college application extracurricular activities resume

How to Write an Activities Résumé for College Applications

Reviewed and edited by Tyson Schritter : 28 March, 2024.

When you apply to colleges , it’s important to highlight whatever qualities will set you apart. Most college applications will require your transcripts, an essay, and an activities résumé , each of which are your opportunity to emphasize your accomplishments and proudly exhibit what you bring to the table.

Your activities résumé especially gives college admissions officers a quick yet comprehensive glimpse into who you are as a person, not just as a student. This is your time to shine, so be thoughtful and thorough as you compile the information you want colleges to see.

Resumes are not just for job seekers in the career world . As a student, a well-executed college résumé has the ability to set your application apart and give you a competitive edge. Colleges of Distinction has mustered up some important points for you to include as well as some extra tips to consider as you’re writing. 

What to Put on a College Résumé

Aside from your contact information, which should be clearly visible at the top of the document, you will want to provide the following information on your extracurricular activities resume: 

• The name of your high school and anticipated graduation date
• Cumulative, weighted GPA
• Academic awards, publications, honors, or recognitions
• Class rank (if it is available and will add value to your application)
• Summer programs, internships, or college courses not otherwise listed in your transcript
• Extracurricular activities – see below for examples
• Community service or Volunteer activities
• Job experience and Leadership positions
• Special skills (proficiency in American Sign Language, Adobe Photoshop, etc.)

Extracurricular Activities for Your College Resume

Here are 7 example of extracurriculars you can add to your resume but don’t limit yourself to just these:

• Academic clubs
• Professional Society
• Sports Team or Intramural Sports Club
• Arts Organizations
• Habitat for Humanity

Tips for Compiling Your Résumé

Be specific..

You do not want simply to submit a general list of activities on a resume. Colleges pay close attention to specific details, especially those that emphasize your commitment to what you’re involved in.

Explain your specific role in that which you have participated, giving details about the amount of time you committed, leadership positions you have held, and any special contributions you made during your tenure (organizing the inaugural annual fundraiser for an animal shelter, being a founding member of your high school’s improv comedy club, etc.).

Be concise.

Some colleges will provide a space on their application in which to input information regarding each of the categories listed above. In this case, you will likely be allotted set amount of characters for each answer.

No matter how short or long your descriptions on the application are, however, you nevertheless want to ensure that the points on your activities résumé are as succinct as possible. Résumés are most effective when kept short at just one page in length. Remember: admissions officers may have to read thousands of applications.

To be memorable, you need to make clear, quick points so that you don’t lose their attention. You might be tempted to think that, the more of your history they have, the better. But this is exactly where the phrase “less is more” rings true!

Some Recommendations…

• Be selective about the information you include in your activities résumé. If you were only a part of the French Club for one semester as a sophomore, there is no need to mention it. Colleges only want to know about the activities to which you were committed.
• If a college explicitly asks not to provide activities résumé, be respectful of the request and only submit the necessary information.
• Format your résumé in a way that is clear and easy to read. There’s no need to over-stylize—use a simple font that allows you to make your name, headings, and dates pop out.
• Provide a copy of your activities résumé to your teachers, coaches, school counselors , or whomever else you may ask for a letter of recommendation . This way, they can easily recall your accomplishments and reference them in their letter.

Activities Résumé Template

We’ve provided a résumé example below to help you know how to get started! Take note of how concise it is as well as how clearly the information is presented.

 Yo ur resume for college application is not the place for modesty. Be proud, not shy, of your accomplishments!

Your activities résumé will provide a snapshot of who you are and all the dedication and passion your potential colleges should know about you. Looking for more? Check out our other tips for college prep on the advice section of our website. We at Colleges of Distinction are excited to see you thrive and will be here to assist you along the way!

