Written by Nathalie Rachel Sinyard and A-List team
Nathalie studied PPE at Oxford and has mentored both UK and US students.
The Activities List section of the Common App is an opportunity for you to provide information about your extracurricular and leadership (ECL) activities and achievements. It is a chance for you to show the admissions officers who you are outside of your academic achievements and so is a crucial part of your college application.
This part of the application is limited and has strict character limits, which means that you will need to think carefully about what to include, what to leave out, and how to condense all of your valuable experiences into an absorbing and compelling list that creates a strong impression of who you are.
Read on to discover how to use your summer to paint a compelling picture of yourself and improve your chance of a successful application!
Assessing your current activities
There are various categories you can select from a drop down menu to describe the different types of activities. Although many of the top universities tend to prefer specialists over generalists these days, variety is still valuable. So, it is a good idea to make a list of your current activities and note which category they fall into. If you notice you’re choosing the same category for each activity, it is worth considering how you can frame some of your activities slightly differently. For example, choosing “Environmental” instead of “Community Service (Volunteer)” for a trash pickup initiative, if Community Service is already strongly represented on your list.
It is also worth thinking beyond the categories and considering which skills and qualities you want to showcase and assessing your current list for strong evidence of these. Once you have identified any gaps or imbalances in your list you now have a strong strategy for enhancing your list significantly as you can specifically seek out and create activities that fill these gaps.
Creative summer activities
The summer is a perfect opportunity for you to design absorbing and impactful activities that can be initiated and completed during this period. Many activities such as volunteering are highly impactful, give a chance to develop valuable skills quickly, and have no fixed duration.
There are other activities too that you can also choose their scope and duration such as a personal research project or a video series.
There are also online courses in many different areas, societies that you can join online and in person, and events that you can participate in such as fundraisers and exhibitions.
You can also look for various work experience opportunities such as internships, though these usually need to be applied for in advance.
It's crucial to be guided by the area of your list you want to develop, and the skills you want to demonstrate, and be proactive.
5 tips to create an engaging activities list
Brainstorm
Start by brainstorming a comprehensive list of all your extracurricular activities, hobbies, and interests. It can be tempting to skip this step and just go straight into writing the descriptions, but this stage is valuable in extracting the maximum value from each activity and in identifying areas for improvement.
Think about the following:
- Activities and extracurriculars at school
- Clubs in your local community
- Sports
- Leadership positions - such as Head Girl/ Boy, Prefect, or mentoring/tutoring roles at your school
- Responsibilities in your home
- Jobs and work experience – paid or unpaid
- Voluntary or community service
- Arts and music
- Religious activities
- Hobbies
Identify
Look at your list and narrow it down and rank your top ten activities. Ideally, you will do this with a professional advisor! Your advisor will have a better sense of how important these activities may seem to an outside reader.
You will rank your most impactful activity first and also rank highly anything that you were the first, best or only person to do. Your list does not have to be chronological.
Prioritise
Focus on activities that showcase your growth, leadership, teamwork, and impact on your community.
For each activity, during the brainstorm, take some time to note down what you achieved and the problem you solved; the skills you developed; how you then applied these skills specifically.
Craft a concise and compelling description
Highlight your role, responsibilities, and achievements. Be specific and clear.
If your role doesn’t have a title, for example if you created a podcast, give it one yourself - such as Creator, The Investing Show podcast.
Tailor your activities list to the specific college or course you are applying to
Emphasise activities that align with your academic and career goals.
The admissions officers want to see that you have thought deeply about your university ambitions and are taking steps towards achieving them, while developing the skills and personal qualities that will make you a success there.
How to showcase authenticity in your activities
Focus on activities that reflect your genuine passions and interests, not what you think others want to see.
It can be tempting to overthink or be influenced by others about what will sound impressive. But the truth is, there is huge diversity in the applications that are accepted by top universities, and it is always more valuable to include activities where you have a real passion or commitment you can demonstrate.
Emphasise the skills, values, and growth you gained from each activity, rather than just listing accomplishments.
This is critical in showing real engagement and reflection on what you are doing, which is a sign of the maturity and ambition that admissions officers are looking for.
Be honest about any challenges or setbacks you faced and how they contributed to your learning and development.
