Many high school students and their parents ask me, “Am I (or is my son/daughter) doing enough activities?” Enough is the key word in the question, as well as an unquantifiable amount that is one of the indicators that college admissions can be an art and subjective. Parents and students over the years have begun wondering, “Is a Varsity sport, more important than being in my band?” or “How much community service do I have to do?” Two issues with both of these statements, don’t become a high school athlete just to get into college and two, don’t “do” community service just to get into college. What IS important about any extracurricular activities a student chooses to engage, is that the activity reflects an interest or an exploration of a possible interest. In other words, extracurricular activities aren’t about quantity, they’re about quality. Extracurricular activities provide another piece of information to the college admissions office about the student’s personality and being, beyond the GPA and SAT scores.
That said, there’s many avenues to explore–both during the school year and summer breaks. The old wives tale that a student should pick one activity and stick with it no matter what, and then explore every opportunity within that interest doesn’t necessarily apply to today’s college admissions. Of course, if that’s the truth for the student, then by all means, follow that initiative. However, if a student has multiple interests, which are reflected in his/her extracurricular activities then, that’s the course to follow for that kid. There is no magic, one formula fits all about extracurricular activities and being a competitive piece of an application for college admissions. So, follow your intuition. Seek opportunities that develop current interests and may lead you to develop burgeoning ones. Then, find what makes sense for you.
