Extra Curriculars: What is the Right Amount?

The Unigo Expert Network is a group of top education experts from across the US answering questions submitted by students and parents about college admissions and succeeding after high school. 


“I’ve heard that spending a little time with many extracurricular activities is less attractive than a ton of time with one or a few.  If I haven’t found an activity I’m passionate about, how can I still seem like a dedicated individual?”—Tami G., Pine Bluff, AR.


A: Follow your passion

Quality not quantity is something to remember when engaging in activities. Too often students think that they need to do everything and be great in school. If you are searching for an inspiring activity and nothing seems to match, take some time to evaluate what you have tried. What did you like and what did you not like and why? Even by not finding some activity that suits you is a learning experience as long as you take the time to determine why you did not like it. What is your passion? Take your passion and make it work for you?

Hamilton Gregg – Educational Consultant - Private Practice

   
A: Size of the college is one variable to consider in your college search 

You are who you are, but that doesn’t mean you can’t grow. If your list of activities does not paint a picture of being well rounded, it would be disingenuous to portray yourself otherwise. This dilemma can be a personal wake up call for you to take a risk, leave your comfort area, and engage in a meaningful activity. Ask people who know you, your family, friends, teachers, and counselor for ideas. This might be a struggle for you, but I encourage you to embrace this problem, worry less about how things look, and focus on finding meaning in this dilemma. Then share your journey with colleges!

John Frahlich— Counseling Department Chair - Hudson High School

A: With extracurricular activities, sometimes less is more

Yes, colleges want to enroll a well-rounded class.  However, that doesn’t always mean that every individual is well-rounded in his or her interests or talents; rather, collectively, a class is made up of a mosaic, and each tile shines in different ways.  Your contributions should be sustained and meaningful.  Find things you care about and do them well. Perhaps you will lead, perhaps you will support; but make sure you contribute.  Your significant activity might even be a job where you learn a lot.  Commitment and depth is far more important (for your application and for your life!) than joining a bunch of clubs to make your list longer. 

 

Monica Inzer– Vice President & Dean of Admission & Financial Aid - Hamilton College

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Getting Ready For Senior Year

The Unigo Expert Network is a group of top education experts from across the US answering questions submitted by students and parents about college admissions and succeeding after high school.

See answers from the Dean of Admissions from University of Pennsylvania, Wesleyan, and have your questions answered at www.unigo.com/expertnetwork  
“As a junior looking to stay on top of my college admissions timeline, what are the most important things for me to be doing before senior year starts?” – Andrew S., Renton, WA

A: You have to know what you want to go for it!

It’s easy to get excited about summer break and zone out during the last weeks of school, but these are the days that count! So wake up and start planning! Your first step is to research colleges and programs that fit your needs and interests. That’s where a counselor comes into play. Set up a meeting with one and get some guidance picking colleges and majors that seem interesting to you. Once you’ve narrowed down your options you can start applying. Sure the application process can get overwhelming, but if you’ve picked some top schools and majors you’ve already tackled some of the hardest work!
Enid Arbelo – Editor in Chief, NextStepU
   
A: Getting ready for your college search, think "marathon," not "sprint"

By planning ahead, you can be ready to hit the ground running in senior year.  Do what you can this year, beginning with SAT and ACT testing.  Try to take each twice in second semester.  Learn about the options: large v small; urban v. rural or suburban; liberal arts college v. university.  Don't "think" you know the differences--take time to see samples of each.  Do this at schools near you--you'll learn how to "do" a college visit and be ready for serious campus visits in the summer and fall.
Susan Sykes – President, SS Advisor

A: Follow a clear game plan and meet your objectives efficiently

Paradoxically, much depends on junior year accomplishments, yet application time seems remote in 11th Grade. Sharpen focus by targeting your college goals early; then design and carry out an efficient game plan. Top students aim for highest grades in challenging classes, ace standardized tests through solid preparation and establish strong relationships with teachers/coaches. They invest personal time in meaningful extracurricular activities, assuming leadership roles when offered. Consider how you can excel in unique ways to differentiate yourself from other good students - through competitions, independent study, talents, community service. Above all, maintain your zeal for knowledge and joy in learning.
Gail Lewis – Educational Consultant, College Goals

A: Sign up to take challenging courses in your senior year

Contrary to popular belief, senior year is definitely not the time to slack off and take it easy. That is because colleges tend to look for and choose students who they believe are likely to be academically successful at their school. The best things you can do to show them that are to maintain strong grades and sign up to take challenging courses next year. By choosing to take more rigorous classes, and succeeding in them, you demonstrate to colleges that you have both the motivation to take on new challenges and the preparation needed to do college level work.
Julie Manhan – Founder, College Navigation

A: Juniors should commit to working hard in their academics

As the junior year progresses and the college admissions process begins, it is important to remember that a student’s first commitment should continue to be working hard in all their courses.  Throughout the college admissions process the student’s academic performance is the most important element in being successful.  Also, talk with your guidance counselor, develop a testing schedule and discuss what things you (the student ) have done in and outside of school since starting grade 9.  Remember, the guidance counselor is going to be writing your recommendation and knowing you well is the key to being able to highlight your accomplishments.
Elinor Adler – Founder, Elinor Adler College Counseling
   
Don’t miss answers by the Dean of Admissions from University of Pennsylvania, Wesleyan, and more – at www.unigo.com/expertnetwork.  To send your question to our experts, visit www.unigo.com/expertquestions

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Top 10 Tips that High School Students Wish they Knew Before College

The essential things that all High School Students need to know before College.

There are plenty of things that high school students need to know, but I have compiled a list of advice that is essential to all high school students to know before college. The sooner students read this list, the better.

