How important is it to have a lot of extra-curricular activities on your resume when applying to college?

Answer 1

It is a very subjective question.

When applying to the UK you need to submit a personal statement highlighting not only your academic achievements but also your extra-curricular activities.

Many students apply to prestigious universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Nottingham, Sheffield etc....

It is here that your extra-curricular activities will distinguish you from the rest.

Moreover certain universities in the UK and USA offer scholarships to students who have excelled in fields such as sports etc.

Previously Indian colleges placed little emphasis on co-curricular activities. However at present, prestigious colleges place significant importance on Extra-curricular activities.

Just remember not to join too many clubs just to fill your resume. It is important to be involved in the few clubs/activities of which you are a member. Also, be sure to be an active participant from Freshmen year, not just right before college application time.

Answer 2

Extracurricular activities are important for college admissions... but maybe not for the reason you think there.Your question popped out to me because you didn't ask if extracurriculars are important, but if having a LOT of them is important. And the answer to that is... NO.For some reason, people seem to think that the more “stuff” you have in your college application, the better your chances are at getting in. This is not true. In fact, admissions committees can always spot a stuffed resume, and it’s an instant red flag. When it comes to extracurricular activities, it's all about DEPTH, not BREADTH.Colleges don't want their students to be involved in extracurricular activities just for the sake of it. These activities are important because it shows the admissions committees what you care about and what you will bring to their campus community. So instead of PACKING your "resume" with 50 activities in which you are very casually involved (going to one meeting a month or...a year!), what you SHOULD be doing is figuring out what you LOVE to do and what you're passionate about. Is that art? Is it rescuing animals? Is it theater? Is it politics? It doesn't matter what you're getting involved in, so long as it is something you care about. Because when you care about something, you'll naturally want to get very involved in it and dedicate your time to it. And THAT is what the schools want to see. Pick two or three activities that you love/can excel at, get involved early, and then continue to get more and more involved over time so you can take on leadership roles and make an impact. This is going to give you lots of awesome stuff to write about/show off in your apps, of course. But even more, since this is stuff you already care about, you'll actually enjoy the time you're spending and you'll learn a lot and you'll grow a lot... and those are all great things that are going to benefit you once you get INTO college!