Which Pastimes Belong In A Common App?

This guide focuses on creating an impressive activities list for the Common App, which can include arts, athletics, clubs, employment, personal commitments, and other pursuits. The Common App allows up to ten activities to be listed, but it doesn’t mean you need to enter all of them. Commonly listed activities include participating in school clubs, playing an instrument, playing a sport, attending pre-college summer programs, volunteering, and more.

The first step is reflection and brainstorming, where you delve into your high school experiences, community engagement, family responsibilities, hobbies, sports, work or volunteering, and other meaningful experiences. The Activities section is similar to a resume, allowing colleges to understand what your child has done and is doing outside of the classroom.

In addition to traditional activities like clubs and sports, you can also include family responsibilities, work experiences, and hobbies. For example, if you don’t have traditional hobbies such as clubs or sports, you can include family responsibilities, work experiences, and hobbies.

In summary, the Activities section of the Common App is a great way to showcase your interests and skills, helping you stand out to the admissions committee without dedicating a significant amount of time to it. By incorporating hobbies and other non-academic activities, you can help colleges understand your unique qualities and contribute to your application.

Should I list hobbies on college application?

Junior college applicants can benefit from including their hobbies in their applications, as it helps admissions officers understand who they are beyond academic achievements and extracurricular activities. Hobbies can show passion, dedication, and personal growth. CollegeVine recommends hobbies if they have had a significant impact on your life or demonstrate a specific skill or talent that you want the admissions committee to be aware of. If your hobbies are casual and don’t showcase any specific skill or commitment, focus on other aspects of your application.

It’s up to you to decide what will make your application stand out and best represent who you are. CollegeVine’s Q and A provides informed perspectives on common admissions questions, refined and validated by their team of admissions experts.

Should you put hobbies on the UC app?

The University of California (UC) application requires students to submit activities that demonstrate genuine interest, commitment, and responsibility. The UC activities and awards section is an integral part of the overall college application, and while not technically required, it can greatly strengthen the application and improve chances of getting into any of the UC schools. The section works similarly to the common app activities section for colleges in the US or the OUAC activities and employment section for universities in Ontario.

Filling out this section allows students to showcase their non-academic accomplishments or achievements outside the classroom, focusing on quality over quantity. Activities and awards are a great way to show the admissions committee at UC schools how they will contribute to university life and campus culture outside the classroom. Colleges want to see how students will contribute personally, not just academically, and if they possess the personal qualities of a strong university student.

How to include hobbies in a Common App?

In high school, the Activities section can be used to highlight meaningful hobbies that have been a part of your life. It’s crucial to list these hobbies strategically, highlighting your commitment, leadership roles, and personal growth. If you’ve dedicated significant time to a hobby or achieved distinction or leadership, it’s worth including it. Describe your hobbies in detail, providing specific details about what you do and why it’s important to you.

Avoid general statements like “reading books” and provide details like “organized a community book club focusing on 20th-century American literature, which improved my analytical skills and fostered a local network of literary enthusiasts”. Group your hobbies with existing extracurriculars to create a more powerful activity entry. For example, if you’re a member of the school band and compose your own music, combine these into one entry to showcase your passion for music.

How to write about your hobbies and interests in an application?

This guide explains how to effectively include hobbies and interests on a CV. It emphasizes the importance of keeping it relevant to the job you’re applying for, highlighting transferable skills, showcasing unique strengths, tailoring it to the job description, keeping it concise, providing examples and achievements, and staying professional. It also highlights the best strategies for adding these sections to a CV and presents a list of top hobbies and interests per job.

Although optional, it can help set you apart from other candidates and make a lasting impression on hiring managers or recruiters. The guide also provides matching CV templates and cover letter templates to help streamline your application and discover the best way to list hobbies and interests for CV.

Is 10 extracurriculars too much?

The article discusses the importance of balancing extracurricular activities and interests in high school. It emphasizes that there is no magic number of activities that will get you into your dream school. Schools prioritize quality over quantity, and it is crucial for students to choose the right extracurriculars and engage with them in the right way. Two example student profiles illustrate the negative consequences of too many activities.

