. Um, but just to go over it a bit, uh, with your advisor, you’ll really get to know them in these, um, one-on-one sessions and then they’ll be able to get to know you, your interest.

Um, usually you’re paired with someone who’s been accepted into or attends the school of interest and even, um, is doing this a similar career path to what you’re interested in. So they can really help with guiding you to figure out what’s gonna be the best, uh, topic, best way to frame your application so that it is the strongest possible and really represents you, your passions, your interests, and helps you, um, helps improve your chances of getting into your dream schools.

And one of the highlights for joining CollegeAdvisor is you get access to our essay review team who can provide additional support, um, with, um, Your essays. And Anna, since you are the lead on that, do you mind talking a bit more about, um, the essay review team? Yes, absolutely. Our essay review team is here for you.

We are, uh, a select group of advisors within the CollegeAdvisor network who are particularly passionate about writing, editing, um, and essays that come to us through, typically through your advisor. Um, and we give thorough feedback. We do the inline edits. Um, we’ll help with word count if that’s an issue.

We’ll point out places where we think you might need more or, uh, you know, some clarification. Um, and then we’ll give you a paragraph or two of high level feedback, um, just to say like, Here’s where I see this going, great work. Here’s my biggest, Like, if you’re only gonna do one thing to strengthen this essay, this is what I would do.

Um, and that’s, that’s what we’re here for. We have a turnaround time. We’re very proud of. Uh, we get ’em back within 24 hours. It’s often even faster than that. Um, so we are here for you and would love to read your essays. Yes, it’s a, it’s a great part of CollegeAdvisor. You get a whole team just looking over your essays so that it can really stand out as much as possible.

And um, again, with helping with that word count, cause I know that is a bit tricky for students, but yeah, so, um, you can sign up again by going to, uh, by scanning the QR code on the screen and you can also go to app.CollegeAdvisor.com and sign up for a free account, um, with us where you can, um, review different parts of the application process, um, keep up with deadlines, research various schools, and you can, uh, keep track of our webinars, um, to view what’s upcoming or view, um, past webinars.

So yeah, so’s scan the QR code on the screen to find out more. Uh, now back to the Q&A. So I am seeing a student asking about, I just had the question. Um, Okay. Uh, similar to like the, um, clubs that are less formal. A student is asking, Do colleges consider hobbies as extracurriculars? I would want to know more.

I’d want to have a conversation with a student asking this. Absolutely. You can write about a hobby in an essay. A hundred percent. Cause you can write about anything. Um, if, if you’re wanting to include it on the activities list, I would just wanna hear more about what it is. Um, on Common App, at least they do ask questions about how long you’ve been doing it, how many hours per week you spend on it.

Um, so if it’s a hobby that you’re spending like 10, 15 hours a week on, I think that’s a strong argument to include it there. Um, and then you just wanna be thought of what, which drop down category you select for it. Um, so yes, you could, and you can absolutely write about it in an essence. Yes, it’s a long list of things that can be counted as, um, As your activities list, including family responsibilities, which is even more broad than a hobby.

So, um, just it’s really more so about your commitment and how well you’re able to explain it. And then also for different things, if you wanted a extra like voucher for them or extra verification, um, you can ask someone to write you a recommendation for them if you have the additional space. Some schools limit who or how many people you can ask, um, for a letter of recommendation.

But if you have the extra space to get a recommender who maybe watched you the hobby, that is a great, um, way to just get the extra verification in terms of whether or not colleges verify how many hours and stuff you participate in them or how many activities you’re really participating in. I’d recommend just not lying.

Um, and then just try and be truthful. If you can’t quantify how many hours you were in it, you can put like, how many days a week? Um, how many. How long you were in the activity. Um, just give a general idea of what your participation was like. And if it seems like it’s too many activities to where it doesn’t sound realistic, then maybe you can explain it in the additional information section.

But usually if you were able to accomplish that many tasks and the time you were given, then you should, you should be good. But if it, you’re saying like you did 150 hours a week on an activity, that’s probably not likely. Cuz 40 hours a week is like the average working hours and you’re full-time students.

Uh, so just keep that in mind. . Yeah, I tell my students like, Look, you want the right order of magnitude. Mm-hmm. . Um, and it’s okay to estimate on average how many hours per week, but it needs to be in the ballpark. It can’t be 150 hours per week unless somehow you are doing that. And then you should definitely write about that in an essay.

Uh, going on to the next question, should you talk about an activity that you quit?

If I can learn something interesting about you, I’d wanna know why you quit, um, what you did after you quit, what you learned about yourself. You might be starting to notice a theme to my answers, um, because that’s the goal of these essays is who are you as a person and how do you think, how do you grow?

How do you learn? Um, are you able to introspect? and reflect on a time and say like, Oh, I quit dance and here’s, here’s why. Here’s what I learned about myself. Um, again, staying away from the negative, like dance is a horrible activity. I would not say something like that. Um, focus on you and what you learned.

Mm-hmm. , Uh, going on to the next question is students asking how many activities do you recommend we, uh, should write about? Is there a minimum? Um, I guess that would depend on the, if it’s the essay or the activities list. Can you kind of touch on both? Yes, absolutely. Um, we’ve talked about the activities list, um, a bit.

So I’ll, I’ll be brief there. You’re limited to 10 on the Common App. You do not have to have 10. McKenzie, I think she had seven and got an early decision before now, like a rock star. Um, so you do not need to fill that in an essay. I, I would, I would tend to write about fewer activities, maybe even one, maybe even one moment in that activity.

Um, because the activities, the activities list is there, um, to see how, like how many things you’ve done. The essay is there not for that at all, cuz that’s what the activities section is for. The essay is there for me to learn more about you as a person. So if you’re spending a lot of your 650 words, well listing all the, the activities we’ve done, it’s kind of a waste of your space.

Uh, so when writing in an essay, I would maybe talk about just. Um, if, if two are related, um, or if there’s a reason you wanna talk about two. It’s not a hard and fast rule. Um, but just be thoughtful about why would, why would I write about more than one? And how does writing about more than one tell the reader more about me that they can’t get from my activities list?

Mm-hmm, uh, if it’s starting to sound more like a list or it gets a little bit off topic, that’s where writing about more than one activity and an essay can get a little bit difficult and then you aren’t able to expand as much as you would like to. If you just talked about one, maybe two activities or even a moment, like Anna said.

Um, it’s specificity is really good in essays and having multiple things to talk about limits that, um, y’all can check out our other webinars. There are even some. Workshop webinars where we go over specific ways to write the essay, different ways to edit it. Uh, you can check out our webinars on writing about a passion project, which overlaps a lot with this topic.

Um, and you can just switch it out for like an activity that you’re doing, even if it wasn’t something that you started. So that is also a good place to look and I’m also seeing some questions related to the admissions process in general. Like when should you start? Um, and uh, where do recommenders go?

You can check out our other webinars by typing in those keywords, like recommender or activities list or admissions process, um, on our website at app.CollegeAdvisor.com to find those more specific questions. And in terms of being able to save the application, the application does save as you go. I would just recommend with the essays that you would, um, do it in a separate doc just so you can edit it and see it a bit easier and even share it with someone else if you wanted them to read over it.

Um, and the activities list, you can just. You can do in the Common App, but then also having like a spreadsheet or a resume on the side, um, for you to look off of, uh, going on to the next question. Um, Okay. Uh, a student is asked, oh, if there’s any questions in the chat that you wanted to get to, please feel free to read them out and respond.

Um, uh, but how, uh, what are admissions officers looking for in an essay, particularly about the extracurriculars? And another student is asking, um, what are some common mistakes you see within the, within, uh, applications or within nasa? Yeah, in essays about extracurriculars and about anything readers, admissions readers are looking to get to know you as a person.

