You will be able to expand in the description if needed. Applications typically open on August 1 and close on January 1. While this portion might seem very straight-forward, these fundamentals matter. Worked in the gallerys archive and supervised visits. Many high school students dont know exactly what they want to do. Talk to your guidance counselor if you have any questions about whether or not you qualify. Instead of superscoring across test dates, some schools will just look at your highest score from a single sitting. Colleges are of course free to support other practices outside the Common App, but the Common App works to support practices that have been found to be easy to administer and understand for hundreds of colleges and millions of applicants over the years. If youre applying to an engineering school, talk about the equipment and facilities available. You do not have much space to do so, so read this guide to learn how to make the most of the characters you are allotted. Currently, due to COVID-19, standardized tests have become optional in many schools. Instead of dabbling in a little bit of everything, we encourage our students to delve deep into activities they are particularly passionate about. You can find out more about them here. Say you are applying to gain admission to an undergraduate business program. The Activities section allows you to write about up to ten activities that youve participated in throughout high school. School Spirit: 10 Fun Ways to Increase It - Minga.io The activities list is the part of the college applicationeither on the Common Application, Coalition Application or the UC system applicationwhere you can list and describe your extracurricular activities. Best Texas Colleges that Accept the Common App - Niche It can be one you've already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design. Let's examine each of the questions and options so you can confidently guide your child in filling out the Common App Activities section. Cookie Notice Take advantage of this component by highlighting the best of your extracurricular activities for college applications . In this case, unless the position and organization names are fairly self-explanatory or very recognizable, you will need to be a bit more specific in your description. What Is School Spirit? - The Classroom Admissions officers can count and will notice if your participation hours exceed the number of hours in a week! They want to know if you were raised by a single parent, whether you grew up in a divorced home, whether one of your parents has passed away. Dont worry about committing to your future life path in this section. Elected by peers as 1 of 4 class reps. For activities that are less structured, estimate the average time you devote per week. How to fill out the Common App Activities section. Do not rush through these details. Try listing regional awards like this instead: Try to squeeze in as many details as you can when describing your honors. The easiest way to calculate this is to first look at your schools calendar and count the number of weeks between the first week of school and the last week of school. Additionally, college admissions officers will view your extracurricular involvement as a good indicator of how well you might function as a member of your future college community, and afterwards, how you might perform in the real world, since commitment to your activities will allow you to demonstrate time management skills, drive and commitment, and a genuine interest in the world around you. While the honors section certainly wont make or break your application, it can really help you stand out if properly utilized. For instance, if you are the president of the tutoring club at your school, you dont need to list tutoring in the description, since colleges are likely to consider that a given; instead, emphasize your duties as president, how you manage and distribute tasks and how you work with club members. , and can show colleges how you were involved specifically. Sports seasons can be divided into fall (September-November), Winter (November/December-February), and Spring (March-June). Show them how youve grown stronger or how your topic has changed your perspective. Some schools still maintain proprietary applications or use other application systems. You do not want to list a C instead of an A! If you have more than 5 awards, try to think of ways to combine them. You will have a chance to indicate the timing of the activity during school year, school break, or all year and colleges will take that into consideration when evaluating the activity. Provide the reader with a theme or a takeaway message. The restrictions mean you will need to be selective in reporting your activities, limiting you to the most important ones or those that are most meaningful to you. How to complete the Common App Activities Section. The high costs of attending college doesn't start your first day of school. Filling out the Demographics section is optional. Each admissions officer is assigned a particular geographical region, either according to each US state, or according to country. With so little space, you will not be able to write in full sentences. 25 Elite Common App Essays That Worked (And Why) for 2023 The good news is 42% of member schools don't require an application fee, according to U.S. News & World Report. Testing cancellations occurred for everyone, students across the world coped with online learning, and more. If youre at a loss for the types of awards and honors that you can include, heres a few examples broken down by category: See also: What are extracurriculars and why do they matter? If you completed an internship the summer between sophomore and junior years of high school, you would check off 10th, and so on and so forth. Make it clear what your responsibilities were and highlight your key accomplishments. Having a well-written personal statement can be tough, especially when you are a high school student used to writing five-paragraph-essays. Recommended species and locations for replanting. But how do you increase school spirit? Ask yourself