How to Catch the Attention of Your Dream College with Your Extracurricular Activities

February 06, 2019 By Belle
Get Ready for Your College Application (College Advice)    Extracurricular Activities (Student Life)   

When applying for jobs, internships, and specifically colleges, it is very important to start to build your resume in order to have an advantage over other students and prove your uniqueness to the committee looking over your applications. 

Let’s get internship opportunity

As a pre-med student, I held an internship at the local hospital during my freshmen and sophomore year of high school that greatly exposed me to the behind-the-scenes action of patient-doctor relations.  I recommend being quite active in searching for opportunities like these to gain work-related experience. 

Get involved in school-related activities

Being involved in school-related activities such as clubs and sports can also boost your chances of getting into your dream college.  You may not know yet what you want your career to be, but basing your extracurriculars around your interests helps to expose yourself to what you truly aspire to be.

What type pf activities should I choose?

The most notable clubs include Honor Societies (e.g. Math Honor Society, National Honor Society, etc.).  Honor Societies require higher GPAs in addition to applications to join.  Not only is membership in these clubs helpful for your resume, but leadership as well.  Whether that be captain for your high school sports team or president/VP/secretary/treasurer for a club, it is beneficial to hold leadership positions to show your adversity in strategic thinking, organizational skills, and overseeing a large group of members.

How about jobs?

            For work experience, even a minimum-wage job in retail can help add to your resume.  Having a job gives you the ability to work alongside a team of employees (communication and teamwork), hold good customer interactions, and be able to know how to handle difficult situations when customers or coworkers are not compliant with the company’s policies.  When applying for jobs, especially for a summer job (given that you have more time when school is out), I advise that you start that at least two months before you actually intend to work.  The summer before junior and senior year of high school, I applied to around 10 stores for positions in sales and retail since I had minimal work experience to increase my chances of securing a job.  Gaining exposure to the working field and being actively involved in extracurriculars are both super critical in demonstrating your broad range of strengths and skills to the college admissions.