How do you think about the world? And it makes sense that they want to, to know that. Because you’re applying to be a student at their university where you’re going to come and participate in activities and participate in class. So they want to know how, how do you see the world, how do you engage with it?

What would you be like as a student here on campus? Um, and what was, Sorry McKenzie, I don’t remember the other question. Um, what are some common mistakes? I believe somebody, uh, is putting like top three mistakes and writing essays about extracurriculars. Okay. Um, top three might be hard for me to commit to cause I’m an indecisive person.

Um, mistakes I see are, I think that biggest one is just not going deep. Not, not introspecting. That’s when they’re coming off as cliche as if you’re writing this, um, cuz you want to impress me. Um, and doing this is hard. It. Like it does require. Why don’t to scare you if you can do it. And it’s helpful to do the work up front by thinking it through.

Like genuinely take some time before you start writing to think about what extracurricular is the most meaningful to me and why. I’m telling you, I don’t think every student does that. And I think putting in even just a few minutes to think about that before you start writing will really, uh, level up your essay.

Mm-hmm, uh, since we are coming up on time, is there any last advice that you would like to give to students or any questions again that you see that you wanna answer? My advice to students is that you can do this. I know it’s a long process and I was there, I remember how stressful it can be. Use your support network.

Um, Hopefully that includes CollegeAdvisor. Um, use your teachers, use your peers, your family. Um, it’s intimidating to ask people to read what we’ve written and it is so worth it to get feedback on your essays. Um, so that’s my number one advice. Be open to feedback, be open to reworking things, um, and then be you show your true self.

Use your real voice when you write and, you’re going to be fabulous and we cannot wait to work with all of you individually. Mm-hmm. So thank you for that wonderful answer. So that is the end of the, uh, our webinar. Thank you to our wonderful panelists, Anna, for all this great information about writing about your extracurriculars.

Um, here’s the rest of our October series in our upcoming November series where we’ll have various webinars on college panels and on, um, various parts of the application and essay editing, as well as some supplemental essay workshops for those, um, school specific essays. Um, So remember again, you can, um, rewatch this recording later on our website at app.CollegeAdvisor.com, and you can find other webinars as well.

Um, so if your question was not answered in tonight’s webinar, do try attending the, um, upcoming webinars or, uh, view our older webinars as well as looking on our blog where you may be able to find, uh, the specific answers to your questions. Especially for everyone that’s new to the admissions process. I recommend, um, watching some of our videos that go over the admissions pro, uh, process entirely so that you can figure out what’s coming up, what all do you need to do, and what all to look out for, uh, as you get started on this journey.

So thank you everyone for coming out tonight and goodnight .

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Writing your personal statement

Your personal statement should show your interest in the subject and demonstrate your skills and abilities.

It should set you apart from applicants who have similar qualifications. If you're interviewed , your personal statement can help set the agenda for the interview discussion.

To help you write a persuasive personal statement, we've prepared some top tips to help you understand what we're looking for.

Be specific and give examples

If you have a record of achievement or an up-to-date CV, it can remind you which activities to include, but the key is being selective about what you write. Make sure what you write is relevant to the courses and universities you're applying to, rather than writing a list of your skills or attributes.

As a rough guide, you should only refer to current or recent activities.

If you have any questions about the application process, our Admissions team will be happy to help.

[email protected] +44 (0)1904 324000

Related links

• UCAS guidance: Writing a personal statement

Nailing your personal statement

Law student Sharon gives advice for the most important part of your uni application, from showing skills to avoiding distraction.

Personal statement tips

Student Recruitment Officer Vicki gives some top tips on how best to approach writing your personal statement.

Be clear about why you're applying to the course

This is especially important if you are applying for something you haven't studied before.

• Why have you applied for these courses?
• Why do you want to study the subject?
• How has your interest for the subject developed, or how have you pursued it?

Give evidence of commitment beyond the curriculum

For competitive courses, this is vital.

• How do you stand out from the crowd?
• Have you shown that you're prepared for the breadth and depth of a university degree?

Work experience

Describe any work experience you have, especially if it's relevant to the course. For some courses, such as Medicine or Nursing, work experience may be essential. You may also wish to consider other online opportunities, such as MOOCs or online work experience.

Extracurricular activities

Your statement should give information about extracurricular involvements, such as sporting achievements, voluntary work or additional activities, such as listening to relevant podcasts or reading journals. If you're not in school or college, you should talk about life experience and previous employment.

These can help to show that you are enthusiastic and have the ability to set priorities and manage your time. They may also be relevant to the course you're applying for.

You should point out the relevance of your experience, even if the bare facts are mentioned elsewhere on the form:

• maybe mention any career plans or gap year plans
• give information about yourself, in greater detail than what you have already supplied on the UCAS application

Get feedback

Allow time for proofreading and editing your personal statement, and ask other people to read it; they may spot problems or opportunities.

Remember to ensure that this is all your own work. UCAS uses the Similarity Detection Service, which means they will scan through your personal statement to spot anything that has been submitted before.

Consider your presentation

Leave some space by skipping a line between paragraphs – this will make it easier for admissions selectors to read. You will still find you can produce a text of about 450-500 words in the space available.

Download the guide 

If you wish, you can also download our printable guide, which includes a space for you to write some notes about your statement.

Best Extracurricular Activities To Spice Up Your Personal Statement

Summer is the best time to get that all important university credit – so use it wisely. When you go back to school, you’ll be charged with the not-so-exciting task of writing your personal statement. So here are just some of the extracurricular activities you can do to stand out from the crowd and earn that coveted "well-rounded candidate" status. 

Team Sports

One of the most important extracurricular activities that gets you a quick tick is team sports. So whether you play netball, football, or even row every week, make sure you jot this down. It’s a great way to put yourself out there, and also demonstrate a keenness to join a society at university. It’s not all about work, after all.

The reason why universities like to see these types of hobbies is that it shows grit, resilience and team spirit – all of which are extremely valuable for your degree. Sometimes you’ll have to engage in group projects, so you need to show that you can work collaboratively. You don’t have to be a championship league player, just simply express an interest in the sport.

Volunteering

It will come as no surprise that volunteering is the ultimate win-win. What better way to show you’re passionate about your course than by giving up your free time to help others and gain experience. It’s truly a double whammy that can't fail to earn you credit with admissions tutors.

Depending on where you want to volunteer, there are a lot of placements over school holidays; from 2 weeks up to 2 months. Most organisations will require a background check and you might need a reference from a trusted source. A great place to find volunteering opportunities is via the Do It site or Reach . Don't leave this until the last minute because everyone will have the same idea!

Duke of Edinburgh  

Dylan Morgan , Content Executive at Twinkl Education Publishing shared with us how beneficial Duke of Edinburgh can be. “It’s a brilliant initiative which encourages a lot of soft skills needed both in the world of work, as well as in university”. 

More popularly referred to as D of E, the Duke of Edinburgh award is a challenging but non-competitive extracurricular activity run for 14 to 25 year olds. Achieving a bronze, silver or even gold award demonstrates self-reliance, determination and guts!

“As a marketing graduate, Duke of Edinburgh helped me develop problem-solving situations,” Dylan says. “For example: communication (like speaking to team members) and relationship building (new friends, teamwork).” There are even logistical things to consider like how much food you need on the journey, how to set up a tent and read a map. 

“This is sometimes overlooked, but it can also show you're keen to embrace a challenge, a new experience, or just like hiking and being outdoors!”

Internships

Similar to volunteering, applying for a two week internship is a great way to demonstrate your passion for the course. Remember that UCAS receive thousands of applications per year; so if you want to get into your top-choice university, you have to think outside the box. This will also help you decide whether this is a career or job you actually want to pursue in the future!

