Activities provide a sense of who you are outside of the classroom - what your interests are, the commitments you hold, the role you play in your family or community - and how you meaningfully spend your time. There are many activities that could be included, so it’s important to identify the experiences that give the most insight into your life and how your time is occupied. 

For the National College Match application for high school seniors and the College Prep Scholars Program application for high school juniors, the Activities section encompasses three categories:

• Paid work →
• Home or family responsibilities →
• Extracurriculars and other activities →

Each of the types of activities above is a valuable addition to your college application, and no single one is more important than another. What is important, however, is that you thoughtfully and accurately fill out those that are applicable to you in order to give a complete picture of how you spend your time outside of the classroom.

To brainstorm your approach to the Activities section, watch our Acing your Activities Section webinar and complete the corresponding worksheet. For more guidance on how to fill out this section, watch our QuestTips video. 

Paid work

Paid work experience can include an after-school or summer job, paid internships, or consistent informal work such as babysitting or yard work. It is important to include this information if it applies, as paid work can take up a significant portion of time outside of the classroom and also demonstrates to colleges that you are responsible and independent. Leadership roles or relevant skills within your work are also important pieces of information to include. 

When listing work experience, it is important to include a description of what you do (babysitting, yard work, etc.). If you work for a company, it’s fine to include the company’s name if it is well-known. We're also interested in learning why you took on these obligations, so please indicate what you've put your earnings toward. This can include things like non-essential personal spending, such as going out to the movies or for ice cream, or more essential personal or family spending, such as groceries or household necessities.

Home or family responsibilities

Significant home or family responsibilities are different from chores, in that they fulfill an important need in your household or family, rather than simply lending a hand. You may find that they are particularly time consuming, require significant energy, or limit your ability to participate in extracurricular or other activities. Knowing about your responsibilities helps us put your academics and other activities into context. 

This includes, but is not limited to, responsibilities such as:

• Caring for younger sibling(s) while parents or guardians work
• Helping with a family business (include only if unpaid; paid work should be entered in the Paid Work section)
• Caring for a family member with an illness
• Managing family finances, such as paying bills or budgeting
• Serving as the primary translator for your parent(s) or guardian(s)
• Handling routine household tasks if you live on your own

Similar to the Paid Work section, you’ll have the opportunity to describe how fulfilling these responsibilities is meaningful to you and to your family. Home responsibilities are not considered “lesser” to having a paid job or being involved in several extracurricular activities. The important thing is that you are demonstrating responsibility and work ethic through how you spend your time.

Extracurriculars and other activities

Extracurriculars and other activities can have a more broad interpretation than the previous two categories, but are just as significant in understanding how you spend your time outside of the classroom. These can include:

• School or community involvement
• Unpaid internships
• Volunteer work
• Individual pursuits
• Clubs or teams where you spend significant time or have a multi-year commitment, such as a youth group, an academic organization, or an online publication

Since you are limited in how many you can enter, when thinking about which activities to include, consider the following:

• Have I spent a significant amount of time on this activity?
• Do I hold any leadership positions or have I demonstrated growth within this organization or group?
• Does this activity reflect my current interests and passions?
• Does this activity relate to future academic or career goals?

Having genuine passion is important! Include activities that you are excited about and have contributed to your personal growth. Additionally, admissions officers like to see when your current activities connect to your future academic or career interests. Be thorough and include as much detail as possible about your activities to convey their significance to you.