Choosing Extracurriculars: How to Choose Impactful Activities Strategically

Photo by Yan Krukau

Extracurriculars Can Transform a College Application

In an increasingly competitive college admissions landscape, extracurriculars have taken on new meaning. They are no longer just résumé boosters or boxes to check. Instead, they have become one of the most powerful ways students can demonstrate curiosity, purpose, and potential.

Admissions officers want to understand who a student is and why their interests matter. A long list of unrelated clubs doesn’t communicate that. A coherent narrative however, supported by intentional activities, does. This is why choosing extra-curricular activities aligned with your prospective or intended college major could be transformative to your college application. Instead of dabbling in ten clubs for two months each, students should identify a few meaningful activities that build depth, direction, and impact.

3 Questions Every Student Should Ask Before Choosing an Extracurricular

1. Does this activity help me explore an academic interest?
2. Does it challenge or expand my perspective?
3. Can I produce something: research, a project, a performance, an initiative, that shows what I learned?

When students follow these questions, their story becomes clearer, more authentic, and far more competitive.

A Smart Timeline for Building a Purposeful Extracurricular Journey

8th–9th Grade: Explore Authentically

• Try a variety of low-risk experiences: camps, local classes, online programs
• Read, watch documentaries, or listen to podcasts in areas of interest
• Volunteer locally or shadow someone in a field you’re curious about
• Track what you’re drawn to: patterns emerge earlier than you think

10th Grade: Build Directional Clarity

• Choose 1–2 experiences that connect to an emerging academic focus
• Begin creating “artifacts”: writing, research, prototypes, or artwork
• Seek mentorship from a teacher or expert
• Reflect on alignment: Does this support a future academic path?

11th Grade: Pursue High-Level Opportunities

• Deepen your experience through research, internships, or advanced courses
• Build impact—publish, present, be a founder, or lead a project
• Finalize a couple of strong pieces of work that demonstrate intellectual voice

When students follow this structure, their extracurriculars reflect genuine growth rather than performative résumé padding.

Creating Extracurricular Opportunities That Help You Stand Out

There are tons of activities and programs that help you explore your interests and build experiences that feel genuine, not forced. Here are some examples that have helped our students both develop strong perspectives on topics related to their intended major and stand out in college admissions.

1. Try Real-World Projects in Tech and AIYou don’t need coding experience to start. If there’s a problem you care about—healthcare, the environment, sports, social issues—you can learn to build a project around it. Hands-on, mentor-supported experiences help you create cool, portfolio-ready work that shows curiosity and impact.
2. Build Your Own Passion ProjectSome of the strongest applications include a “spike”—a project that reflects something you’re uniquely excited about. This could be anything from starting a small business to writing a zine to designing a community initiative. What matters is that it’s yours, you care about it, and you stick with it.
3. Dive Into ResearchResearch programs and competitions let you pick a topic and express it however you want: through videos, performances, websites, exhibits, or traditional papers. These projects sharpen your research and critical-thinking skills and often become standout pieces in applications, especially if you are pursuing the social sciences.
4. Explore Business, Economics, or Finance EarlyIf you’re curious about business-related fields, you can start building skills through clubs, competitions, or internship-style experiences. These activities show real interest and help you learn what these careers are actually like so you can have time to narrow in on an impactful area of business that may tie to your unique story.

Leadership Is About Impact, Not Titles

Many students think that getting to a leadership position in a school-based or outside-of-school club or organization is important, as it shows leadership. But if it were that easy, every student could start a club and call themselves the president. College application readers are smarter than that. They aren’t impressed by a long list of officer roles unless it’s obvious that your role had an impact on the organization. So if your role did have an impact, make sure you call it out. Here’s what to highlight on your application:

• Impact: did you improve something?
• Initiative: did you build something new?
• Growth: did the experience change you—or others?
• Legacy: did you leave the organization stronger?

Just remember Substance beats status every time. You can have a role that is not traditionally considered a leadership role that is way more impactful than a role with the title, “president.”

Photo by Mikhail Nilov

STEM Students: Go Beyond the Expected

We often get asked about standing out as a STEM student. It’s true that many impressive STEM applicants have very similar resumes and transcripts. While robotics and engineering clubs are great, too many students are listing the same activities. To really shine, go beyond the usual. We suggest taking on specialized competitions, designing your own engineering projects, exploring areas like aerospace or coding, and dive into faculty-mentored research. These are just some examples of extra-curricular activities that will show your unique perspective in STEM.

The bottom line is, colleges notice students who take initiative, tackle unique problems, and turn ideas into real results. Showing curiosity, creativity, and independent problem-solving is what sets your application apart.

Reflecting on Your Activities for a Stronger Application

Extracurricular activities should support both personal and intellectual growth. Taking time to reflect on your involvement helps you understand what you are learning about yourself and how your experiences are shaping your values and worldview. Reflection also allows you to connect each activity to the larger story you want to tell colleges. When you clearly articulate how an experience has influenced you, your application becomes more meaningful and intentional. This reflection strengthens your overall narrative and demonstrates maturity and self-awareness.

Choosing the right extracurricular activities requires thoughtful evaluation. One important consideration is interest and curiosity. You should ask whether you are genuinely interested in the activity and whether it connects to your passions. Authentic interest often leads to deeper engagement and more sustained involvement.

Another key factor is potential for depth. Strong activities are those you can commit to over the long term and that offer opportunities for growth. Depth shows dedication and allows you to develop skills and responsibilities over time rather than participating briefly in many activities.

You should also consider the opportunity for impact. Meaningful extracurriculars allow you to make a real contribution, solve a problem, or meet a need. Impact demonstrates that your involvement goes beyond participation and reflects purpose.

Authentic leadership is another important element. Activities that allow you to take initiative, mentor others, or create something new show independence and responsibility. Leadership is most compelling when it develops naturally through action and commitment.

Personal growth should also be a priority. The right extracurriculars challenge you in positive ways and help you build valuable skills. These experiences contribute to your development and shape your goals.

Next, think about sustainability and balance. Activities should be realistic to manage alongside schoolwork and mental health. Maintaining balance ensures that you can stay engaged and perform well across all areas.

Then, evaluate summer alignment. Strong extracurriculars can continue through summer projects or internships, reinforcing long-term commitment and focus.

Finally, return to reflection. Consider what story each activity tells about you and how it has shaped your identity or goals. Reflection helps tie your experiences together into a cohesive narrative.

Key Takeaways: Build a Coherent Extracurricular Story

Effective extracurricular choices align with your goals rather than simply building a résumé. Prioritizing depth over breadth leads to stronger, more meaningful involvement. Local, self-driven, or personally meaningful projects often stand out because they reflect genuine interest and initiative.

Overall, activities should work together to tell a coherent story about your interests and growth. Independent projects, in particular, can be transformational. As next steps, you can explore project-based learning in your areas of interest, pursue research or community initiatives aligned with your future goals, and participate in structured programs. Working with an expert mentor at Ivy Tutors Network can help you develop a purposeful extracurricular strategy.