Think of an internship like work experience: you’re learning practical skills and gaining knowledge that you won’t learn in a textbook. It will help build the case that you are an exceptional candidate for this course.

There are some really cool placements you can enrol in, from publishing at Penguin to clerking at a law firm. To find intern opportunities in your given field, try Prospects or Target Jobs to give you a leg up. If your field is particularly competitive, you’ll want to research and apply sooner rather than later.  

Creative outlets

Extracurricular activities come in many different forms and can be as simple as journaling. Think about all the creative things you enjoy or would like to try out, like blogging, video creation via TikTok, painting or playing an instrument. All these examples show that you are talented and skilled.

The reason why universities love seeing this kind of material in your personal statement is because it helps them understand your character. They can see you have a wide-range of interests that go beyond the academic basis. 

Let's not forget, it takes a lot of effort, patience and commitment to practise a hobby – especially independent activities – so this bodes well on your application. It can be assumed that if this is what you do for fun, you’ll be able to apply this to your studies. 

The main takeaway

‍ The key thing you need to take away and apply to your personal statement is that you want to present who you are. It’s great that you’re applying for a course at the university you love, but behind all those words is a person who has a drive to learn new things and master new skills. Extracurricular activities help to paint a picture of you, which ultimately gives you a golden ticket into university.

Unsure how to write your personal statement?

For more information on university applications, personal statements and a FREE review, check out our resources here.

Naida is a witty wordsmith with a love for writing and reading. She is a Content Writer and Social Media Executive at Tutor House — the top UK provider of online and in-person tuition. She specialises in topics relating to mental & physical wellbeing and career advice.

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BEST Examples of Hobbies and Interests to put on a CV (2024 Guide)

Putting hobbies and interests on your CV is a great way to make your CV stand out from the crowd and impress the employer.

What you spend your free time on tells the employer a great deal about you, your values, your motivations, and in some cases, your skills and intelligence. This information can add real value to your job application and improve your chances of being shortlisted for a job interview.

David Littleford et al. , (2004) in their book Career Skills (pg. 14-15) mention under “other interests”:

“You should include hobbies and other interests, especially if they involve social and community activities. These activities are important – cover membership of societies, sports clubs/teams, etc. All these activities and the extent of your involvement give the recruiter clues about the real you and your interests.”

Use the guide and examples below to find out more about hobbies and interests and how to include them on your CV – let’s begin!

What are hobbies and interests?

Should i put hobbies and interests on my cv, what your hobbies “say” about you, what kind of hobbies should i put on my cv, examples of good personal interests to put on a cv, examples of best hobbies to put on a cv, how to write hobbies on a cv, location of the hobbies section on a cv, examples of different cv hobbies sections, things to avoid when writing your hobbies section.

A hobby is an activity that you regularly  pursue for enjoyment purposes, particularly during your leisure time. These are activities that generally relieve you from stress, tension or fatigue.

Examples of hobbies for a CV:

• Playing sports (football, tennis, hockey, cricket, etc.)
• Playing chess and solving puzzle games
• Reading and writing books, articles and publications
• Travelling and meeting new people
• Designing, drawing, sketching and painting
• Cooking and baking

An interest is an activity that you want to do or are currently doing on an  irregular  basis.

Examples of personal interests for a CV:

• Volunteering at local companies, clubs and organisations
• Organising events in the community
• Participating in fundraising events for charity
• Joining a professional, social or environmental group

The answer is, yes! Research has shown that adding relevant hobbies to your CV can make your CV more interesting, strengthen your job application and increase your chances of getting shortlisted for an interview. Putting your personal interests on your CV also shows the employer that you are a whole human being with a satisfactory life outside work and not a work robot.

If you lack work experience, your interests may show your suitability for the job in other ways. For example, they may give valuable information on your leadership potential or ability to work in a team.

Interviewers also use your interests to come up with ‘relaxing’ questions if the interview gets too hot or heavy; something which can help calm your nerves and improve your performance during the interview.

The benefits of including your personal interests on your CV:

• It will give the recruiter a fuller and more complete picture of you
• Extracurricular interests tell the employer that you are an all-rounded person who, besides just working, also enjoys having a good time
• They form a great basis for discussion at the interview stage
• Sporting activities indicate that you are fit, healthy and outgoing
• Involvement in the community suggests good interpersonal skills
• School leavers
• College students
• University graduates
• Candidates with little or no work experience
• Candidates who have blank space in their CVs that can be utilised

Remember that your CV is your personal marketing tool, and you should make the most out of using the totality of your CV, including the interests section, to “sell yourself” to the prospective employer.

• Senior professionals including managers and executives
• Candidates with a lot of work experience
• Candidates whose CVs are overflowing to more than 2 A4 pages

It’s not always appropriate to add this section to a senior CV. The more experience you have, the less important the hobbies and interests section becomes. Managers, executives and other experienced professionals are expected to show their skills and personal qualities from their work experience, achievements and educational background, without the need to resort to outside interests.

Phrases such as ‘Playing football’ , ‘solving puzzles’ , and ‘fixing computers’ are not generic terms without any meaning, rather; they carry a deeper message.

Here’s what the prospective employers will be subconsciously asking themselves when reading through the candidates’  CVs :

What do statements such as, “I play football on a regular basis”, “I enjoy solving puzzles” or “I like fixing computers” tell me about this candidate and their suitability for the job?

Many candidates do not realise that the hobbies and interests they include in their CVs can reveal a lot of information about them and their personalities.

Below is a list of some personal interests and activities and what they tell employers about the candidate:

List of hobbies and interests for a CV

Ask yourself: how do these interests add value to my application? Try to highlight your ability to interact, help and/or communicate with others.

Answer: Those that are relevant and add value to your application!

When deciding which interests to include, the golden rule to apply is;

Will it help me get the job?

Only include relevant hobbies, sports and leisure activities that display you in a positive light and strengthen your application; for example; interests which show that you are active, sociable and responsible.

Martin Yate, a best-selling careers author, outlines three broad categories of leisure activities to include on your CV in his book The Ultimate CV Book (Pg.35):

• Team sports (football, cricket, basketball, etc.)
• Determination activities (running, swimming, cycling, climbing, etc.)
• Brain activities (chess, reading, etc.)

However, not every one of the above categories may be suitable for your situation and the job that you are applying for. Only select the hobbies and interests that are relevant to the job and add value to your application.

• Bain activities (such as playing chess) are a good match for jobs which are technical or analytical in nature  (e.g. jobs in IT or science).
• Team sports (such as playing football) are a good match for jobs which require working with people on a daily basis (e.g. jobs in business or marketing).

Example of relevant and irrelevant hobbies for a web developer:

NOTE: Different activities can be interpreted differently depending on the job you are applying for. For example, “playing computer games” as a hobby is irrelevant to most jobs and may sometimes portray you as a self-absorbed individual living in their own little cyber world. However, the same hobby can add tremendous weight to your CV if you apply for a job as a video game developer, graphics designer or shop assistant at your local games shop!

How to match your interests with the job you are applying for:

There are thousands of hobbies and interests that people include in their CVs. Selecting the correct hobbies to include will depend on a number of factors, including the job sector and the job role/specifications.

Use the guidelines below to select the correct interests for your CV:

For example, if the job holder must have “excellent people skills” , you could mention your volunteering, team sports or socialising activities – all of which develop your communication, interpersonal and people skills. Don’t mention playing chess or jogging as that would be irrelevant.

If, on the other hand, the job specification states that the person must possess “outstanding technical skills” , you would mention playing chess, building computers and upgrading computer networks – things that indicate that you are technically competent and analytical-minded. Don’t mention socialising events because that would be less relevant.

