Navigating the Common Application is generally very straightforward, although students often encounter challenges when completing the activities section.   

Each section of the Common Application (CA) represents a distinct chapter in the student’s story, emphasizing their values and strengths. While the CA essay reveals the student’s character, and the courses & grades section showcases the student’s course rigor and GPA, the activity section illustrates how the student has chosen to spend their time both in and out of school. It offers an opportunity to showcase more than just a student’s GPA and test scores - it is a chance for the student to demonstrate their passions, interests, and contributions to their community.

An extracurricular activity for the CA is any activity that a student engages in outside their academic coursework. These activities are particularly impactful when the activity aligns with the student’s interests and goals. Traditional examples include athletics, clubs, volunteer work, religious involvement, and jobs.  However, family responsibilities, such as caring for younger siblings or working a part-time job to specifically help pay for family expenses are important duties and should also be included. Activities don’t need to be limited to school related ones; but some nontraditional activities can be tricky to define in terms of what qualifies as an acceptable activity. These examples should help:  

• Student #1 loves to bake and bakes cakes for her family on holidays. While baking itself is not considered a CA activity, her additional efforts- such as making flyers and distributing them at her grandfather’s senior living home and now making theme cakes for her grandfather’s friends monthly is considered a CA activity.  

• Student #2 enjoys regular exercise. While exercising alone is not a CA activity, he takes it a step further. He sets up a challenge with a group of friends, and they work out together daily, tracking their progress, and as a final challenge they compete in a  ½ marathon - which is a CA activity.   

Additional tips:

1. You are allowed 10 activities in the CA activities section.  Although It is perfectly fine if the student does not have 10 activities - every student is unique, and their experiences vary.  There is no magic number of activities - what matters most is reflecting on what holds significance to the student. The student should consider the impact they have made on their family, community, or club. 

2. What if you have too many activities?  (1) Reflect: remember each part of the CA contributes to the student’s unique story.  They need to take time to reflect on what is the most important and choose activities that paint the truest picture of who they are; (2) Consolidate: If there are a cluster of similar activities, such as various volunteer jobs or theatre-related activities, combine them into a single entry; (3) Use the additional information section in the writing tab to highlight a particular significant activity - provide context and explain its impact, and (4) some colleges allow applicants to upload a resume in the CA. This is an excellent way to showcase all the activities. 

3. Is there limited space in the CA activity section?  There are only 150 characters (not words) for the activity description so make every word count. Use action words, be specific, emphasize leadership skills, list items versus using full sentences, quantify involvement with numbers, and use the present tense for current activities.  

4. What order should you list activities? When listing activities, students should prioritize them based on the importance. Admissions officers tend to focus more on the initial activities than on the ones further down the list.

And as always - family is a great resource to brainstorm ideas. Moms/dads/guardians never forget all the wonderful things that their children have accomplished!  

Good luck and enjoy the journey! 

College 101 Admissions Consultants LLC. Website: www.mycollege101.com.  

Email: [email protected]. 

Phone: (508) 380-3845.

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