These can be seen very positively as they demonstrate resilience and self-reflection, so don’t stress about making your activity list too “perfect”.
Quantify your impact and accomplishments. Use specific examples and details to bring your activities to life and make them relatable to the reader.
How many people did you serve or help? How many people were you chosen from for that leadership position? How much did you raise for charity?
Highlighting leadership and initiative in your activities
Mention leadership positions held in clubs, organisations, or teams, and explain your responsibilities.
You don’t have to be the captain of the team or the founder of the charity to show leadership. Just think about where you have to make decisions, persuade others, and take responsibility and you are showing leadership.
Balancing breadth and depth in your activities
Show that you have multiple interests and are a well-rounded person. Aim to include activities from different areas, such as academics, sports, arts, community service, and personal hobbies.
Brainstorming will help you to identify if your list is balanced or could benefit from adding some diversity.
Even more important than breadth, is how involved you are in a particular activity and your commitment to it over time and on a deeper level (your extracurricular list will ask you how long you have been engaged in an activity).
Demonstrate your commitment by including activities that you have consistently participated in over a significant period. This is important in showcasing your ability to commit to something.
Prioritise describing a few activities in depth rather than listing many with minimal details.
Crafting compelling activity descriptions
Incorporate vivid and descriptive language to paint a picture of your experiences and contributions.
Why are you involved? How did you get involved? Were you nominated or chosen by peers or teachers?
Activities list example
Treasurer, Science Society, Windermere School
8 hr/wk, 42 wk/yr. We are amongst the highest academically achieving students at our school, who collectively and consistently participate in community service projects.
Student, Class TA, Robotics Fundamentals, Online Course at Carnegie Mellon University
4 hr/wk, 10 wk/yr. Learned the fundamentals of computer programming, robot assembly, and worked as a team in competitions.
Summer intern, Center for Advanced Head & Neck Surgery, Paid Summer Internship
20 hr/wk, 12 wk/yr. Learned how to operate screening & diagnostic technologies under Dr. Anderson; assisted in patient care & diagnosis in Otolaryngology & Oncology.
Leader/Concertmaster, Manchester Youth Chamber Ensemble, audition-based community choir
4 hr/wk, 32 wk/yr. Led ensemble in rehearsal and performance, coordinate rehearsal times; aided 12 members in learning music; presented 2 free community concerts.
Volunteer, Manchester Boys & Girls Club, Youth Mentorship Afterschool Program
4 hr/wk, 8 wk/yr. Served as mentor for 22 year 8 children; helped prepare lunch, entertain, and tutor students in math and science.
Number 1 Singles Starter, First Division Girls Tennis, Windermere School
3 hr/wk, 30 wk/yr. Practiced and conditioned daily, led daily stretches, competed in district and regional matches against other schools; Winner in 2 district matches (11th, 12th) and Runner-up in regional match (12th).
Number 1 Doubles Starter, Captain (L6), Girls Tennis, Windermere School
3 hr/wk, 30 wk/yr Three-year League Champions; planned and hosted team banquet, led team warmups and meetings; Coach's Award Recipient (11th); Team Spirit Award (12th).
Local violin tutor
3 hr/wk, 14 wk/yr. Provided foundational instruction on music and basics of classical violin; developed strong interpersonal/musical skills.
Part-time EMT, Westmoreland Medical Center, 1 of 5 EMTs selected for job out of 65
24 hr/wk, 46 wk/yr. Responded to emergency calls, performed BLS protocols, interacted with patients/families, assisted paramedics, organised ambulance rigs.
Volunteer, British Red Cross, Windermere School Club
4 hr/wk, 12 wk/yr. Assisted supervisors, filed paperwork, made phone calls to donors, prepared facilities for training programs by helping with class planning; raised £400+ in weekend clothes swap event.
The bottom line
A successful and absorbing activities list is more than simply a list of your extracurriculars. It's an engaging picture of who you are outside of the classroom. By following the strategies in this guide, you can be sure that your activities list highlights your leadership, impact, initiative, and ambition and creates a memorable impression for admissions officers.
If you need any advice writing your list, the experts at A-List are here to help. We have successfully guided over 100,000 students since 2005. Each year, our students secure placements at 200 US universities, including all 8 Ivy League schools and other 50 top international institutions.
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