Unique extracurricular activities can help students stand out

When thinking of extracurricular activities, many people’s first thoughts might be about team sports or group activities such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. While such activities are popular, attracting tens of millions of kids every year, there are plenty of extracurricular activities rooted in academics as well.

Extracurricular activities can provide a respite from schoolwork and give kids a chance to socialize with their peers. Extracurricular activities can also offer great opportunites to learn lessons that might not be taught in the classroom, such as how to work as a team, the value of good sportsmanship and how to handle defeat. Many of those same lessons can be learned through more unique extracurricular activities.

In addition to the things they can learn, students who participate in extracurricular activities can bolster their college applications. According to The Princeton Review, college admissions officers approach each admissions season hoping to create a class made up of students with diverse interests and backgrounds. To accomplish that goal, officers typically look at each applicant’s extracurricular activities to learn more about the person behind the application.

Academic performance is important, but extracurricular activities might help set students apart from other applicants with similar academic backgrounds but little or no extracurricular activity on their applications. Students who want their extracurricular activities to stand out among the masses of college applicants can speak with officials at their schools about the following opportunities.

Model United Nations

Often referred to as “Model UN,” this activity asks students to role-play as United Nations delegates. Students who participate in Model UN develop public speaking skills, while also learning how to conduct research, frame debates and develop their leadership skills.

Foreign-language clubs

Many high schools offer foreign-language clubs to their student bodies. Such clubs allow students who study foreign languages to develop their language skills further and can also be great ways to learn about the culture and history behind the languages they’re learning. Fluency in a foreign language can bolster a student’s college application. Many schools also sponsor additional subject-specific clubs, such as chemistry clubs or English clubs, which can be ideal for students who want to pursue college degrees in such subjects.

The National Honor Society

While it’s easy to mistake the National Honor Society for little more than an honor roll, the organization is much more than that. Students who qualify for membership in the NHS are challenged to develop their skills further through participation in school activities and community service.

Extracurricular activities can help students make the most of their time in school and help them improve their candidacy in the eyes of college admissions officers.

There are plenty of extracurricular activities rooted in academics that can help improve students’ college applications.