College admissions officers want to admit students who are serious about their personal and academic goals and are able to take the initiative. This is why it is important to showcase your leadership skills in your college applications, especially as you start thinking about what makes you stand out to colleges as you move forward with your college applications.
College applications can be incredibly competitive, especially if you are interested in attending an elite institution such as an
Ivy League college. Leadership positions and opportunities are a great way to demonstrate your passion, commitment, and dedication while helping you learn how to stand out to ivy league colleges.
There are lots of leadership opportunities to pursue in high school. Some high school clubs naturally foster leadership abilities through the nature of the club. This is often the case with extracurriculars and clubs involving student government, mock trials, model congress, or other related activities.
Another way to pursue leadership opportunities is by acting as an executive officer for a high school club. These roles often include acting as the president, vice president, secretary, or treasurer.
There are countless ways to demonstrate your leadership abilities. The list to the right includes some of the best extracurriculars for college that will help you gain leadership experience as you continue to prepare for your college career.
Many prestigious schools recruit talented student-athletes; this is especially the case for Ivy League schools. Being recruited is an important aspiration for many high school athletes. This is not the only way, however, that athletic participation can enhance your college application.
Participation in sports can highlight important values such as hard work, determination, teamwork, and a desire for excellence. Athletic coaches can be valuable resources for students as well, especially when considering who to ask for personalized college recommendations.
There are countless ways to participate in athletics during high school. As is the case with all extracurriculars and clubs, continued involvement throughout your high school career will help demonstrate commitment, passion, and responsibility.
The following list includes popular athletic extracurricular activities. Learn valuable life skills about teamwork, hard work, and communication by joining a team!
There are countless ways to invest in your community by pursuing various volunteer opportunities. Giving back to your community is an important way to demonstrate passion and initiative. Volunteer opportunities can also grant your college application a competitive edge, especially as you consider how to stand out to ivy league colleges.
Working with professionals and organizations in your community can be an important opportunity for personal, academic, and professional growth. These opportunities could also result in meaningful college recommendation letters, as well as potential employment or internships.
Demonstrate your passion and commitment by including various volunteer opportunities on your college applications. The examples to the right will give you some good ideas to get started!
Internships and part-time and/or summer jobs can help you stand out to colleges on your college applications. These opportunities will help demonstrate personal initiative, responsibility, maturity, and commitment. Jobs and internships can also help expose you to potential career options, as well as present you with valuable networking opportunities, as you transition into college and start thinking more seriously about your potential career. This is an important tip for college applications.
The possibilities for employment and internships are endless. Do your research and see what’s available in your area. Reach out to teachers, your high school guidance counselor, coaches, mentors, and other professionals in your life to find out more about opportunities that may be available to you in order to help with college applications and learn how to stand out to colleges.
Consider pursuing an internship at a library, museum, education center, hospital, publication, or research center. There may be opportunities for one-on-one mentorships available to you as well, whether you are interested in the arts, sciences, finances, media, or more.
Academics, class ranking, college essays, and SAT scores are all important college admissions factors. Extracurricular activities and clubs, however, are equally important. This is why it is important to be involved in your community through your involvement in academic clubs, the arts, athletics, leadership opportunities, volunteer opportunities, internships, and work experience.
College admissions officers appreciate students who commit to clubs, teams, and extracurricular activities all four years of high school. This is because continued involvement shows passion, commitment, and responsibility. When thinking about how many extracurriculars for college, focus instead on how to best contribute meaningfully to a few extracurricular activities. This is among the top tips for filling out college applications.
College essays and extracurricular activities are important ways to share personal details on the Common App. It’s important to use every opportunity available to you to personalize your college applications and give admissions committees a reason to want to admit you to their college. This is especially true today, as applications become increasingly more competitive.
As you continue your high school career, make goals for yourself and seek out additional college planning resources to help with college applications. If you feel like you could benefit from professional, individualized assistance, reach out to learn more about our services .
