Overrated vs. Underrated Extracurriculars 🏀

Hey y’all,

This week, we’re discussing overrated vs. underrated extracurricular activities.

Over the past few years, I’ve noticed an increasing number of students pursue intense extracurriculars, such as conducting research, starting a nonprofit, and even writing books.

While most of these activities will enhance your college application, some don’t mean as much as they once used to.

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Alright, here we go:

❌ Overrated: Starting a Nonprofit

If you’re passionate about a specific cause and want to do all you can to support it, then starting an organization is acceptable.

But if you’re only hoping to obtain some resume clout by listing yourself as the “founder of of a 501(c)(3) organization,” then think again.

Time and time again, I see students start nonprofits, post a couple Instagram stories, and abandon their organizations as soon as they get into college.

(And I’m not roasting y’all! I totally understand the pressure of an increasingly competitive admissions environment.)

However, admissions officers are smart, and they can see through these lukewarm initiatives that are usually just last-ditch efforts to bolster one’s application.

If you can promise me that you’ll keep running your nonprofit even after you get into college—and that you genuinely care about the cause you’re supporting—then go for it.

But don’t start a nonprofit just for the sake of starting one.

❌ Overrated: Volunteering

Hear me out.

Volunteering is great—and I highly encourage students to engage in community service throughout their high school careers.

But volunteer for causes you genuinely care about.

If you’re volunteering at a handful of places simply to collect as many hours as you can, it might not help you as much.

But if you become deeply invested with one or two initiatives over the course of several years, your volunteering efforts will seem (and actually be) much more meaningful.

❌ Overrated: Expensive Summer Programs

In last week’s newsletter, I covered different summer programs you can apply to. These programs, which have strong legacies and don’t charge exorbitant fees, will bolster your college application.

Some reputable examples include MITES, RSI, SSP, TASS, and Mathcamp.

But any program that costs thousands of dollars and doesn’t have a rigorous application process probably won’t help you as much.

Pre-college summer programs are debatable. While they tend to be expensive and aren’t as selective, many prestigious institutions host them. My opinion? Check them out if you’re interested in the subject matter, but don’t expect an admissions boost.

✅ Underrated: Quirky Hobbies

Collecting coins, doing pottery, producing beats—these are the kinds of activities that add color to an application.

In a sea of applicants who have similar extracurriculars, hobbies will humanize your application, making you seem more authentic and likeable.

Now I’m not telling you to list five to ten different hobbies. Just include one or two to add some variety to your application.

And don’t force it either. Be honest with yourself. How do you spend your time outside of school? Share your genuine interests with the admissions committee.

✅ Underrated: Taking Care of Family

Many students don’t realize that taking care of family counts as an activity.

Your extracurriculars aren’t limited to your academic or professional endeavors. “Extracurricular” quite literally means “not falling within the scope of a regular curriculum.”

So whatever you spend time on outside of school is inherently an extracurricular activity.

As such, family commitments should go on an application. Examples include taking care of a sick parent, babysitting a younger sibling, and having to (routinely) cook or clean for others.

✅ Underrated: Having a Part-Time Job

I’m not talking about having a fancy internship.

I’m talking about being a pizza delivery driver, a cashier, a lifeguard, or a babysitter. Jobs like these—while not carrying the flashiest titles in the world—highlight admirable traits that admissions officers will notice.

In an era where clout chasing has become the norm, I think there’s something special about having a simple and honest job (mixed in with your more traditionally impressive activities, of course).

I often get questions about the “best extracurriculars” for college, so hopefully this newsletter provided some clarity.

Also, if you want study help, come join my Discord! We have a global community of students helping each other succeed in school. I’d love to see you there.

I’ll see you next week!

Best,
Gohar