Sally, a driven and curious student, is involved in various extracurricular activities such as the Student Union, Model UN, piano lessons, flamenc
o lessons, and soccer league. She also volunteers at the SPCA and worked as a receptionist at a law firm, but quit due to slipping grades.

When Sally filled out her college applications, she realized that her grades and SAT scores were not as strong as they could have been due to her lack of time to study. Additionally, her superficial experiences in high school led her to believe that she never truly committed to anything long enough to create an impact for herself or anyone else.

Do hobbies count as extracurriculars?

Extracurricular activities can be included in a college application if they align with a student’s interests and goals. Colleges want to learn about a student’s interests and skills, so it’s important to choose activities that align with their true interests and goals. Colleges prefer committed and engaged individuals, and showing sustained interest in an extracurricular through multiple years of service shows seriousness about their pursuits outside the classroom.

Additionally, consider if you consider yourself a leader or team player, both on and off the field. Activities that overlap categories, such as being the captain of a soccer team, can be included. Demonstrating leadership qualities isn’t just about being a class president or team captain; it can involve developing new ideas, taking the reins, and making things happen. For example, starting a recycling program or organizing a study group for college entrance exams can demonstrate leadership.

Should you put all 10 activities on Common App?

The maximum number of activities on the Common App activities list is 10, but it is not a requirement. Focus on time-intensive, significant effort, and meaningful activities. If your list is only 4-5 activities, it is acceptable. Provide strong 150-word descriptions of your activities to help admissions officers understand you. If you have only one or two activities, think outside the box and start an activity immediately to strengthen your application.

Extracurricular activities can include hobbies, such as building a computer, teaching coding, watching YouTube videos, building LEGO sets, helping in the nursery, or expressing passions in a specific field. Include activities that will tell colleges about you and your passions, and that will help you stand out from other applicants. Remember, any extracurricular activities outside the classroom can count as extracurricular activities.

What can be considered as hobbies?

Some popular hobbies in English-speaking countries include reading, blogging, dancing, singing, listening to music, playing musical instruments, learning new languages, and shopping. These hobbies add fun and variety to our lives and can be as simple as watching movies or TV series or playing video games. To better understand and engage with these hobbies, it is essential to know related vocabulary and questions, especially for ESL students. Some common hobbies include learning foreign languages, painting or drawing, watching movies or TV series, and playing video games.

What should I list on Common App activities?

The Common Application Activities List is a comprehensive guide for students applying to college. It includes activities such as participating in school clubs, playing sports, attending pre-college summer programs, volunteering, and more. The list also includes part-time jobs and caring for family members. An example of an applicant’s Activities List is a student who has a strong interest in environmental science and art. They have pursued various activities in both fields, including painting murals, selling nature photography, and studying environmental art at a summer program.

The applicant’s Activities List demonstrates their commitment to these intersections, contributing to sustainability initiatives and artistic projects. The student is described as creatively-minded, self-driven, capable of leading groups and teams, and interested in community-building. They have utilized various resources, such as universities, museums, nonprofits, and their own apartment complex, to contribute to their community and explore their passions. The student’s accomplishment as an accomplished student-athlete also highlights their ability to manage time effectively and develop diverse skills.

What hobbies should I not put on my resume?

Avoid adding dangerous, criminal, anti-social, personal opinions, or misinterpreted activities to your resume to avoid potential future issues. Keep hobbies and interests separate from work experience and skills, as they should not be lumped together with hard or soft skills needed for the job. This ensures the hiring manager doesn’t confuse them with hard or soft skills needed for the job. Keep these details separate from your work experience and skills to avoid potential issues.

How many extracurriculars for common apps?

Applicants to Adelphi University (Garden City, NY) are permitted to include up to ten activities in their applications, although it is not obligatory to include all ten. This section enables colleges to gain insight into your distinctive pursuits, interests, and passions, thereby facilitating a more comprehensive understanding of your profile.