Potential Magazine Fall 2015 - Georgia Edition | Page 14
college 101
myths about extra-curriculars
Extra Effort?
Whether you’re participating in extracurricular activities to land a
spot in your dream school, to spice up your resume or you’re just
joining to get the t-shirt, we’re here to bust a few myths about
extracurricular activities and share just how much they actually
help teens in today’s competitive college admissions process.
Important Questions
to Ask before Taking
on Extracurricular
Activities
MYTH:
Like many things in life, there are pros
and cons to participating in extracurricular activities. So before signing
up for every organization at school, it’s
important to first ask yourself these
critical questions.
Participating in extracurricular activities will help students
get into college.
FALSE. Extracurricular activities do help students become more competitive
candidates, but unless students are applying to highly selective colleges, like
the Ivy Leagues, it does not help students gain college admission. Nearly all
college representatives see GPA and standardized test scores as more
important indicators of the student’s academic success. STAT: Only 1.6
percent of colleges in the United States reject more students than they accept.
MYTH:
Participating in a lot of extracurricular activities is better
than only participating in one or two.
FALSE. In the world of resumes and scholarships, demonstrated leadership
and passion in one or two activities is far better than participating in a
multitude just to say you did it. Carl Collins, who works in campus
enrollment management at Troy University also finds that extracurricular
activities help teens build their network and develop skills that can benefit
them throughout their college career.
MYTH:
Participating in extracurricular activities gives students an
upper hand in scholarship competitions.
TRUE. Outside of the scholarships students can earn through their
participation in certain extracurricular activities, scholarship judges also
look favorably at applicants with deeper involvement in an area of interest,
passion or concern. Burton U. Ward, President at Central Alabama
Community Foundation (CACF) says that when it comes to choosing
winners for the scholarships they offer, “Grade point average is probably the
biggest deciding factor. Then, whatever the particular scholarship is based
on, for example an interest in nursing or art. Extracurricular activities
being third.”
“Three keys to standing out that come to mind are one, a
demonstrated leadership ability; two, the ability to appear sincere
(one’s application demonstrates how much one cares); and three,
one’s demonstrated ability to work through obstacles (as we often say,
life happens, so how are you going to choose to deal with it?).”
– Carl Collins, Campus Enrollment Management at
Troy University
14
www.potentialmagazine.com
What will I get out of joining
this club or organization?
Aiming to make new friends, earn a
scholarship, or gain leadership or other
skills? Think this extracurricular activity
can help you decide on a future career
choice? Whatever the reason, make sure
you’re benefiting from more than just a
free t-shirt for signing up.
Can I afford the time
commitment?
If you can’t honestly add an additional
commitment to your plate without
burning out or slacking in an important
area, then it’s time to cut back or let this
new venture go.
What gifts do I want to
nurture?
Some gifts can be nurtured in other ways
outside of extracurricular activities.
For example, you may find that taking
a class, participating in a summer
program, or volunteering with a local
non-profit is a more effective way to get
your hands involved in your passion.
“Volunteering at a humane
society helped me realize that I
did not want to be a veterinarian.
I love animals, but don’t like the
smells and medical pieces of that career.”
–Pam, mom of three boys.