questions. If youre wondering where your extracurriculars fall within the tier system, check out our. Our chancing engine factors in extracurricular activities, demographics, and other holistic details. the reader your personality and emotions instead of telling. Publication in research papers, journals, newspapers, Any state, national or international award that you have won in high school. While using the Common App is free, submitting to the schools you want costs money, and can range from $30 to $75 per application. Hover over each hot spot to learn more about each field. If the activity fits into two equally specific categories, choose the more relevant one. Rather, this serves to inform the admissions committee about your life outside school as succinctly as possible. Roughly estimate the number of weeks you devoted to an activity. Make sure these do not overlap with the answers in your Activities section! This means that art awards, publications, and athletic awards are all fair game. School spirit activity is one of the best ways to bring students and teachers together in a positive learning environment. Remember, they are looking for a diverse student body filled with future leaders in their respective fields. As usual, be careful when transcribing information onto the Common App. Remember to include non-formalized activities if they have been meaningful to you, such as small projects youve been working on to improve your programming abilities, the hours youve poured into learning a new language on Duolingo, or the works of art you might be painting for your own enjoyment. Everything you need to know about the Common App | Student Sometimes students make the mistake of listing accomplishments without actually describing what they are. because they provide a large amount of information in a few words. Most importantly, the activities list is one of the best places to showcase the various ways in which you have developed your hook! You may use the space below to provide any additional information you wish to share. How does your personality tie into your Application Persona. Colleges want to know this kind of information so that they can understand the factors affecting your performance and opportunities this past semester. Dont forget to edit and proofread. Thus, taking the SAT 5 times and getting a strong score does not help your application stand out! Trained 7 state qualifiers; developed fundraising, recruitment campaigns to raise $1200 in 1 year, increase membership from 6 to 40 members in 2 years. These are examples of strong activity descriptions because they provide a large amount of information in a few words. Colleges want to see that youre committed to your activities because that indicates a passion for something outside of academics that you will bring to college and hopefully beyond. What Does "School Spirit" Mean? - College Confidential Forums You can then start adding your school list and going through the sections to understand the requirements for each. Although students can often overlook or rush the Activities List, taking time to write an accurate, thoughtful, and well-ordered Activities List is essential for strategically framing your application and communicating your personal story. It will not make or break your application. Colleges care about the effects on your health and well-being, safety, family circumstances, future plans, and education, including access to reliable technology and quiet study spaces. Be honest in your answer, and if youve done well despite the circumstances, admissions officers will certainly make note of it. You might not have been expecting to talk about your religious preferences or feel comfortable doing so. Collected data on health and resilience of trees in NYC saltwater marshes after flooding events. This student was admitted to Dartmouth College. Do not write about middle school achievements, about others achievements, or try to accomplish too much. That doesnt mean you have to continue it. It celebrates successes and creates a sense of togetherness. Colleges want to know this kind of information so that they can understand the factors affecting your performance and opportunities this past semester. While your grades and standardized test scores make up the foundation of your college application, your activities will allow you to stand out amongst the sea of applicants and could tip an application in your favor. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. For example, if you completed a summer course the summer between freshman and sophomore years of high school, you would select 9th. The prompt states: Do you wish to share anything on this topic? An example of a weaker response would be: Description: Helped patients and doctors. These questions can include what major you want from their list of majors, and what activities you would partake in at the college. Beyond the number of slots for activities and awards, there are also differences in the corresponding information students must provide for each activity and award. 3 Questions for The Perfect Common App Activities Section - VCC Tier 4: These are the most common activities and are seen most often by admissions committees. A student who is interested in business and starting her own company one day can select Business owner as part of the Future Plans section. best to take full advantage of this section. You have to select your citizenship status from a drop-down menuwhether you are a US Citizen, a US Dual Citizen, a US Permanent Resident, a US Refugee, or non-US Citizen. Youre an excited high school senior ready to embark on the scary but thrilling journey of college applications, and then you encounter something known as the Common Application. Colleges wont see the brevity of your involvement as a negative factor; they understand that some activities simply have an imposed beginning and ending that are not within your control. The US Armed forces status allows you to list whether you are currently in the armed forces, have been previously enrolled, or are the dependent of someone serving in the armed forces. Narrate your story by