Many companies have a ‘culture’ in the way they operated and how employees of that organisation behave. Google, for instance, is now famously known for allowing employees to play games, take a walk or do sports in order to relieve stress or become more productive during working hours. When applying for a job at a company like Google, there is no harm in showing a little bit of your fun, playful and human side because that fits in nicely with their company culture.

It is always a good idea to write down the list of skills and abilities that you possess and see which of these would add value if you include it in your CV. Skills and abilities are closely related to your hobbies and interest; therefore, you may include them in this section too.

List of interests and their relevance to different jobs

Interests enhance your CV because they show the employer that you are an all-round person with a passion and determination to undertake activities outside work.

The following personal interests will make your CV shine:

• Involved in local clubs, classes and groups. Involvement in clubs and student societies demonstrates that you have excellent interpersonal and people skills, traits that are highly valued by employers. Don’t forget to make mention any professional bodies you are a member of.
• Volunteering at local companies and organisations. Research has shown that the most important part of a candidate’s CV is their work experience section. If you don’t have any relevant work experience, it is highly recommended to take up some voluntary work to improve your skills, gain exposure to your industry and give your CV a great boost!
• Attending events, shows and exhibitions. Attending events, whether they are for business or pleasure, demonstrates to the employer that you are keen to learn about the latest trends in an industry or on a subject. It also shows that you are confident and enjoy meeting new people; two personal traits that are highly desired in almost all jobs.
• Organising events in the community. Employers love candidates that show initiative and take on additional responsibilities to further their skills and experience. Having experience in helping with community events is particularly useful if you want a job in events management, marketing or business management.
• Involved with charities (including campaigning and fundraising). Employers value charity work because it shows that you are socially conscious, compassionate and caring. It also demonstrates that you have great people skills and are capable of dealing with the public.

These interests enhance your CV because they inform the employer that you possess excellent interpersonal, organisational and communication skills which enables you to undertake these activities. It also confirms that you are motivated and determined about the things you are passionate about.

The following hobbies will give a boost to your CV:

• Exercise and sports. Adding sports to your CV will portray you as a healthy and fit individual. There are two types of sports; individual sports such as running, swimming and cycling, and team sports such as football, basketball, cricket and tennis. Individual sports portray you as a determined, passionate and strong-willed individual whereas team sports show that you have excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills.
• Playing brain games. Brain activities are great hobbies to add to any CV, especially if you pursue a career in computing, mathematics or science because they demonstrate excellent problem-solving and analytical skills. Playing chess or puzzle games also tells the employer that you are intelligent, thoughtful and capable of overcoming challenges.
• Writing. Writing as a hobby indicates that you have excellent written communication skills, a key requirement for copywriters, editors, public relations professionals, marketers and journalists. You don’t necessarily have to be writing voluminous books to mention this hobby on your CV! You can also include writing poems, short articles and blog posts.
• Mentoring and coaching. Employers highly value mentoring because they understand that teaching, advising or supervising someone requires great skill, patience and determination. This hobby is particularly useful to add to your CV if you’re applying for a job as a teacher, tutor, mentor, teaching assistant, sports coach or fitness instructor.
• Computing and IT. If you’re applying for a job in the information technology (IT) industry, you can add the following activities to your CV to enhance it; coding and programming, building and fixing computers, designing and developing websites, setting-up computer networks and keeping up with the latest developments in technology.
• Designing. Designing is an essential requirement if you’re looking to apply for a job in a creative industry such as marketing or design. Activities that you could add to your CV include designing art, drawing, sketching and painting by hand, and using computer-aided design (CAD) software to create 2D drawings and 3D models.
• Cooking, baking and eating. Who doesn’t like food, right? Cooking new dishes and baking cakes are great hobbies to add to your CV if you’re applying for a job in the hospitality and catering industry. You could also mention things like, ‘going out and eating at restaurants’ or ‘watching Food Channel or other food-related TV programmes (e.g. MasterChef)’. Passion for food goes a long way in this industry!

Below are the guidelines for writing a perfect hobbies section of your CV:

• Keep this section short and to the point as it is an extra/optional section; one to three interests are usually sufficient.
• Only include interests that are relevant to the job. For example, what value does “stamp and coin collecting” as a hobby add to the application of someone who applies for the logistics manager position? The answer: none. However, stamp collecting would be a very valuable hobby to mention when applying for a job as a stamp appraiser .
• Don’t use the usual lines about enjoying walking, reading or swimming; be more specific and describe them in sentences. For example, change “I enjoy reading” , to “I enjoy reading non-fiction and current affairs books” ), or change “Travelling” to “I have visited most major European cities,” etc.)
• Try to list interests that show a balance . A healthy interest in sports and the outdoors should be counterbalanced by other, more intellectual pursuits.
• Keep it real and don’t lie or exaggerate.

The interests section should be placed at the end of the second page , just before the CV references section :

Remember: This section is optional so placing it higher up on your CV will give the prospective employer the impression that you do not understand how to prioritise things. Think about it, how can your personal interests be more important to the employer than your work experience or qualifications?

Example 1 – Economist

Example 2 – teaching assistant.

Note: The example below is a bit long because the candidate had blank space in their CV and utilised it accordingly.

Example 3 – Civil Engineer

Example 4 – credit controller.

Example 5 – Journalist

It is best to avoid putting anything controversial or sensitive on your CV. Humans are by their nature very judgemental, so be wise about what you disclose on your CV. For example, some recruiters may judge you negatively if you included heavy metal as your favourite music genre.

Avoid mentioning interests that could reveal your private beliefs.

Stating that you are an “active member of the local church” may harm your chances of being invited to an interview, especially when the potential employer reading your CV is a strict atheist. Similarly, stating that you “volunteered on a number of Labour election campaigns” or that you are a “huge fan of Manchester United” is also not a very good idea.

Don’t mention very risky, dangerous or time-consuming hobbies such as rock climbing, deep sea diving, bungee jumping, parachuting and boxing. It is in the employer’s best interest that you are fit and well when you’re working for them!

One recruitment expert commented, “Personally alarm bells go off for me when I read about people jumping out of perfectly good aircraft or hanging off tall buildings on the thinnest of ropes!”

Interviewers use the interests section of your CV to identify any conflict of interest if your hobbies demand too much of your time that could interfere with your ability to do your job or meet deadlines. A potential conflict of interest could arise, for example, if you state that you run two part-time businesses alongside your day job.

You may think it’s a good idea to make up some hobbies to impress the employer but this is not a good idea.

One unfortunate applicant had put ‘theatre’ as one of their interests but was left speechless and embarrassed at the interview when they were asked about the kind of theatre they liked and the name of the last play they saw.

Make sure that you know enough to talk about every interest you list on your CV at the interview. Don’t include “Karate” as your hobby if the nearest you ever got to karate was watching a martial arts film! What if the interviewer is a black belt and asks you about the style of karate you have studied?

Over the years, recruiters have documented the many weird and inappropriate interests that they have seen on CVs, including:

• Eating pizzas
• Handling guns
• Frog dissection
• Swimming with saltwater crocodiles

Needless to say, none of these candidates was invited for a job interview!

Adding too many hobbies to your CV fills up valuable space that could be used for more important information. The following is a sample of a CV’s interests section that contains too many activities:

At this stage, the prospective employer will most likely be wondering: “Gosh, when will this person have any time to do some work?!”

Putting hobbies and interests on your CV is an excellent way of enhancing your CV and improving the chances of being shortlisted for a job interview. Regardless of your job or industry, you should only include hobbies or interests that are relevant and add value to your application.

If you’re still undecided on what to include, have a look at the great examples below to see which of these you can add to your CV.

