Aside from academics, choosing the right extracurriculars can help you stand out to admissions officers. But what are the best extracurricular activities for college applications? We would first like to make a disclaimer: there’s no one best extracurricular activity that will magically make admissions officers accept you.
There are hundreds of activities that students participate in, from school clubs to national organizations and competitions. However, in this article, we’ll show you some of the more prestigious ones that can make your application a bit more impressive than your competitors.
- Best Arts and Humanities Extracurricular Activities
- Best Science and Technology Extracurricular Activities
- Best Sports and Physical Extracurricular Activities
- Best Community Service and Volunteering Extracurricular Activities
- Best Leadership and Government Extracurricular Activities
- Best Entrepreneurship and Business Extracurricular Activities
- Best Internships and Research Extracurricular Activities
- How to Choose the Right Extracurricular Activities
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Takeaways
Best Arts and Humanities Extracurricular Activities
The best extracurricular activities for college applications under arts and humanities let you showcase creativity, self-expression, discipline, dedication, and the ability to appreciate and contribute to the arts and humanities. They can also foster collaboration and performance skills. Some examples are:
1. Stanford Summer Humanities Institute
This selective summer program offers intensive seminars in humanities disciplines like philosophy, history, and literature, which promotes critical thinking, in-depth discussion, and scholarly exploration. Being part of the program shows intellectual curiosity, academic rigor, and a passion for humanistic inquiry.
2. Thespian Society
This international society aims to recognize high school students for their achievements in theater arts. You’ll also be involved in school productions, have opportunities to network with peers and alumni, and gain access to theater resources.
3. National Art Honor Society
This society recognizes high school students with outstanding artistic ability and scholarship. You’ll engage in activities like community art projects, exhibitions, and fundraising to encourage artistic growth, leadership, service through art.
4. Iowa Young Writers Studio
This summer program at the University of Iowa offers intensive writing workshops where you’ll focus on fiction, poetry, or creative nonfiction and receive feedback from established writers and peers. You gain advanced writing skills, critical thinking, and a deep appreciation for the craft of writing in a supportive community.
5. Tri-M Music Honor Society
Tri-M recognizes high school students for their musical achievements, scholarship, and service to their school and community through music. You have opportunities to participate in musical performances, tutor younger musicians, organize music-related events, and show your commitment to musical excellence in other ways.
Best Science and Technology Extracurricular Activities
These activities show that you have an interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, encouraging problem-solving, analytical thinking, and innovation. Some extracurricular activities examples for this category include:
6. Science Olympiad
This is a team-based competition involving different STEM events, from building devices to demonstrating scientific knowledge, where you can show broad interest and aptitude in various scientific disciplines.
7. Summer Science Program
This approximately 5-week residential summer program focuses on intensive research in astrophysics, biochemistry, genomics, or synthetic chemistry so you can experience real scientific research firsthand.
8. AMC Math Olympiad Summer Program
This intensive summer program for mathematically talented high school students lets you engage in rigorous problem-solving, mathematical exploration, and learning advanced topics. Joining this program shows exceptional mathematical ability, logical reasoning, and a passion for mathematical challenges.
9. FIRST Robotics Competition
This is a team-based robotics competition where you’ll need to design, build, and program robots to compete in a themed challenge. It fosters teamwork, engineering design skills, problem-solving, and project management, showing practical STEM application and collaboration.
10. Technology Student Association
This national organization for students interested in technology, innovation, and engineering offers diverse competitive events, leadership opportunities, and hands-on projects. Joining shows that you have good technical skills, problem-solving abilities, and an interest in technological advancements and design.
Best Sports and Physical Extracurricular Activities
These activities demonstrate teamwork, discipline, physical fitness, perseverance, time management, and the ability to work towards a common goal (especially in group sports). You can also encounter leadership opportunities within sports teams. Some extracurricular activities examples for this category are:
11. Varsity sports teams
Representing your high school in competitive athletics demonstrates commitment, the ability to strive for a common goal, and also provides leadership opportunities. If you manage to meet certain criteria after six semesters in high school, you can be an early academic qualifier for Division I sports, which can be huge in college applications.
12. Travel Soccer
This is essentially competitive soccer played outside of the school system that usually involves more intense training, travel to tournaments, and a higher level of competition. It shows a serious dedication to soccer, advanced skills, and the ability to perform in demanding environments.
