While GPA and test scores open doors, extracurricular activities are what make admissions officers at top universities say "yes" to your application. The harsh reality? Most high school students approach extracurriculars all wrong, piling on generic activities that do nothing to differentiate them from thousands of other applicants.
Here's what many families don't realize about college admissions counseling: the most successful applicants don't just participate in activities—they create impact through strategic involvement that aligns with their academic and career goals. Model UN, debate team, and honor societies are so common they've become background noise in the admissions process.
📘 Before you dive in, watch our “The Dewey Difference: Your Sneak- Peek into Our Exclusive Admissions Resources” webinar, hosted by our Dewey Smart Admissions Director, Emerson Blais. In just one hour, you’ll learn how to build a course load that strengthens your entire college application:
✅ Why Generic Activities Hurt Your Chances
✅ The Local Advantage: Why Small Can Be Big
✅ Passion Projects: DIY
College admissions officers evaluate extracurricular activities using a clear hierarchy that most students never learn about:
Tier 4 (Lowest Impact): Simple membership in clubs or organizationsTier 3: Leadership positions within school-based activities
Tier 2: State or regional level participation and recognitionTier 1 (Highest Impact): National-level achievement, published research, or significant impact creation
The students who consistently gain Ivy League admissions operate primarily at Tiers 1 and 2. They understand that being president of the chess club matters far less than conducting research that gets published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Every year, admissions committees see thousands of applications featuring the same activities: National Honor Society, Key Club, Model United Nations. While these aren't inherently bad, they don't help you stand out in pools of highly qualified applicants.
Consider this: if you're applying to engineering programs, what tells a more compelling story—being treasurer of your school's engineering club, or designing and building a water purification system for your local community? The impact differential is enormous.
Students targeting how to get into top universities for STEM fields should prioritize hands-on experiences:
Competitions: Olympiads showcase teamwork, quick thinking, and academic expertise under pressure. They're particularly valuable because they demonstrate ability to perform in competitive environments.
Maker Projects: Building robots, developing apps, or creating hardware solutions show practical application of theoretical knowledge.
Research Partnerships: Working with local universities, even as a volunteer, provides exposure to cutting-edge work and potential mentorship.
Healthcare-focused students often default to hospital volunteering, but strategic college counseling services recommend diversifying experiences:
Clinical Experience: Shadowing physicians provides valuable exposure, but more importantly, it offers opportunities for strong recommendation letters from professionals in the field.
Research Component: Literature reviews represent one of the easiest paths to publication in peer-reviewed student journals. This academic component complements hands-on clinical experience.
Global Health Perspective: Virtual or international experiences demonstrate understanding of healthcare's broader context.
The Local Advantage: Why Small Can Be Big
Still on this topic, check out our other blogs like "Beyond Grades: Extracurricular Excellence for UC Applications" and "Timeline for Success: Applying to Colleges Early is in Your Best Interest" to gain a solid understanding of how to approach college applications strategically.
One of the most overlooked strategies in high school students college prep involves seeking opportunities in smaller organizations. While millions of students compete for prestigious internships at IBM, Google, or NASA, far fewer pursue opportunities with local startups, smaller nonprofits, or community organizations.
The advantage? In smaller organizations, you're more likely to work directly with founders, project managers, and senior personnel. This access translates to better mentorship, stronger recommendation letters, and more substantial responsibilities.
Students in Texas admissions pools, California admissions competitions, and New York admissions landscapes all benefit from showcasing local involvement alongside broader achievements. Admissions officers appreciate students who make impact in their immediate communities.
Modern college application process evaluation looks at volunteering differently than previous generations. Today's most successful applicants approach volunteering as unpaid professional experience rather than simple community service.
Instead of asking "How can I help?", strategic students ask "How can I contribute to your organization's mission using my specific skills and interests?"
This shift in mindset opens doors to opportunities like:
Resources like VolunteerMatch.org connect students with opportunities aligned to their career interests and values. The platform enables students to find virtual opportunities nationwide, breaking down geographic barriers that previously limited options.
When existing opportunities don't align with your interests, create your own. Successful college counseling services often help students develop passion projects that demonstrate initiative, creativity, and sustained commitment.
Examples might include:
The key to successful passion projects lies in documentation and impact measurement. Admissions officers want to see concrete outcomes, not just good intentions. Track metrics, collect testimonials, and maintain detailed records of your project's evolution and impact.
For students lacking laboratory access or research mentorship, literature reviews offer an accessible path to academic publication. These comprehensive analyses of existing research on specific topics can be completed independently and submitted to student research journals.
The process involves:
Published research, even at the high school level, dramatically enhances college applications. It demonstrates intellectual curiosity, academic writing ability, and sustained commitment to scholarly inquiry—qualities highly valued in UC application tips and Ivy League admissions criteria.
Many of the most impactful opportunities require early planning. Research program applications often close in January or February for summer programs. Competition registration deadlines frequently fall months before actual events.
Students who start planning extracurricular strategies in 9th or 10th grade have significant advantages over those who begin during junior year. They can build sustained involvement, develop meaningful relationships, and create substantial impact over time.
While exploring various interests during early high school makes sense, successful applicants eventually focus their efforts. Admissions officers prefer seeing deep involvement in 3-4 meaningful activities over superficial participation in a dozen different clubs.
Professional college admissions counseling services like Dewey Smart help students identify opportunities aligned with their interests and goals. Rather than generic advice, they provide personalized strategies based on each student's unique profile and target schools.
This individualized approach has helped students gain acceptance to top universities by avoiding common pitfalls and maximizing their extracurricular impact.
Building standout extracurricular profiles requires strategic thinking, early planning, and willingness to pursue unconventional opportunities. The students who consistently gain admission to top universities understand that activities should tell a coherent story about their interests, values, and potential contributions to campus communities.
Don't fall into the trap of collecting generic activities that every other applicant will have. Instead, focus on creating meaningful impact through strategic involvement that aligns with your academic and career goals.
Ready to develop an extracurricular strategy that sets you apart? Dewey Smart's college counseling services can help you identify and pursue opportunities that showcase your unique potential to admissions committees. Reach out to us!