The best personal hobbies and interests to put on a CV:

• Sports such as football, basketball and swimming.
• Exercise such as walking or going to the gym.
• Volunteering and participating in the community.
• Reading books, magazines or publications.
• Writing books, poems, articles or blog posts.
• Designing or drawing by hand or computer (CAD).
• Building things such as computers and product prototypes.
• Coaching, teaching, tutoring or mentoring someone.
• Organising events/activities for local charities or organisations.
• Learning a new skill such as public speaking or new technology.
• Cooking and baking when applying for food-related jobs.
• Playing brain games, puzzles, riddles and solving quizzes.
• Travelling to experience new cultures and meet new people.
• Learning a new language.

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Shona Barrie – Director of Admissions, University of Stirling

UCAS asked admissions tutors – the people who read and score your personal statement – for their advice on what you should and shouldn’t do when writing your personal statement. 

The most common piece of advice was not to worry about it – and don’t be tempted to copy anyone else’s.

Read our step-by-step guide to writing your personal statement

Then follow our simple tips below.

• Do talk about why you’re a good candidate – talk about you, your motivations and what brings you to this course.
• Do be enthusiastic – if you show you’re interested in the course, it may help you get a place.
• Do make it relevant . Connect what you’re saying with the course and with your experiences.
• Do outline your ideas clearly .
• Do avoid the negatives – highlight the positives about you, and show you know your strengths.
• Do expect to produce several drafts of your personal statement before being totally happy with it.
• Do ask people you trust for their feedback.
• Don’t be modest or shy . You want your passions to come across. 
• Don’t exaggerate – if you do, you may get caught out in an interview when asked to elaborate on an interesting achievement.
• Don’t use quotes from someone else, or cliches.
• Don’t leave it to the last minute – your statement will seem rushed and important information could be left out.
• Don’t let spelling and grammatical errors spoil your statement , but don't just rely on a spellchecker. Proofread as many times as possible.
• Don’t copy and paste – make yours original.
• Don’t post your personal statement on the internet or on social media or share your personal statement with anyone including your friends and family, unless asking for feedback from people you trust.
• Don’t worry about it – we have all the advice you need to help you stand out in your personal statement. 

The personal statement tool image

Don’t be tempted to copy or share your statement.

UCAS scans all personal statements through a similarity detection system to compare them with previous statements.

Any similarity greater than 30% will be flagged and we'll inform the universities and colleges to which you have applied. 

Find out more

Ana ghaffari moghaddam – third year law student and careers coach, university of liverpool.

You’ve got this. Follow those simple steps and use your personal statement as your chance to shine .Use the below as a checklist to make sure you've avoided all common pitfalls.

Want more tips on what to include in your personal statement? Use the links below.

• Get started with our personal statement builder . 
• Five things all students should include in their personal statement. 
• See how you can turn your personal statement into a CV, apprenticeship application or covering letter. 
• Read How to start a personal statement: The attention grabber .

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This year’s application to universities

The UCAS deadline is January 15 th for entry in 2018 for all applicants except Medics, Vets, Dentists and Oxbridge. It’s taken as granted that the most sought after courses have the highest grade entry requirement. If you are looking to trade in a grade B for the necessary A*, the fastest way to do this is often a short intensive 4 day revision course by expert tutors who know all the short cuts and can steer you to the highest grades. But don’t neglect your personal statement.

Top universities and popular subjects, will want you to demonstrate your enthusiasm for your chosen subject far beyond the classroom if you are to get one of their places – what better way to do this than super-curricular enrichment?

Super-curricular activities

These are the “next level” in extra-curricular involvement. Activities undertaken outside of the normal classroom but directly related to the subject you are hoping to study at university; unlike extra-curricular involvement which are largely ignored by leading establishments.

Super-curricular evidence can enhance your personal statement. It provides universities with confidence that you have thought hard about what you want to study at university and are serious about their course. Their confidence in you means you are more likely to gain one of the limited number of offers available and could result in a lower grade entry requirement. In short, they are more likely to want you, so why wouldn’t you include it on your personal statement?

University Offers

Birmingham and Nottingham universities have started offering unconditional offers of study to students with the required school predicted grades and a good personal statement. Both provide advice on the importance of super-curricular involvement on their websites. Likewise Oxford university who famously described “extra curricular involvement” as not important to gaining an offer now have an entire website “staircase 12” dedicated to super-curricular activities.

Super-curricular Subjects

Some subjects are easier to get super-curricular enrichment in than others. For example, aspiring Medics and Dentists often volunteer in local care homes and dentists. As well as being a rewarding and enjoyable way to spend your free time, they allow you to develop interpersonal skills in patient contact and provide you with a real life glimpse into your future career beyond University. Likewise, Maths and English super curricular evidence can be gained by an online search and entry to one of the essay competitions and Maths challenges around. All the better if you score highly!

Science Suggestions

Some of the hardest subjects to get experience in are the Sciences. Unless you can use a family contact, it can be almost impossible to gain laboratory experience, but a few opportunities do exist and will make you stand out:

• Offer to run a science club or clinic in your school – talk to your teachers about this first. Helping tutor younger students struggling with science will hone your skills to breakdown difficult concepts explaining them in clear language and prove your understanding is complete.
• Subscribe to a science journal – many are now online and your school library if they don’t have them may be able to give you a discount code. These will keep you right up-to-date with cutting edge developments you will never learn about in school to mention in both the personal statement and subsequent interview.
• Sign up for a laboratory skills placement : A few leading education providers, such as Justin Craig Education have teamed up with some outstanding Biochemistry research facilities and ar­­­­e now offering short clinical and laboratory based training courses from the beginner to advanced level. Perfect for years 11 and 12, these develop real world laboratory skills on cutting edge equipment in leading laboratories and can help students compete for the best university places. These super-curricular activities are those that also add benefit to your revision, and in turn, boost your grades. As you are carrying out volunteering time or laboratory experience, you are consolidating the knowledge you have gained through school study and revision.

By using your subject knowledge in a practical environment, you will enhance your ability retain the information, and recall your knowledge using the memory of the activity carried out. This also helps your revision by developing new ways of answering questions in your exam itself.

Dr David Crouch

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Academic Personal Statement Guide + Examples for 2024

You have a bright future ahead of you in academia and you’ve already found the program of your dreams.

The only problem? 

You have to write an impressive academic personal statement that sets you apart from a sea of applicants.

We know that writing about yourself might not come naturally. And when the academic program you have your sights set on is on the line, it doesn’t make it any easier.

But there’s no need to worry!

We’ve prepared this guide to help you write your academic personal statement and secure your spot in your program of choice.

In this article, we’re going to cover:

• What Is An Academic Personal Statement?
• 7 Steps to Writing the Best Academic Personal Statement
• An Example of a Stellar Academic Personal Statement

Let’s dive in.

You’ll need an academic CV alongside your personal statement. Create one with ease with Novorésumé !

What Is an Academic Personal Statement?

A personal statement is an essential part of the academic application process.

Much like a motivation letter , your academic personal statement serves to demonstrate why you’re the right candidate for the course and sell yourself as a capable student.

Your goal is to show the admissions committee that they’ll benefit from having you in their university as much as you’ll benefit from joining the program.

Academic Vs CV Personal Statement

The term ‘personal statement’ can mean different things depending on your field.

In the world of job hunting, a personal statement usually refers to a few sentences that go at the top of your CV . This paragraph is meant to convey your top skills, relevant experiences, and professional goals to a hiring manager from the get-go and increase your chances of getting an interview.

However, in the world of academia, a personal statement refers to a more in-depth description of you as a candidate. 

In a nutshell, an academic personal statement shows the admissions committee your academic achievements so far, as well as what motivated you to apply and pursue this position.

Personal statements are also often required when applying for certain jobs, much like writing a cover letter . If you’re looking at a position as a faculty member in a university or other academic institution, for example, you might be asked to provide an academic personal statement.