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With an impressive fifteen-year tenure as a member of the Colleges of Distinction qualification and research team, Tyson has extensively toured campuses nationwide and conducted interviews with their staff. This wealth of experience is clearly reflected in the insightful resource articles he contributes to Colleges of Distinction. His written work has been featured on reputable platforms such as Huffington Post, Higher Ed Revolution, and Campus News. His writing has appeared on Huffington Post , Higher Ed Revolution, and ECampusNews.

Notably, he is also the author of “ Reaching Beyond Rankings: How to Use College Evaluation Systems to Find Your Dream School “. Tyson’s multifaceted expertise, blending hands-on campus assessment and extensive writing, underscores his commitment to helping students navigate the complexities of college selection and find their ideal educational fit.

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• 40 Activities To Put On Your Activities Resume For College

By: Author Kelly Clark

Posted on Last updated: September 11, 2023

Categories College

As you get ready to start thinking of college , you may be wondering what else you can put on your resume to impress the admissions offices on your college applications.

A big answer to that question would be school clubs. If you’ve never joined a school club or after school activity before, don’t worry, there is still time. This year can be the year that all changes for you. 

I know it can seem daunting, especially if you go to a big school with a ton of different club options. That’s why I’ll be breaking it all down for you in this post. We’ll talk about what a college resume is and why college admissions like seeing clubs, activities, and experience on your resume.

Why Should You Have a College Resume?

Creating a college resume (also known as a curriculum vitae or CV) is a great way to showcase your achievements, skills, and experiences to potential colleges or employers.

It’s very similar to a traditional resume. It gives college admissions officers an overview of your experience and skills but also highlights your passions and interests.

As a caveat, do not feel like you have to go over the top for this! Stick to your interests, what you know, love, and are most passionate about. Use a personal story to connect with a college representative – this is typically more powerful than professional experience.

Here are some key sections and tips to consider when putting together your college resume:

• Phone number (make sure it has a professional voicemail message)
• Email address (use a professional one, not a nickname or informal address)
• LinkedIn profile (if applicable and professional)
• A brief statement about your career or educational goals.
• List your high school name, location, and graduation date (or expected graduation date).
• Include your GPA if it’s strong (above 3.0).
• Class rank if it is high (in the top 10).
• Any perfect or strong test scores.
• Mention any honors, awards, or relevant coursework.
• Scholarships, academic awards, honors, or any special recognition.
• Clubs, sports teams, student government, volunteer work, or any other activities outside of regular coursework.
• Highlight leadership roles and responsibilities.
• Paid jobs, part-time jobs, internships, or volunteer work.
• Include the organization, your role, and dates of employment.
• Highlight specific accomplishments or responsibilities.
• Technical skills (e.g., programming languages, software proficiency).
• Language proficiency.
• Soft skills (e.g., communication, leadership skills and roles, teamwork).
• Any significant academic or personal projects, research work, or independent studies.
• Relevant certifications or courses completed (e.g., First Aid, CPR, programming courses).
• Any recognition you’ve received that is relevant to your application.
• If you have written articles, presented research, or participated in any public speaking events.
• This can provide insight into your personality and interests outside of academics and extracurriculars.
• Optionally, you can include references or mention that they are available upon request. Be sure to ask permission from your references first.

Use the bullet points above as a resume template/resume example on how to start your own resume.

If you in your freshman year, a good tip is for high school students to write down everything they participate in. Keep a journal too, as you can draw on these experiences as a rising college student to enrich your school applications and even scholarship applications.

Why Are Activities Good For Your Resume

Admission Sight discusses multiple reasons why college admissions like seeing extracurricular activities on your resume. Here are a few of those reasons.

• Shows your personality: Clubs give you a chance to express yourself and colleges like to see how you are going to fit on their campus. By showing off your personality on your resume you are showing them that you’ll make the most of your college experience.
• Shows initiative: Many activities and school clubs require initiative when it comes to things that you’ll do while in the club. From planning events, accepting leadership positions, or speaking up in meetings, these clubs give you those opportunities. Colleges like to hear about those.
• Shows consistency: The majority of these clubs meet on certain days, or a certain amount of times, Joining these gives you practice with consistency. That is a trait that colleges look for because they want to know that you will be consistent with your classes.
• Proves you know how to manage your time wisely: Juggling classes, extracurricular activities, social life, and more is what college is all about. Showing that you can do that in high school will go a long way for admissions officers.