showing the reader your personality and emotions instead of telling. The drop-down menu under schedule allows you to select the system your school usesbetween semester, quarterly, and trimester. Be careful of any spelling errors or any courses you might have missed. Its understandable that you spend more time on some activities than others. (153 characters), 1st place, NC Youth & Government, wrote and defended a bill on raising the minimum wage, Grade: 11. The key is as follows: If you participated in an activity over the summer between grade levels, choose the rising or later grade level (e.g., the summer between 10th and 11th grades should be listed as 11th grade). Share info about plant sales, swaps, and propagation. Available on iOS, Android, and Web. 2023 Scholarships360, Inc. All rights reserved. They use the 4 Tiers of Extracurriculars: Tier 1: These are rare activities that show exceptional achievement or leadership. Choose the ten activities you plan to include: Determine the order in which you plan to list your activities: Fill Out the Common Application Activities List Fields: Position/Leadership Description (Max characters: 50), Activity Description (Max characters: 150). Here are your choices: Academic Art Tags :applying to college,common application,Personal Statement,common app guide,how to fill the common app. The Profile section helps the admission officers get an overview of your background. The 100 character limit can make it difficult to describe honors, so its important to be efficient with your space. listing awards issued by national organizations above her school-level recognitions). Promoting access, equity, and integrity, in the college admissions process for all students. For filling out information about your parents, you need to know your parents marital status, their profession, their educational background information (including their school and graduation year), and their employment status (whether they are employed, retired, homemaker, or deceased). Youll want to begin this process by compiling a list of all the activities that you have been involved in throughout high school. Read on for tips on completing the honors section. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. , but you probably dont want to choose the same category for every activity. He specializes in college admissions and strives to answer important questions about higher education. There is no specific answer that colleges are looking forit will just help them understand your background better. As usual, be careful when transcribing information onto the Common App. They should be aware not only of the theme you hope to achieve, but how they can help elevate it in their letter. Financial Aid Award Letter Comparison Tool. Instead, they could say something like: entertained children in the waiting room by sharing riddles and performing mathemagics; fully digitized the patient filing system. The larger and more diverse, the more prestigious the award; international recognition is the most prestigious type of recognition. College admissions officers dont have the time to read large blocks of text, and its generally better to try and write less in areas where they are not asking for an essay. Our chancing engine factors in extracurricular activities, demographic, and other holistic details. This is the place to indicate whether any community-based organizations such as Questbridge or Upward Bound have helped you with your application. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. . Command Group Inc. and this website make no representation, promise, or guarantee that any particular result or outcome can or will be obtained. Well let you know what your chances are at your dream schools and how to improve your chances! The Honors Section will prompt you to fill out 3 fields. Honors, whether they are academic, community-oriented, or relate to an extracurricular, show that a student has made an impact and shown potential that goes beyond the numbers. The honors section of the Common App is one of the few times in life when its perfectly acceptable to brag about yourself. #17 Best Colleges that Accept the Common App in America.University of Notre Dame. At Command Education, we often emphasize the importance of establishing your hook otherwise known as a passion and skill set that sets you apart. Steverino is right that those activities often involve sports. Total number of activities. Think about all of these logistics carefully, and you will set yourself up for success as you fill out the, The first piece that you have to fill out on the. <p>One of the things we were told to look for during . If you intend to continue a particular pursuit in college, it shows them that you are truly interested and dedicated to it. You absolutely do not have to fill out this section if you dont have anything else to add. Remember that this section is not there for you to prove your eloquence as a writer; you have the essay to do that. You can also simply edit the activity to reflect a different one. . . Colleges do want to see that you are specialized, but you probably dont want to choose the same category for every activity. Even listing one or two awards is better than leaving the section blank. Also keep in mind that just because you intend to continue the activity in college at this point does not mean you are obligated to do so when you actually matriculate. For example, if the school youre applying to is a liberal arts college, you can highlight how the community or small faculty to student ratio appeals to you. When self-reporting your test scores, you must be honest. Colleges want to know what courses youve selected and how they might have affected your grades as well. You wont be harshly judged if you had significant changes to your life and academics. Unless the activity was high school-specific or if there is a good reason you wouldnt participate in it later on, we recommend that you mark yes.. and our crisis. How Spirit can keep your community connected during the COVID-19 pandemic . The Profile section helps the admission officers get an overview of your