7 Steps to Write an Academic Personal Statement

Preparation is the key to success and this is exactly where our guide comes in handy.

So just follow these steps and you’re sure to secure your spot:

#1. Read the Brief (Carefully!)

Academic personal statements aren’t necessarily a one-size-fits-all piece of writing. 

Typically, every institution has its specific requirements on what candidates should include in their academic personal statement.

To make sure you’re on the right track with your academic personal statement, read the brief carefully. Consider taking notes and highlighting important points from your program’s brief as you go through it.

Pay attention to any specific question the university wants you to answer. If you don’t address everything the admissions board expects, your personal statement will look sloppy and you’ll be considered an inattentive candidate.

Be sure to re-read the brief after you’ve finished writing your academic personal statement, too. This way you can make sure you’ve answered everything adequately and you’ll have the opportunity to correct any slips.

#2. Research the Program

Make sure you do your homework on the academic program you’re applying to.

You can’t write a good academic personal statement without research, let alone a great one. Much like researching your employer , taking the time to learn more about your desired school and personalizing your application can make a huge difference.

For example, you can dive into how your values align with that of the school you’re applying to, and how your experience and interests relate to specific things about the program. The more you focus on how you’re the right fit for this specific position, in this specific program – the better.

Carefully read through the school and program’s official pages since everything you would need to know is probably on the school’s official website. You can also ask current and former students for help but remember that whatever they say should never replace official information when crafting your academic personal statement.

#3. Plan Your Statement

An academic personal statement is meant to explain your academic interests and shouldn’t contain irrelevant details about your personal life.

Focus on why you want to study the course you’ve chosen and provide any information about your achievements so far.

Ask yourself the following questions to get the ball rolling on what to write:

• Why do you want to study (or work) in this program? How will it benefit you?
• How do your skills match the position?
• What makes you stand out from other applicants?
• What are your exact career aspirations?
• How can you and your work benefit the institution you’re applying to?
• If you changed fields, how did you decide to apply in this direction?
• What insight can you bring thanks to your different experiences?
• How will this change of field help your future career?

Write down your answer to these questions in the first draft of your academic personal statement.

#4. Look at Example Statements

Don’t hesitate to read other people’s academic personal statements online. They’re a great source of inspiration and can help get rid of any remaining writer’s block.

If you’re struggling to understand how to meet the language and formatting requirements for your academic personal statement, seeing actual examples is the best way to learn.

But be careful – don’t copy any lines you read, no matter how impressive you think they are. 

Most universities run every academic personal statement through intensive plagiarism checking, and even a paraphrased sentence could lead to your application being rejected for plagiarism.

So pay more attention to the overall structure of the academic personal statements you read, rather than copying the exact wording.

#5. Structure the Contents

There should be a cohesive argument that your entire essay follows. Each sentence and paragraph should complement and build on the one that comes before it.

The structure of your personal statement should include:

An intriguing introduction to you as a candidate

The introductory paragraph should grab the admission committee’s attention and keep them engaged.

Here you should be sure to avoid cliches like saying how you’ve “always dreamt” of graduating from this university or of studying this exact program. Instead, give an example of what really influenced you to pursue this dream.

Here’s an example:

• I’ve always loved reading and since I was a child, it’s been my dream to graduate from Oxford University and contribute to the world of literary analysis. That’s why I spent the past year volunteering at my local writers’ society and giving constructive feedback during workshops and book discussions.
• It wasn’t until I failed my first essay assignment in secondary school that I realized the depth that lies beneath each sentence in a given text. I began to delve into the rich layers of literary texts and the intricacies of literary analysis became my passion. Although initially challenging, the depth of understanding that this field offers about human emotions, cultural contexts, and narrative structures enthralled me. I found myself questioning the narrative structures and character motivations that I had previously taken for granted, and I was eager to understand how the subtle and often overlooked elements within a text could have a profound impact on its overall interpretation. This need to fundamentally understand a given author’s work has stayed with me since and led me to pursue literary analysis as a postgraduate student.

An engaging body

The main part of your academic personal statement should detail your interests, experience, and knowledge, and how they make you suitable for the position.

This is where you should expand on your motivation and use the following tips:

• Why this university? Provide strong reasons for your choice, related to your future career or the institution’s reputation.
• Mention your relevant studies and experience. This includes projects, dissertations, essays, or work experience.
• Give evidence of key skills you have, such as research, critical thinking, communication, and time management, and explain how you can contribute to the department with them.
• Say what makes you unique as a candidate and provide an example.
• Explain who have been the main influences who put you on this path and why they’ve influenced you.
• Mention other relevant experiences, such as memberships in clubs related to the subject, awards you might have won, or impressive papers you’ve written.
• Talk about your career aspirations and how the program ties into your goal of achieving them.

Depending on the guidelines of the specific university, you could also divide your academic personal statement’s body with subheadings, such as:

• Academic background
• Research interests
• Methodological approaches
• Research experience
• Personal experience
• Extracurricular activities 
• Relevant skills
• Career aspirations

A logical conclusion

Your academic personal statement needs a conclusion that ends on an enthusiastic note.

Make sure the conclusion reiterates the main points from the body of your text.

Your relevant accomplishments and desire to attend this specific program should be clear to any reader.

#6. Pay Attention to the Language

When writing the first draft of your academic personal statement, pay attention to the language and tone you’re using.

An academic personal statement is also a formal text, so your writing should reflect that. Colloquialisms aren’t appropriate, as they would take away from the well-mannered impression you want to give the admissions committee.

However, you also want your personal statement to be straightforward and avoid any complex jargon from your field of study.

For example, your opening sentence shouldn’t be overly complicated. You should communicate everything as clearly as possible, and be inclusive to those outside of your field of study since they might be on the admissions board that’s reading your academic personal statement.

Make sure that the tone throughout your text is positive and conveys your enthusiasm for the program. Your academic personal statement should show the admissions committee that you really want to be there, and why that’s beneficial to everyone involved.

#7. Proofread Your Statement

This step probably isn’t surprising to you but it’s worth paying attention to.

Your academic personal statement is a very formal document and it should be spotless. 

So, make sure it adheres to academic writing conventions . For example, contractions like “I’m” instead of “I am” are informal, and should be avoided.

Mistakes like these are very common when writing about yourself, particularly when you’re used to describing yourself in informal environments.

Carefully proofread your academic personal statement, then run it through a grammar checker like Grammarly or Quillbot, then proofread it again.

The tiniest grammar mistake or typo could make the admissions board reject your application.

Academic Personal Statement Example

Ever since my first encounter with the enchanting worlds spun by Flaubert, Balzac, and Proust, my intellectual pursuits have gravitated toward French literature. With an undergraduate degree focused on French Language and Literature, I have been fortunate to explore my passions both theoretically and empirically, embedding them within broader themes of cultural theory and comparative literature. It is with great excitement that I apply for the postgraduate research position in the French Literature program at Kent University, with the aim of contributing novel scholarly perspectives to this captivating field.

Academic Background and Research Interests

During my undergraduate studies, I delved deeply into the realms of 19th-century Realism and Naturalism. My senior thesis, which examined the dialectics of morality and social structures in Balzac's "La Comédie Humaine," was not merely an academic exercise; it served as a crucible where my theoretical understandings were rigorously tested. This research experience intensified my interest in the complex interplay between literature and societal norms, a theme I am eager to further explore in my postgraduate work.

Methodological Approaches

My academic approach is fundamentally interdisciplinary. I strongly believe that literature should not be studied in a vacuum; rather, it should be contextualized within historical, sociological, and psychological paradigms. During a semester abroad in Paris, I took courses in cultural anthropology and French history, an enriching experience that complemented my literature-focused studies. This holistic approach will enable me to contribute a multifaceted perspective to the research endeavors at Kent University.

