Episode Summary

What do your activities say about your interests, priorities and contributions to your community? Number four in our series on the “big five” elements in college applications is a discussion of high school activities. 

This series of five episodes is focused on the primary elements of a college application and geared towards students who are applying to college in the fall.

While not every college will use all five elements, it’s important to understand how to make the most of describing your extracurricular experiences if you are asked to include them in your applications. 

Colleges use activities to help them shape a class. We talk about depth of commitment, leadership roles, your responsibilities, and what counts as an extracurricular activity. Don’t forget to include activities like self-paced learning, hobbies and summer programs! 

 Big hot-button activity issue? How much volunteering and community service is enough?

In our tips segment we offer suggestions around how to maximize your activities descriptions, including using powerful results-oriented words. Remember, results can include not just those that impact others but also results that impact you! 

Time Stamps:

0:38 What Are We Learning This Week? Inspired by her students, Whitney tells us about her 340-day streak using Duolingo to learn Spanish. This kind of self-instruction is a great addition to your activities listing.

6:00 Big Picture: Learn about the role of activities in your application and how to frame them within the context of a holistic admissions review.

15:31  “Stump the IEC (Independent Educational Consultant)” Mascot madness: can you name the university whose sport teams share the name of this popular admissions application activity?

16:53 Tips and Strategies to help you make the most of the limited space in your activities descriptions on your college applications. 

More Than A Transcript © is a production of Whitney Bruce College Consulting and College Options, LLC. It is supported by Susan Lanigan and Katie Bruce, with artwork by Heidi Rehbock and original music by Will Morrow.

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Thanks for listening!