The Complete Guide to the Common App Activities List

It is difficult to overstate the importance of extracurriculars in college admissions, particularly for top-tier universities. Stellar academics, including top grades in rigorous classes and high standardized test scores, form the foundation of an excellent profile; however, admissions officers are most drawn to candidates who are not only exceptional students, but who also have stand-out extracurriculars. Extracurricular activities and accomplishments paint a full picture of a student’s identity and passions, differentiate a student from thousands of other qualified applicants, and enable admissions officers to envision a student’s future role and contributions on campus.?

On major application platforms including the Common Application, the Coalition Application (now Scoir), and the UC system application, there is one critical place for students to report the full scope of their extracurriculars during the past four years of high school: the activities list. Often, students understand the importance of writing strong essays for their college applications, but unwittingly fail to realize that the activities list is of equal, if not greater, importance. Students can unintentionally make many errors, especially if they are not accustomed to the strict, resume-like style of writing that the application platforms require. Common errors include forgetting to list significant activities (e.g., summer programs, out-of-school activities, notable family responsibilities, unique hobbies), writing weak descriptions that include redundant information or inefficient wording, and generally failing to proofread and polish the list for maximum readability.?

Taking time to understand the purpose of the activities list and learning the best strategies for writing effectively will allow seniors to avoid these issues and present themselves in the best possible light. Command Education’s recently released guide to the activities list aims to assist current seniors who are in the process of writing or refining their lists. The guide explains each component of the activities list, discusses how students can use their activities list to convey their hook, and offers step-by-step advice on how to fill out the activities list on the Common Application, a platform frequently used to submit college applications. Because students typically better understand how to write a great activities list after reading a high-quality example, our guide also includes a well-executed sample activities list of an accomplished (fictional) student-athlete. The example activities list and the accompanying explanation can help students learn to craft a narrative within their applications via a well-selected group of extracurriculars and achievement-oriented descriptions.?

As summer is wrapping up, these next few weeks are the perfect time for seniors to write and polish their activities lists. By tackling the activities list now, seniors will give themselves time to write impactful descriptions and consider the nuances of their list, such as proper ordering and consistent formatting. They should also leave themselves time to ask a counselor or mentor for a review of their activities list. All students should have a trusted adult, preferably a guidance counselor or another person with college counseling expertise, read over their activities list and ensure that it is accurate, well-written, well-formatted, and reflective of their activities and accomplishments. As one of the most important components of a high school student’s college application, students must devote considerable time, care, and attention to the activities list to communicate who they truly are to colleges.