Previous Research and Scholarly Engagements

My scholarly activities have also extended beyond the classroom. Last summer, I participated in an international conference on French Literature and Post-Colonial Theory, presenting a paper on the depictions of colonial landscapes in Dumas' adventure novels. The opportunity to engage with academics from various disciplines provided me with fresh insights and underscored the importance of collaborative research. Further, I've had the honor of having a review article published in the Sheffield Journal of Contemporary Literary Explorations, where I critiqued a groundbreaking new translation of Verne's works.

Extracurricular Contributions and Skills

In addition to my academic achievements, I have sought to enrich my department’s intellectual community. I served as the editor of our departmental journal and organized a series of seminars featuring guest speakers from the worlds of academia and publishing. My strong organizational skills, combined with proficiency in both written and spoken French and English, make me a versatile candidate capable of adding value to the French Literature program’s broader objectives.

To summarize, my deep-rooted passion for French literature, fortified by rigorous academic training and interdisciplinary methodologies, makes me an ideal candidate for the postgraduate research position in your esteemed program. The prospect of contributing to academic discourse at Kent University is an opportunity I find deeply compelling. I am especially excited about the potential for collaborative research and interdisciplinary inquiries, which aligns perfectly with my academic philosophy. I am fully committed to leveraging my skills, experiences, and enthusiasm to make a substantive scholarly contribution to the study of French Literature. Thank you for considering my application; I am keenly looking forward to the possibility of furthering my academic journey in this vibrant intellectual community.

FAQs on Academic Personal Statements

If you’re wondering anything else about academic personal statements, check out the answers to the most frequently asked questions related to them here:

#1. How do you start a personal statement for an academic job?

Applying for an academic job is different from applying for a position as a student. First, you need to establish your qualifications and enthusiasm for the role immediately.

Start by explaining your current status, for example, as a postdoctoral researcher or an experienced member of the faculty, and specify the position you are applying for. Then follow up with your research interests or personal philosophy towards teaching.

You can add a personal anecdote or compelling fact that summarizes your academic journey so far, or your passion for the field. After that, your academic personal statement can go deeper into the qualifications from your academic CV and how you’re a great fit for the position.

#2. How do I introduce myself in an academic personal statement?

The introduction of your academic personal statement is the key to grabbing the attention of the admissions committee.

Start by stating the field or subject that interests you, and why. You can share a specific personal anecdote or observation that led you to this academic pursuit and set the stage for the detailed explanation in your main body.

The goal of your introduction is to give the reader a sense of who you are, what drives you, and why you would be a valuable addition to their department.

#3. Is an academic personal statement like an essay?

Yes, an academic personal statement can be considered a type of essay.

Both essays and academic personal statements are structured forms of writing that are meant to deliver a coherent argument and are divided into an introduction, body, and conclusion. They provide supporting evidence to prove the point and maintain a logical flow to guide the reader to the final conclusion.

However, essays tend to be objective and explore a specific topic or question in depth. Academic personal statements use similar techniques but they present the candidate’s qualifications, experiences, and aspirations in a way that’s meant to persuade the admissions committee.

#4. How long is an academic personal statement?

Typically, an academic personal statement is between 500 and 1000 words long.

The exact length of the text varies depending on the university and program you’re applying to. You should always check the specific requirements for your desired program, and stick to the guidelines you find.

However, if the university you’re applying to doesn’t specify a word count, you should aim for one to two pages.

#5. What do I avoid in an academic personal statement?

Since your personal statement is a crucial part of your academic application, it’s important to avoid any common mistakes.

Make sure the content of your academic personal statement isn’t too generic. Its goal is to give insight into you as an individual, beyond what can be read in your CV . 

You should also avoid cramming too many points in your text. Your academic personal statement should follow a logical flow, and focus on the relevance of what you’re sharing about yourself and how it relates to the academic program you’re pursuing.

Key Takeaways

And that concludes our guide to writing an academic personal statement!

We hope you feel more confident when crafting your application for that academic program or faculty position you have your sights set on.

Now let’s recap what we talked about so far:

• Academic personal statements are very different from CV personal statements. While CV personal statements are brief paragraphs at the top of the page, an academic personal statement is an in-depth text that details why you’re interested in a given position, and what makes you a good candidate.
• The guidelines on academic personal statements vary according to the institution you’re applying to. Read the brief very carefully, and pay attention to what it says about word count and questions your personal statement should answer. Any mistakes here could result in rejection.
• There are differences between applying for a postgraduate program and applying for a faculty position. But in both cases, you should research the exact place you want to apply to and adjust your application accordingly to match the institution’s values.
• Always proofread your academic personal statement before sending it, even if you’re sure there are no errors.

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How To Write About Extracurriculars

As a new application cycle starts this spring, applicants around the nation are beginning to fill out the Work/Activities sections. This article provides some insight into how to best talk about volunteering experiences in both the local and global community.

In my most recent article I discussed the importance of extracurricular activities in the medical school application . However, the value of extracurricular activities extends far beyond the application – they provide opportunity to develop personal characteristics that will serve you for the rest of your medical practicing career. Traits such as leadership, communication, compassion, and understanding are not learned from lecture halls or textbooks, but are just as important as knowledge to patients and healthcare. A physician who has a wealth of knowledge about medicine is limited if he is unable to connect with his patients and share this information with them. As Theodore Roosevelt said, “nobody cares how much you know, until they know how much you care”

As a new application cycle starts this spring, applicants around the nation are beginning to fill out the Work/Activities sections. Many undergraduates spend time volunteering, and this commitment should be highlighted throughout the app. I thought it’d be fitting to provide some insight into how to best write about extracurriculars and talk about volunteering experiences in the community, both locally and globally.

||Read:  Physician Shadowing – What To Expect and Gain ||

Describe why, not what

The most common mistake that applicants make throughout the Work/Activities section is spending too much time describing the activity itself, rather than focusing on what they learned from the experience and how they grew from their experiences. Too much time describing what the experience is will have the section sounding like a newspaper ad for a job. The application allows 700 characters for each activity, and an extra 1325 for 3 “most meaningful” experiences. A majority of those characters should be dedicated to conveying why the activity was a significant experience. Did you learn to overcome your fear of public speaking or learn to lead a team? Did you realize something about the medical field that you hadn’t noticed before? Was there a valuable lesson that you took away from the experience that will carry on into medical school and beyond? These are the questions that medical schools want answered when they ask about your extracurricular activities in both the written app and in interviews.

||Read: Three Worst Extracurriculars For Medical School ||  

Avoid : “I spent 15 hours a week volunteering in the hospital, where my responsibilities included triaging patients in the waiting room and staying with them while the doctor performed the medical history and physical exam. I also helped escort patients out into the parking lot when they were discharged. The program provided many opportunities to see the daily routine of the hospital”

Instead, say : “My experience volunteering in the hospital proved invaluable to my understanding of the healthcare field. While triaging patients in the waiting room, I came to understand the common concerns of a wide array of patients. I also learned to quickly and accurately obtain information, sometimes under high-pressure situations. The experience came full circle when I had the opportunity to escort discharged patients and learn about their hospital stay.

||Read: Benefits of Undergraduate Medical Research ||

Be specific

The more specific the description, the more convincing your writing will come across to medical schools. Don’t be afraid to be write about specific events or people – a personal anecdote will go farther than a general statement. For example, I was reviewing a personal statement over the weekend and the applicant had mentioned that when a player had sprained his ankle, he found that ” The evaluation process—in my opinion—is the most difficult and important part, and yet also the most exciting part.” Instead, I advised that he describe the entire experience, detailing every motion and emotion: “I passively stretched his ankle inward, to his voiced dismay, and found that with my own two hands, I could already begin to piece together which ligaments were torn. Swelling and redness appeared within seconds, confirming my suspicions of a severe ATF ligament tear. I realized, this was the intellectual motivation I was seeking.”

||Read: Why Should I Volunteer? ||

Focus on your own growth, not theirs

This applies more towards underserved healthcare experiences. When describing experiences from a global health trip or a local health fair, many students will emphasize the difference that they think they are making in the patients’ lives. Try to avoid doing this. Unless you have longitudinal contact with them for longer than 6 months and actually witness their health improve, stay away from making claims that you are drastically making an impact on their health. You will have those opportunities time and again when you are a physician. Let’s be honest – We simply don’t have the medical education and training to diagnose infections, treat traumatic injuries, or manage high blood pressure. As undergraduates, our best qualities are our energy and compassion for others, which can still go along way in an underserved population. Rather than assert the impact you made on the population, describe the impact that they had on you and your perspective.