1. Know the college rankings. Those can be found here on an old post along with some commentary on 2011 College Rankings. It is important to know the college rankings because it helps in student's applications and everything leading up to those decisions. Obviously, students who want to apply to the top 10 schools will need higher grades and test scores than if they want to apply to the bottom 50. Knowing where the college you want to go to ranks is very beneficial in the long run. 

Image by Van Jasek

2. Consider your options for textbooks. While there will always be students who buy their books, a new and popular craze is renting college textbooks. The cost of renting textbooks is much lower than buying, which is great for students who are short on cash. These cheap textbooks are a great alternative for students who already have enough to worry about. Many college students wish they had found out about renting textbooks sooner and saved some serious money.

3. Do not fall for The Biggest College Myth. The myth is that only the best colleges, like Harvard, will help students to succeed in life. This is absolutely untrue. Any college will help students develop the skills needed to succeed in life, whether it is Ivy, community college or even online university. It doesn’t matter if you choose to earn a degree in nursing or a cyber security degree; the point is that it’s more important that everyone goes to college no matter how you earn your degree.

4. So now students are in high school and deciding what classes to take and whether or not to take AP classes. It is important that these students read about the life of The AP Student so that they are fully aware of what they are getting into. AP life is not by any means easy; I call it an endless cycle of sleep deprivation for a reason. While AP classes look great for college, there are major sacrifices to be made for them.

5. Soon test time comes around and students are faced with standardized tests for the first time in their lives. Unfortunately, standardized tests are very important which I discuss in Just How Important are Standardized Tests?  These tests are the only way that colleges can compare all of the applicants on a fair and even playing field, because EVERYONE takes the same test on the same day. So needless to say, they are pretty important. If you are having difficulty deciding between the ACT and SAT then read this article comparing the two tests.

6. The question then arises of whether or not to take SAT prep classes. Some people do not need these classes, but for most high school students, they are absolutely necessary. The article Is Test Prep Worth It dives into the value of test prep. Long story short, SAT test prep classes, no matter where a student takes them, will positively affect a student's scores and college applications.

7. During this entire time, students are faced with the everyday challenges of school. Tests in high school are very common, and finals kill all students. It is important that high school students know how to study well and efficiently, so that they do not kill themselves of exhaustion and still get a C. I discuss many tips and good study habits in Crunch Time Study Tips: How to Study for Finals.

There are also other secrets to getting work done, which you can find here in Getting Work Done In High School.

8. Besides school, students also need extra curriculars for their college applications. Extra curriculars are VERY important to any college application because they put a face on a piece of paper that is otherwise just monotonous numbers. Activities Outside of School is our most popular article because it is brief and really gives a great summary of extra curricular activities. For a more in depth analysis on extra curricular activities, Using Extra Curriculars for College explains how to get the most out of extra curriculars and look the best as possible for college.

9. All of these activities and events leave high school students with the impression that there is Not Enough Time (another article) for everything that they want to accomplish. Students must realize that in order to succeed in school they need to sacrifice some things, such as excessive partying and laziness. School and school related activities take up around 12 hours of every day, not counting homework. Students must learn to prioritize and focus their time on school if they want to succeed.

10. Finally, all students will need some sort of help getting into college. We have a nice list of tips and suggestions on Tips to Help You Get Into College. This article is a nice summary of almost everything that high school students need to focus on in order to gain admission into the colleges of their choice. Make sure to read this article!

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Activities Outside of School: The Secret to College

Do you want to go to a good College? Most people want to go to a good school, but there is so much competition to get into college today. A student needs some way to edge out everyone else and earn that coveted spot. So what is the secret to getting into a good college? Besides performing well in school, extra curricular activities are the determining factor for college admissions. A school might have two very smart and qualified applicants; one who plays computer games during his free time and another who volunteers at the local animal shelter. Who do you think that the school will admit most of the time? In most cases the answer is clear. Pretty simple secret right?

Image by Harish Sharma

The way a student chooses to spent his or her free time leaves a very powerful impression on a college. Activities outside of school are very important to all universities. These activities can be almost anything, as long as they are something. Colleges love to ask about extra curricular activities, so have something good to say. Some of the most notable questions that a college tries to answer before admitting a student are: What will this student bring to our school? Will admitting this student make our school a better place? and What can this student add to our community that the other student (who plays video games) cannot? Extra curricular activities are the best way to show colleges what a student is interested in and how he or she expands on that interest. Because most of admissions are tests and grades, activities outside of school are the best way to show a student's personal self. They put a human face on an application.

It is important, however, not to overwork oneself with activities outside of school. It is better to have 2 or 3 particular hobbies or activities to spend time on than to have 6 or 7. Participating in just 2 or 3 means that the student can dedicate more time to these activities and become better at them. Schools like to see dedication, not sheer numbers. Colleges also realize that a student cannot do everything and do not expect him or her to. For this reason, less is more, regarding extra curricular activities. However, at the same time, it is important to make sure to do SOMETHING. I understand that it is difficult for many, if not most teens to sleep, let alone dedicate time to other activities, but it must be done. There is no choice. Sure you could do nothing other than focus on school, but such a limited view will not get anyone far in college. Make time for extra curricular activities- that is one of the biggest secrets to college admission.

Most importantly however, is not to abandon living a normal life. It is very easy to get lost in the bubble known as school and forget about everything other than the test on Monday, or the SAT a few weeks from now. It happens to everyone so do not fret. Although school and applications are important, it is only one part of life. Colleges want students who enjoy living life, because these people make life worth living. Living and experiencing life is the best extra curricular that any student can participate in. Try and work hard, but never give up living life to its fullest.

For much more on this same topic please read my article Using Extra Curricular Activities for College. It goes into much more depth about extra curricular activities and how to use them for college admissions.

    

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