Why does an activities resume for college strengthen your application?

Creating an activities resume for college can be highly beneficial for several reasons:

• Comprehensive Overview : An activities resume provides a concise and organized snapshot of your achievements, skills, and experiences outside of academics. It complements your academic transcript and gives admissions officers a more well-rounded view of who you are.
• Highlighting Strengths and Accomplishments : It allows you to showcase your accomplishments, leadership roles, and involvement in extracurricular activities. This can be particularly important if you have excelled in areas beyond academics.
• Demonstrating Commitment : It shows your dedication and commitment to various pursuits. Long-term involvement in clubs, organizations, or community service projects can demonstrate a strong work ethic and passion for certain interests.
• Differentiation : It helps you stand out from other applicants. A well-crafted activities resume can help distinguish you in a competitive pool of applicants, especially if you have unique or notable accomplishments.
• Illustrating Skills and Talents : Your activities may have helped you develop valuable skills like leadership, teamwork, time management, communication, and problem-solving. These are qualities that colleges value in their students.
• Providing Context for Achievements : Sometimes, accomplishments need context to be fully appreciated. An activities resume allows you to explain the significance of certain achievements or experiences.
• Showcasing Diversity : It allows you to demonstrate a diverse range of interests and talents. This can be important for colleges that value a well-rounded student body.
• Helping with Scholarships and Financial Aid : Some scholarships or financial aid opportunities may require you to submit a resume along with your application. Having one ready can streamline the application process for these opportunities.
• Preparing for Interviews : If you’re asked for an interview as part of the application process, your activities resume can serve as a useful reference point for discussing your accomplishments and experiences.
• Setting Goals and Planning Ahead : The process of creating an activities resume encourages you to reflect on your high school experiences and think about your goals and aspirations. It can be a useful exercise for personal development and future planning.
• Networking and Job Applications : Beyond college applications, having a well-organized activities resume can be useful for internships, job applications, and even scholarship applications in the future.

Overall, an activities resume is a powerful tool that helps you present a holistic picture of yourself as a candidate, showcasing your strengths, interests, and contributions beyond just academic achievements.

What Types Of Activities Are Available To You

There are a multitude of different options when it comes to clubs and activities that you can join. These are the broader categories and down below you’ll find the whole list.

If you don’t see something that you are interested in offered at your school, don’t give up. Talk to an administrator or teacher and see if there is a way to bring your idea to the school you attend.

Here are some types of activities you might list:

• Sports: Different schools have different types of sport offerings. If you enjoy a certain one, see if your school offers it then check out when tryouts are.
• Vocational Clubs: These clubs are focused on different types of careers. They’ll get you started in learning about that field. Then you can determine if that is a career path you want to go down.
• Academic Clubs: If you enjoy a certain subject in school, there may be a club dedicated to it. Talk with your teacher to see if there is, or if it’s possible to start one.
• Service Activities: These clubs are great for you if you enjoy helping others and would like to do it more often.
• Hobbies: This is where clubs can really vary from school to school. Hobby clubs are fun because you know everyone there loves the same thing as you do. For these clubs you’ll definitely want to check to see what’s available, but also don’t be afraid to start your own club. Talk with a teacher or school administrator to get started.

40+ Activities To Put On Your Resume For College

We’ve arrived at the list of activities to put on your resume for college. This is by no means a complete list. However, I did try to put as much variety as I could on here.

If you have other clubs at your school feel free to comment them down below! Any extracurricular activity and relevant experience could be worth adding to your resume.

