8 Tips for Completing the Activities Section of College Applications

It is a fact that some factors in the college application process are completely out of your control (e.g., college acceptance rates). That said, there are some factors over which you have total control. One way to take advantage of controllable factors in the college applications process is to ensure that all sections of your college applications, Common Application, Coalition Application, etc. are completed accurately AND to the best of your ability.

Tip: Don’t take shortcuts!

Since activities are controllable factors (i.e., you control what you do & how you present it), it is worth the time and effort to complete Activity Sections in a way that helps you stand out.

By making the effort to maximize your 50, 100, or 150 characters, you can demonstrate a lot about yourself: who you are, what you value, what motivates you, how you operate.

Don’t make this more complicated than it needs to be. Just follow the 8 steps below and your activities will provide college admissions staff with meaningful insight into who you are and what drives you.

8 Tips for Completing the Activities Section of College Applications

ONE: Think about what you did, why you did it, and the values the activity demonstrates

TWO: Emphasize tangible, measurable impacts

THREE: Use powerful verbs (click HERE for a list of Powerful Verbs)

FOUR:  Be concise 

FIVE: Avoid redundancy 

SIX: Be thorough

SEVEN: Complete the Activity Sections before you start your applications (click HERE for a Common Application Activity Template with samples)

EIGHT: Have fun, sound enthusiastic

Tip: Do it now!

For more information on creating stellar activity descriptions or anything else related to a ensuring strategic, low-stress college applications process, reach out at kathy@fineeducationalsolutions.com