Activities and Interests

Get Into College—Activities and Interests

First Steps Chapters

First Steps

Self-Assessment

Academics

Activities and Interests

The Search Begins Chapters

The Search Begins

Reaches Matches Safeties

Application Process Chapters

Applying to College

GPA and Transcripts

Standardized Tests

Preparing for Standardized Tests

ECAs

Myths and Fact about ECAs

Early, Regular, Rolling

The Application

Writing the College Essay

Letters of Recommendation

Supplementary Materials

Surviving the Interview

Hooks and Intangibles

Financial Aid

- Need-based vs need-blind

- What you want is not always what you get

- Building your aid package

- Where to learn more

What Happens Next?

- Awaiting admissions decision

- Waitlisted

- Time to reflect

Transfers

Taking a Year Off

International Students

List of all USA Colleges

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It ought to be simple, BUT Getting into an American college can be an intimidating and scary process. There was a time—maybe 20, or 30 years ago—when students would put in three applications and were accepted into one, or two schools. Today, the admissions process has become a high-stake obstacle course.

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List your activities and interests

Colleges want to know what you do. They will ask you how you spend your time. What were you involved in when you were in high school? How often do you participate in playing lacrosse? The deans of admissions at selective colleges will want to find out what makes you tick, what kind of activities pique your interest, and how do you spend your time when you are not in the classroom.

Example questions you can ask yourself:

What activities do I enjoy most outside of the classroom?

How would I sacrifice my time to do this activity?

Will there be time and opportunity for me to continue pursuing this activity when I enter college?

How important is it that my prospective school provide ample opportunity for me to continue doing these?

As for myself, I am very much involved in 3D animation and video production. So when I look for schools, I make sure that they at least have student organizations devoted to film-making. Even if they do not, most schools allow you to set up your own organization once you are a student there. Bear in mind though, that it is probably a good idea for you to communicate with current students to find out the type of social scene that exists there.

“What clubs should I join to get into Y University?”

It doesn’t matter what you do; colleges want to know what you do outside of the academic circle! Cutting grass, looking after your three siblings, pumping gas, painting portraits, riding horses, walking neighborhood dogs, collecting antique medicine bottles, all count.

When I heard that last sentence from the first college admissions counselor I met, I asked her, “Why would a dean want to know that I pumped gas?” She told me that it showed the kind of character and personality I had as an applicant. Deans and their colleges are very interested to know about an applicant as an individual, not as a set of numbers, and test scores.

So there you have it. Everything counts! What you do, and what you love to do, will and should affect your choices of schools.

Read more about how colleges look at your extra-curricular activities.