• Cheerleading

Vocational Clubs

• DECA (a marketing club)
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
• Future Farmers of America (FFA)
• Health Occupations Students of America (HOSA)
• Photography Club
• Newspaper Club
• Architecture Club

Academic Clubs

• National Honor Society
• Mathletes 
• Debate Club
• History Club
• Spelling Bee
• Science Club
• Foreign Language Clubs

Service Activities

• Tutoring Club
• Habitat for Humanity
• Recycling Club
• Community service
• Volunteer experience
• Yearbook Club
• Robotics Club
• Knitting Club
• Fashion Club
• Gaming Club
• Running Club
• Dancing Club
• Cooking Club
• American Sign Language Club
• Gay-Straight Alliance Club
• Model UN Club
• Student Government Association (SGA)
• List any special skills
• Language skills

If you can tie these activities or a specific accomplishment to your field of study, it will strengthen your resume even further.

What You Can Learn From After School Activities That Will Prepare You For College

To really drive this point home, I wanted to share some of the benefits of clubs and how they will prepare you for your college experience.  

What You’re Passionate About

Joining clubs in high school will help you discover what your passions are. You could find a new hobby, a cause that speaks to your soul, and maybe even what you want to major in when you go to college. That’s some big things that you can miss out on by not joining in.

The Importance Of Keeping Up Your Grades

In high school, just like college, your grades obviously come first. If you start failing classes you won’t be able to participate in after-school activities. Therefore, these clubs teach you the importance of keeping up your grades. 

School Isn’t The Whole Experience

Don’t get me wrong, school is extremely important, but the lessons you learn outside of school hold about the same weight as well. There are so many things I learned from getting involved in after-school activities that made my school experience that much better. 

In my opinion, I feel like you are missing out on half of your high school experience by not joining in on clubs and activities. Which is why I’m a huge believer in joining them and putting them on your resume for college. It will make your experience more well-rounded.

Letters of Recommendation

When you participate in extra clubs that interest you, you can build relationships with other adults. These relationships can help open doors for you but they are also additional people to ask for letters of recommendation when you need them.

My Personal Experience With Clubs In High School

When I was in high school I was the girl that couldn’t get enough of the extracurricular activities. I joined academic clubs, vocational clubs, and a few in between.

A lot of the memories I have from high school are from the clubs that I joined. These organizations brought me out of my shell and got me ready for my college experience. They can do that for you too.

Final Thoughts on Creating an Activities Resume For College

Showcasing your activities and how those skills and experience translate to your professional goals and connecting to the college admissions office through personal experience will surely strengthen your college application.

Will you be joining any clubs this year? If so, which ones?

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About the Author

Kelly graduated from Liberty University with a degree in Advertising and Public Relations and a minor in Journalism. Even though it took her a little while to find her career path, she was always meant to be in Communications. She remembers writing poems and songs when she was a little girl and pitching to my parents the reasons why I should have a cell phone when I was a teenager. She currently has a blog (budding-joy.com) where she talks about her weight-loss journey, mental health and personal development. Her hope is to encourage and inspire readers and let them know they are not alone. Reading blog posts like that are what helped her in tough times and she wants to pay it forward. She loves dance fitness, listening to music, and creating layouts in her bullet journal. She's a big fan of planning, especially when cute notebooks and pens are involved. Her dream job has changed so much over the years; right now she'd love to co-own a dance studio.

Website: budding-joy.com

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How to Add Extracurricular Activities to Your Resume—So They Actually Help Your Job Search

When you’re writing a resume, your education and past jobs are far from the only things that matter. The truth is, the past experiences and skills that employers care about can come from a number of places. And particularly when you’re a current student or an entry-level candidate , extracurricular activities can be a great addition to your resume.

Extracurriculars are any structured, ongoing activity you took part in during school, but not as an academic requirement. They are often (but not always) affiliated with or run by the school you attended. And your participation in these activities (especially in a leadership role) can set you up to succeed in your future jobs.