background. Intrinsic to these principles is the promotion of fair, transparent, straightforward, and consistent practices in . Therefore, it will be necessary to abbreviate when possible and include only the most illuminating information. To recap, lets go over the basic dos and donts for the Common App honors section: This easy scholarship is open to all US-based high school, college, and graduate students! An exciting sports season is something every student can embrace, even if they are not football fans, or basketball fans, etc. Her hook is conveyed through an impressive mix of in-school extracurriculars, out-of-school activities, summer activities, and hobbies. In reality, any academic accomplishment no matter how big or small can be included in the honors section. The majority of national universities and liberal arts colleges that are ranked in the top 100 by U.S. News (i.e., the schools listed below) accept the . The question thus sets a context for your entire application process. speaks for itself. </p>. If youre an athlete, talk about the importance of the teams spirit if it appeals to you. I intend to participate in a similar activity in college. A commonly asked question regarding this field is how to label the activities that took place in the summer. Here's a guide for the perfect activities section. For example, you might spend 20 weeks during the school year attending your robotics club. Dont forget to edit and proofread. A general rule of thumb is that national awards should be listed first, followed by state, local, and school awards. Host weekly meetings, trips. Get valuable advice from students who have been in your shoes. You want to stand out, you want to tell your story, and share some of your biggest passions and important parts of your life. A lot of schools have specific questions that they want to ask about your interest in their campus and course offerings specifically. Courses & Grades - This section is self-explanatory. . Many schools allow score choice - where you are able to choose which SAT and ACT scores to report. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. In addition to its positive impact on morale and performance, school spirit is generally fun. If you want to talk about the actual tutoring in more detail, discuss your approach e.g., Meet with students one-on-one, develop study aids, and create practice examples.. The Common Application is a single online college application form used by over 900 colleges and universities. Hosted planting workshops at 8 schools. Waitlisted at your dream college? You could relate your experience as a tour guide and representative at your high school to marketing, or your experience working as a sales associate at a clothing store to client relationship skills! Zach graduated from Elon University with a degree in Cinema and Television Arts. you left your previous school in the 250-word limit given. If you are unsure which level of recognition to select, you can often determine information about the scope of the award on the award organizations affiliate website! This shows us that theyre almost as important as academics! Why is it important? Leaving the answer as Undecided will show admissions officers that you have not put much thought into your interests or future career choices. Keep in mind that the term academic is used pretty loosely in this context. The Common Application will ask you to fill out 9 fields for each activity you choose to list. For example, youll want to write down 12th as opposed to 2020-2021, if thats the year you were in the 12th grade. You should also be specific in defining the organization. Abbreviating first and the title of the Engineering Fair helped reduce characters. Use active verbs and limit the use of adjectives and adverbs. Guide to the Common Application | The Princeton Review This student is creatively-minded, self-driven, capable of leading groups and teams, and interested in community-building. Which Schools Use the Common App? The Rank-Ordered List (2022) Greet and direct visitors at information desk and coat check. To fill out the Common Application, make sure you have all of the information with you. You do not want to waste their time with something that could have been mentioned elsewhere in the Common App. The Common Application, which is accepted by more than 1,000 schools, including some colleges located outside the U.S., helps streamline an essential part of the admissions process for. Besides knowing you as a student and person, your recommender should also be familiar with the components of your application and your Application Persona. Selected, cataloged, and digitized materials from 2011 to 2018 to be housed in the contemporary art archive. Or perhaps you just dont want to continue it. Heres an example: You may know that the R.J. Simmons Award is given to students in your high school who demonstrate an outstanding commitment to community service, but college admissions officers have no clue. Students, teachers, and community members download the Spirit app and are instantly connected to your extra-curricular world. Increased readership by 20. The Common App, Analyzed: 5 Successful Activity Entries Explained asks you how many times you took the standardized test of your choice. Each piece of content on the site is original, based on extensive research, and reviewed by multiple editors, including a subject matter expert. The honors section is an excellent way for, Membership in your schools chapter of National Honor Society, Outstanding achievement in a particular subject, Write each number instead of spelling it out, Abbreviate (but only for well-known organizations), In eleventh grade, I won first place in the North Carolina Youth and Government competition for writing and defending a bill on raising the minimum wage. Make sure you make it clear when clubs are in association with your school when applicable. We know that it can be tough to describe your accomplishments in such a tiny amount of space, so well provide some advice for that later on. Created multimedia portfolio of 5 works under guidance of professional artist First Last.