How to Choose the Best Extracurricular Activities in High School

Extracurricular activities matter, not just for personal growth, but for college admissions. This is why it’s important to choose your high school extracurriculars with care. But what if you don’t know what you’re passionate about? Or have too many interests? Feeling lost about your passions and interests is common, especially in high school. Luckily there are ways to begin identifying what motivates and intrigues you through personal reflection. 

Before we get started, remember, picking your extracurriculars is not about finding the ‘best’ or ‘hardest’ activities. It is about identifying what you can do outside of the classroom that offers personal enrichment and reflects your unique interests. 

In this article, we will provide you with 5 steps to consider when selecting the best extracurricular activities for college applications. By following these steps, you can choose extracurriculars that will help you grow personally and get into top colleges.

Choosing the right extracurricular activities for you means getting to know yourself. Most students, especially freshmen and sophomores, only have a vague idea of what they are interested in. That’s okay! This process takes time. Most likely, you’ll join some extracurricular activities that aren’t a good fit. It’s all part of the process. 

Personal reflection can help you pinpoint your interests and ensure your extracurriculars align with your goals and interests. A good exercise to begin identifying interests is to think broadly about what motivates you or makes you happy. 

Does helping others spark a sense of joy? Does physical activity feel rewarding? Does reading bring you peace? Think about what classes you like, what daily activities you enjoy doing, or a subject you want to learn more about. For instance, if you are interested in the arts, you may want to consider joining some of the Best Extracurricular Activities for Students Interested in the Arts.

Once you have done some brainstorming, write down a list of things you want to learn or values you want to have once you complete high school. Having a strong idea of who you want to be will help guide you in picking extracurriculars. Think of the steps you will need to take to become that person and then identify what extracurriculars can foster that type of behavior. 

For instance, if you want to learn to code, maybe join a computer science club. Or consider another one of these Best Extracurricular STEM Activities. If you aspire to be healthier, perhaps join a running team. If giving back to your community is important to you, try volunteering at a nonprofit. You might even consider learning how to start a nonprofit in high school! 

Again, lots of high school freshmen and sophomores struggle to find their true passions. Hopefully, though, by the time you reach your junior year, you will have a good idea of what your passions and interests are and you can start chipping away at your college planning checklist.

One mistake students often make is signing up for too many extracurriculars. It can be easy to do, especially when you are exploring potential interests and trying to make friends! 

Overcommitting yourself can be draining. It also doesn’t look good on your college applications. College admissions officers want to admit students who are deeply invested in a small handful of extracurriculars. They don’t want to admit students who are superficially involved in lots of activities. 

This is why it’s important to choose each extracurricular activity with care. Before you sign up for a club or join a team, make sure you can dedicate enough time in your schedule to truly invest in that extracurricular activity. 

Take time to learn what exactly the extracurricular activity entails. Will it require studying, physical activity, or time from your weekends? You’ll also want to ask yourself who else will be participating in the extracurricular. Are they people you would enjoy spending quality time with?

While you shouldn’t participate in something simply because your friends do, joining an extracurricular where you can foster existing friendships or build new ones is an added bonus! After all, one of the most important parts of joining an organization is building a sense of community. 

Overall, thinking critically about how much time and effort you will be committing, along with what you will be gaining, before joining an extracurricular activity can save you time and stress in the long run.

It’s easy to join an extracurricular you already have experience in. But it’s good to step outside your comfort zone too. We recommend that you go outside your comfort zone with at least one extracurricular activity. This doesn’t mean that you have to do something you do not like, or stick with something that doesn’t make you happy. The reason why we recommend trying something new is because it can positively impact your personal growth and perspective. 

If you love STEM, try joining a book club. If art is your passion, consider CrossFit or bicycling once a week. Adding something different to your routine can help improve your mood and displays a willingness to explore. Not only will trying something new diversify your college application narrative, but it can also help you make new friends and expand your skill set and open your mind to new knowledge or possibilities.

If you’ve been a member of a club, team, or organization for a year or two, you should start looking for ways to grow your involvement or assume a leadership role. By taking on more responsibility, you demonstrate commitment and personal initiative. 

Not only that, but becoming more involved also helps you build important skills such as time management, teamwork, and leadership. Juniors and seniors who show investment in an extracurricular activity are often viewed as community leaders and team players. Learning how to demonstrate leadership skills in high school is an important part of your college applications. 

This is because by growing your involvement in an extracurricular activity, you are displaying the motivation, eagerness, and maturity that colleges will be looking for in potential applicants.

Remember how we discussed identifying the person you wish to become back in step one? Hopefully, the extracurricular activities you decide to join will guide you in that direction. If that is the case, you should assess how participating in these extracurricular activities has helped you change for the better. 

Did you build better time management and leadership skills? Did you learn something new that changed how you think? 

Whatever the outcome of your extracurricular involvement was, do your best to communicate this growth to the colleges you apply to. Colleges want to see how you have personally and academically grown and challenged yourself in high school because odds are, that trend will continue into college. 

Think critically about what you have learned through your extracurricular activities and how to best communicate this information to college admissions teams.

• Sports Teams
• Music Ensembles
• Theater
• Art Club
• Student Publications
• Student Government
• Model Congress
• Model UN
• Mock Trial
• Debate Club
• Environmental Club
• Gardening Club
• Honor Societies
• Volunteering
  

If you’re interested in joining an Honor Society, such as National Honor Society, you may want to read our article, Are High School Honor Societies Worth Joining? Their Purpose on Your College Applications.