Avoid : “My 2 week trip abroad to Guatemala was rewarding because showed me that I could change lives of people who had limited resources with blood pressure checks and health education.”

Instead, say : “Assisting in the clinic in Guatemala showed me that cultures all over the world cope with illness in different ways and made me realize how much a patient’s background can influence their health and wellness. It was an eye-opening experience and I hope to continue to develop my passion for global health in medical school.”

The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ProspectiveDoctor

Related posts:

• Tips from a Medical School Admissions Officer
• Why Should You Do Research?
• Physician Shadowing – What to Expect and Gain
• Write About Your Hobbies on the Medical School Application

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Whether you have school-aged children or teens, it takes planning to make sure you're getting enough quality together time.

Set aside time for each other

Look at everyone’s schedule to see if there are any blocks of time that can be designated family time, In between sports practice, appointments, and other extracurricular activities it might seem tricky, but it's worth the effort. Try to select a regular night, maybe once a week, when the entire family gets together for a fun activity, like a game night—or try eat dinner together every night as a family if your schedules permit. By keeping this night on a regular schedule, everyone will know that they need to keep that night clear for family time.

Plan outings

Another way to incorporate family time into your schedule is to plan regular day trips. If this is something that sounds fun for your family, try to plan the trip at least one month in advance. Post it on the family calendar and make sure that everyone is aware of the plan.

Make new traditions

Use your together time to  create family traditions , like carving pumpkins every Halloween or picking the first strawberries of the summer season together. Some families enjoy attending the same local festival every year or entering a 5K walk or run together.

Choose a few nights during the week when you expect everyone to gather around the dinner table. Don't allow the distraction of phones or other electronics. Just eat a meal (don't worry about cooking something elaborate) and have a conversation together.

Studies have shown that eating meals as a family has positive effects on children's physical and mental well-being. It can also reinforce communication and strengthen family bonds.

Feel free to keep the food itself simple. Dinners like grilled cheese sandwiches, tacos, or even cereal are fine, and are all foods are your kids probably love. If you're unable to get together for dinner as a family because of busy schedules, try doing a family breakfast or lunch on the weekends. The key is to come together and enjoy a meal together free of distractions.

Make cleaning your home or caring for your yard a responsibility the whole family shares. Create a  list of chores  and have everyone sign up. Then set a time during the week or on the weekend when everyone can tackle their chores at the same time. 

If your teens have a demanding schedule and need a little more flexibility, give them a deadline to complete their chores. But remind them that doing chores together makes the job go much faster than doing them alone.

What's more, doing chores together also can foster a sense of teamwork, especially if someone gets done early and is willing to help another family member complete their tasks. To make doing chores more rewarding, plan a small reward for when the work is done, like getting ice cream together, watching a movie , or playing a board game .

When most people think about mission statements, they think of nonprofit organizations and businesses. But these documents work well for families, too. Though it may seem a little too business-like, putting together a family mission statement can help you establish your family's priorities in an official way.

A family mission statement can remind everyone about your family's core values or what you love most about each other. The whole family can collaborate on the document, making it a simple and fun to develop as a family. This is a great project for family night. Your statement doesn't have to be long or complicated. Something like "In our family, we love each other and we help each other" is enough (but if your kids want to brainstorm a longer list, let them).

Once completed, display your mission statement in a prominent place in your home. Read it, refer to it, and talk about it often. It helps solidify what is important to your family. If you feel like your family's priorities are off, creating a mission statement is also a good way to get back on track.

Family meetings are a good time for everyone to check in with each other, air grievances, or discuss future plans. For instance, a family meeting is a good time to talk about an upcoming family vacation. how you to plan to complete chores next weekend, or your child's plans post-graduation.

These meetings can be scheduled events on your family calendar, or you can make them impromptu and allow any member of the family to call a meeting if they feel the need. Family meetings also can be used to set family goals.

You may need to establish some guidelines for the meeting, like setting a time limit for speaking and implementing a no talking rule when someone else has the floor. Emphasize, too, the need to be kind, considerate, and respectful. The goal for these meetings is to solve family issues in a productive way.

Feeling supported by your family is one of the most important elements of building strong family bonds. To create a sense of support, encourage everyone to learn what is important to their family members, whether that's career aspirations or hobbies, and to do their best to support each others' interests.

Everyone in the family should feel empowered to share both good and bas news and receive a loving response. The goal is for everyone in the family to rejoice together when things go well, and commiserate when things don't go as planned. When families feel supported, getting through hard times becomes much easier.

While family time is an important part of everyday life, everyone needs downtime, too. Not only should you encourage your kids to spend some quiet time alone to recharge, but you also need to carve out time for yourself .

Parenting is a huge responsibility that can take a toll on you. So be sure you are taking a little time to rest yourself. It's harder than it seems, but you will be a better parent when you do.

Research has shown the more we give, by volunteering or helping others , the happier and more grateful we feel in our own lives. Volunteering has also been linked to several improved health outcomes, including better physical and mental health, increased life satisfaction, higher self-esteem, and decreased depressive symptoms. And when your family shares these experiences together, it will strengthen your relationship.

What's more, volunteering can expose kids to lots of different people and increase their appreciation for those who are different from them. It also teaches children to be more empathetic and less self-centered.

Support Your Child's Interests

Strong families support their family members' passions. Whether that means attending their soccer games, reading a book series they love, or learning a new skill along with them, supporting your child's interests makes them feel loved and proves that are truly invested in their well-being.

If your child is in sports, band, or another school activity, provide support in some way. You don't have to take on a leadership role if that's not your style. Find a way to show your kids that you support what they are doing and want to cheer them on or assist them with their pursuits, whatever those may be.

If you are unsure of where you can help, ask your kids for their thoughts. Asking demonstrates that you care about the things they are interested in.

No one lives in a bubble. We are all part of a community, so be sure your family is building relationships with other families. Whether this is within your neighborhood, your school system, your place of faith, or some other avenue, it is important that you spend time with other families as well.

Doing things together, with other families, will strengthen your own family bonds and help you see how your family members interact with others—you never know what you might learn from them about how to solidify and strengthen family bonds in totally new-to-you ways.

Remember that children of all ages learn by example. The best way to set a positive example for them is by placing high value on family and family bonding. When you set aside special time for family fun and activities, you are demonstrating not only that you value the family, but that you value your children individually as well.

Parent-Child Shared Time from Middle Childhood to Late Adolescence . Society for Research in Child Development . 2012.

The Effect of the Time Parents Spend with Children on Children's Well-Being . Frontiers in Psycholog y. 2023.

Eating Family Meals Together at Home . JAMA Pediatrics . 2024.

Household Chores for Teens . American Academy of Pediatrics . 2024.

Family Relationships and Well-Being . Innovation in Aging . 2017.

Volunteering and Health Benefits in General Adults . BMC Public Health . 2017.

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