13. AAU Basketball
Amateur Athletic Union basketball teams provide a highly competitive environment outside of the school season. Being a member means you have a strong commitment to basketball, advanced skill development, and the ability to compete at a high level, sometimes even with college exposure opportunities.
14. Color guard
Color guards usually accompany marching bands, giving a visually dynamic performing art that combines dance, flag spinning, and equipment manipulation. It combines physical dexterity and artistic expression, developing coordination, discipline, teamwork, and performance skills.
15. Outdoor adventure clubs
These are groups that are focused on activities like hiking, camping, kayaking, and rock climbing. It fosters physical fitness, teamwork in challenging environments, problem-solving skills, and an appreciation for nature.
Best Community Service and Volunteering Extracurricular Activities
The best extracurricular activities in community service and volunteering highlight empathy, social responsibility, a desire to make a positive impact, and a commitment to serving others. Examples include:
16. UNICEF
As an organization that advocates for children’s rights, raises awareness about global issues, and fundraises for related programs, being a member shows that you have compassion, a global perspective, and a commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable children worldwide.
17. Red Cross
Volunteering with the Red Cross offers opportunities to help in disaster relief, blood drives, health and safety education, and supporting local community needs. It shows a dedication to humanitarian aid, preparedness, and a willingness to help others in crisis.
18. Lions Club
Lions Clubs International is a global service organization that aims to improve health and well-being, strengthen communities, and support those in need. As a member, you’ll be participating in local community service projects focused on vision care, youth outreach, disaster relief, and other charitable initiatives.
19. Amnesty International
This organization campaigns for a world where human rights are enjoyed by everyone. You’ll be helping advocate for human rights through letter writing campaigns, awareness events, and activism against injustice.
20. Key Club
This is the oldest and largest student-led service organization for high school students. As a member, you’ll engage in various community service projects, fundraising, and leadership development activities.
Best Leadership and Government Extracurricular Activities
The best leadership and government extracurricular activities allow you to prove your leadership skills, responsibility, organizational abilities, communication skills, and the capacity to represent and advocate for others. Some examples are:
21. Model United Nations
This is an academic simulation of the UN where you and your peers represent countries and debate global issues, helping you develop research, public speaking, diplomacy, and negotiation skills. Participation shows intellectual curiosity, global awareness, and the ability to collaborate on complex international challenges.
22. Model Congress
This is a simulation of the US Congress where students role-play as senators and representatives debating and drafting legislation. Model Congress improves your understanding of the legislative process, public speaking and argumentation skills, and the ability to engage in civil discourse on policy issues.
23. National High School Mock Trial
This is a competitive program where your team will act as lawyers and witnesses in simulated courtroom cases. Joining improves critical thinking, analytical skills, public speaking, and teamwork, while providing insight into the legal system.
24. YMCA Youth and Government
This is a program where you’ll participate in a simulation of your state’s government—including legislative and judicial branches. It encourages civic engagement and improves your understanding of lawmaking, public speaking, and ability to articulate and debate policy issues.
25. Close Up Foundation
This foundation offers immersive civic education programs in Washington, D.C., where you can meet policymakers and explore government institutions. This encourages civic engagement, critical thinking about national issues, and respectful dialogue across diverse perspectives.
Best Entrepreneurship and Business Extracurricular Activities
Entrepreneurship and business activities demonstrate initiative, business acumen, problem-solving skills, financial literacy, and the ability to develop and execute ideas. Some of the best extracurricular activities in this category are:
26. Future Business Leaders of America
As the largest business career student organization, this offers competitions, leadership development, and educational programs in different business fields. Participating hones your leadership, communication, and business skills so you’re ready for future entrepreneurial endeavors.
27. Wharton Leadership in the Business World
This program by the University of Pennsylvania exposes you to leadership, teamwork, and business fundamentals through lectures and simulations.
28. Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship
You’ll experience entrepreneurship education to empower you to develop business ideas and skills. Joining will improve your creativity, problem-solving, and financial literacy to help you cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset and the potential to launch your own ventures.
29. Virtual Enterprises International
This organization runs a global business simulation where you can basically create and manage a virtual company that replicates real-world business functions and interacts with other virtual firms.
30. Yale Young Global Scholars
This program by Yale University offers intensive academic exploration of economic principles and entrepreneurial solutions to global challenges. Being a participant shows that you have strong analytical skills and an interest in applying business concepts to real-world issues.