When You Should List Extracurriculars on a Resume

According to Muse career coach and founder of Flourish Careers Jennifer Smith , who has recruited, coached, and hired early-career candidates across a number of industries and jobs, there are two main situations when you should include extracurriculars on your resume:

• When you’re a current student or recent graduate and the extracurricular (or your role in the organization) showcases leadership or is specifically relevant to the job or industry you’re applying to
• When you’re a current student or recent graduate and you don’t have a lot of internship or paid work experience

Once you’re more than five years past graduation, your extracurriculars probably don’t belong on your resume anymore—unless they’re especially relevant to the industry or role you’re applying to and you don’t have more recent, relevant experience, Smith says. This would most likely come up if you’re looking to make a career change or pivot.

Why You Should List Extracurriculars on a Resume

Early in your career, particularly when you don’t have much or any professional experience, employers want to see that you have transferable skills . These are abilities and knowledge that can be applied in multiple contexts—for instance, both an extracurricular activity and an office environment. In other words, extracurriculars can prove you’re a great candidate for a job even if you haven’t already held a similar—or any!—job.

If you held a leadership position within an extracurricular—whether you were the president of a student group, programming chair for your sorority chapter, or treasurer for your intramural sports club—that experience is especially valuable on an early-career resume. Smith, who used to lead a team that hired university students for internships and entry-level jobs, has often seen companies seek out students who had led clubs and societies, knowing they would bring valuable traits and transferable skills to the workplace.

For example, if you ran large club meetings, you likely have some communication and presentation skills. Or maybe you were responsible for advertising or outreach and you gained some marketing skills. These roles also show that you’ve taken on responsibilities—a core requirement for any job.

If you didn’t hold an official position in an activity, but you were in charge of an event, campaign, or some other aspect of the organization’s management, that can also go on your resume as relevant experience. Maybe you designed the club’s website and want to get a design role, or you put together a charity event and want to go into fundraising.

Even without a formal or informal leadership role within your extracurricular, you still likely picked up some transferable skills, such as teamwork and collaboration, organizational skills, time management, communication, and project management, Smith says. If you were a highly active member, especially over a longer period of time, this shows dedication and work ethic as well.

Your extracurricular activity might also show that you are passionate about the industry you’re trying to join and may be more knowledgeable and prepared than your peers. “For example, a member of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE) who is applying for an entry-level engineering role” should include that membership on their resume, Smith says, as evidence that you’ve put time into preparing for this career path, possibly attending industry conferences or taking part in other career development activities.

What Types of Extracurriculars Can Go on a Resume (Examples)

Not sure what type of extracurriculars might go on your resume? Here are some examples to get you started:

• Academic clubs or societies related to a specific discipline (for example, the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA))
• Arts organizations (such as a drama club, marching band, or a cappella group)
• Community and civic activities (for example, Students for Environmental Action)
• Greek life (as long as your sorority or fraternity hasn’t been in trouble for inappropriate behavior)
• Media or publications (such as the student newspaper or campus radio station)
• Multicultural organizations (such as a Black student association, Muslim student group, or Pride group)
• Political groups (but use your discretion here—if it’s especially controversial or you know the company you’re applying to holds opposing views, these activities might be best left off)
• Sports teams
• Student government
• Volunteer activities or organizations (such as Habitat for Humanity)
• Other clubs (even if you joined a group “just for fun” you might’ve still picked up skills doing it!)

Which Extracurriculars Belong on Your Resume

Before deciding to add extracurriculars to your resume, identify the skills you need for the job you want, Smith says. You can do this by reviewing the job description or setting up an informational interview with someone who works in a role or industry you want to work in—or even at the specific company you have your eye on. For each application, take into account the company you’re applying to, as well. What values do they have? Are they all about teamwork? Do they value creativity? Do they want people who will take initiative to solve any problems they spot?

Then think about what you’ve done in your extracurriculars and what skills and qualities you developed or demonstrated. “Pinpoint the skills [you gained] that will serve you best in your new path,” Smith says. These skills, the circumstances in which you used them, and extracurriculars attached are what belong on your resume.

