The College Conversation:

When discussing a student’s academic and testing schedule, it’s a fairly straightforward process. When we change the conversation to a discussion of extracurricular activities, things get a bit more muddled. Students and parents are often confused about what colleges expect students to participate in outside of the classroom and what “looks best.” What weight do athletics hold in the admissions process? What about leadership? Volunteerism?

It’s really important to stop thinking about how a certain activity will be perceived in college admissions. Instead, expose your child to a variety of activities and, ultimately, encourage consistent, passionate and dedicated involvement. Help them figure out what activities make them feel good and the areas in which they excel.

It’s not about grooming your child for varsity college athletics or tallying the hours spent doing community service. It’s not about forcing your child to continue an activity he’s been involved in since the age of 3, if he really wants to quit. It’s certainly not about filling empty hours with meaningless activities. This type of strategizing creates an over-involved, over-extended over-achiever.

As student applications are reviewed, colleges examine a student’s extracurricular profile through the lens of what they want that freshman class to look like. They want students who’ve shown they are passionate about a healthy activity that illustrates commitment, initiative, responsibility and passion.

How a high school student spends time outside of the classroom is closely evaluated. In college, the time a student spends outside of the classroom is far greater than the time they spend inside. What colleges don’t want are students who have too much idle time on their hands.

They ask themselves: “How will this applicant contribute to our academic and social environment?”

With most college applications, students must submit an extracurricular resume. They will be asked to list their top seven extracurricular activities, including athletics, leadership experience, club participation, community service, employment, hobbies and special interests. Some applications require students to rank these activities in order of importance. Most will require students to explain the extracurricular activity that’s meant the most to them and why.