Best Internships and Research Extracurricular Activities
These provide real-world experience, exposure to professional environments, and the opportunity to learn from experts in a field. They demonstrate maturity, initiative, and a focused interest.
31. Research Science Institute
This highly selective, intensive summer program at MIT offers immersive research experiences in different STEM fields under expert mentorship, encouraging independent research skills and deeper scientific understanding.
32. UCSB Research Mentorship Program
This program essentially pairs high school students with UCSB faculty for summer research projects in science, engineering, and social sciences, providing hands-on research experience, mentorship, and a glimpse into university-level academic inquiry.
33. NIH/NIA Summer Internship in Biomedical Research
This program lets you experience hands-on research in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or National Institute on Aging (NIA) laboratories, where you’ll be exposed to biomedical research and mentorship from leading scientists.
34. Stanford Institute of Medicine Summer Research Program
This summer program gives you the opportunity to conduct biomedical research alongside Stanford faculty, giving you intensive laboratory experience and insights into cutting-edge medical research.
35. Bank of America Student Leaders
In this program, you’ll have paid summer internships at local nonprofits and a leadership summit, giving you experience in community impact, leadership development, and social responsibility.
How to Choose the Right Extracurricular Activities
What clubs should you join? What contests should you compete in? Below, we’ll give a few tips to help you narrow down your options.
1. Follow your passion and goals.
Choose activities that genuinely interest you and align with your passions. Admissions officers can tell if your extracurriculars resonate with you or they’re just for show.
Consider your future academic and career goals. Do some of your chosen activities reflect these aspirations? Passion fuels deeper involvement and makes it easy for you to talk about your experiences in college essays and interviews. Aligning activities with your goals also adds purpose to your involvement.
For instance, if you love writing, you could think of joining the school newspaper or creative writing club or starting a blog.
2. Quality over quantity.
Deep and meaningful involvement in a few activities is a lot better than superficial participation in many since colleges value commitment, growth, and significant contributions. Because of that, focus on activities where you can truly contribute and grow over time.
For example, being a dedicated member of the robotics club for four years, eventually becoming the team captain and leading them to a regional competition, shows depth.
You don’t have to force yourself to narrow down your options to just one activity. In fact, we recommend experiencing 5 to 10 extracurriculars for a good balance of breadth and depth.
3. Look for opportunities to grow and lead.
Colleges value students who show leadership potential and a willingness to take initiative. Look out for activities where you can take on leadership roles, whether formal (such as club president) or informal (such as mentoring younger members). Growth within an activity, showing increasing responsibility and skill, is also important.
For instance, maybe you started as a general member of your school’s environmental club, then you eventually led a successful recycling initiative.
4. Don’t be afraid to try new things.
Focusing on passion and depth is important, but high school is also a time for exploration and self-discovery. Stepping outside your comfort zone and trying new activities can help you discover hidden talents, new interests, and valuable skills you might not have otherwise developed. It also shows a willingness to learn and adapt.
Have you always been fascinated by coding but no nothing about it? Maybe trying a coding club can spark an interest in computer science.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What extracurriculars look best for college applications?
The “best” extracurricular activities for college applications should show your depth of involvement, leadership, impact, and alignment with your interests and goals. While there are definitely impressive extracurriculars like summer programs by Ivy Leagues, colleges very much value sustained commitment and meaningful contributions since it shows passion, initiative, and making a real difference in your chosen areas.
2. How many extracurriculars should I have for college?
Colleges don’t look for a specific number since they focus on quality over quantity. However, most students list 5 to 10 extracurriculars.
3. What extracurriculars do colleges value the most?
Colleges value extracurriculars that demonstrate leadership, sustained commitment, meaningful impact, and genuine passion. But if we’re being a bit more objective here, tier 1 extracurriculars like winning the USA Biology Olympiad will immediately catch the eyes of admissions officers.
Takeaways
- There’s no one “best” extracurricular activity since the best one for you depends on factors like your interests and goals. However, there are certain programs and competitions that can make your application more impressive.
- To choose the right extracurricular activities, follow your passion and goals, have quality over quantity, look for opportunities to grow and lead, and don’t be afraid to try new things.
- Still not sure what are the best extracurricular activities for your college application? Receiving a detailed academic and extracurricular roadmap can help you start on the right track.
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