Let’s say you want to go into sales. The juggling skills you gained from three years of Circus Club might not be very helpful in landing your first full-time job, but the time you sold 50 tickets to the “Circus Skills Expo”—more than anyone else—might catch a recruiter’s eye.

Similarly, if you played a sport, the number of goals you scored probably matters less to a prospective employer than how well you work with a team, the time management skills you gained balancing your practice schedule with classes and studying, or your work ethic—unless you’re going into a sports-related role.

Doing some research on the specific companies you’re applying to can help you highlight the right aspects of your extracurricular experiences. For instance, Smith says, “I often saw big-name companies specifically seek out student athletes because they know the competitive spirit will be a good fit with their company.”

Where to List Your Extracurriculars on a Resume

Where your extracurriculars go on your resume depends on what your role and scope of responsibility was in the organization, how relevant it is to the job you want, and whether you have other work experience to include on your resume, Smith says.

These are three common options:

• Your experience section: An extracurricular belongs in your experience section when you either had responsibilities and a time commitment similar to that of a part- or full-time job, or when your achievements showcase skills and experience that are directly relevant to the role you’re applying to. A stage manager for a drama ensemble play might spend 20+ hours a week coordinating multiple teams and making sure everything needed is ready by opening night. Or perhaps a video editor for a film club edited multiple student films using the same or similar software and technical skills to the ones that the content creation role they’re applying for uses.
• Your education section: Smith suggests including an extracurricular within your education section when you had minor responsibilities but it’s related to the industry you want to work in. For example, maybe you were a member of a business honor society and want to work in finance.
• A dedicated section: If you have multiple extracurriculars that are relevant to the job you’re applying for, you might consider including an “Extracurricular Activities” section to highlight them a bit more than your education section might. Or a “Leadership Experience” section might be appropriate for someone who held leadership positions in multiple organizations, Smith says.

How to List Your Extracurriculars on a Resume

Regardless of where you choose to list your extracurriculars, you should generally include the name of the organization, your role within it (“member” or any positions held), and the dates you participated. Particularly when you want to use your extracurriculars to demonstrate your skills and experiences, you should also include major responsibilities, accomplishments, or any awards won in the form of bullet points .

How would this look in practice? In your experience section or within a dedicated section, an extracurricular activity entry can be listed just like a job or internship. In this example, the person wants to demonstrate leadership and management skills as well as their ability to adapt to changing circumstances:

Vice President , Young Educators of America at Duke University | Fall 2019–Spring 2020 Chapter Secretary, Fall 2018–Spring 2019 Member, Fall 2016–Spring 2018

• Ran twice-weekly tutoring program with an average of 30 tutors and 80 local high school students, advertising program at three area schools, booking rooms, matching students with tutors for appropriate subjects ahead of time, overseeing sessions, managing conflicts, and collecting feedback on tutor performance
• Pivoted program to operate entirely online during COVID-19 pandemic, adjusting tutoring practices for remote sessions and increasing session availability to help students struggling with remote learning

Even without a leadership position, you still want to show what you did as a member with strong, quantified bullet points that highlight the skills you want an employer to see. A college musician who wants to highlight their time-management and teamwork skills might say something like:

Member , Lehigh University Jazz Ensemble | 2017–2020

• Attended two-hour practices four times weekly and played up to eight shows a month on campus and across the state
• Organized weekly rehearsals for 10-person trumpet section to help one another with new pieces, give feedback on individual performances, and identify any problems with our group’s playing

Within your education section, an extracurricular could be a single bullet point that might look like this:

Bachelor of Science in Mathematics | University of Connecticut | 2015–2019 Major Track: Applied Mathematics

• Member of Pi Mu Epsilon Mathematics Honor Society | 2017–2019 : Participated in weekly meetings, listened to monthly talks by researchers, and attended national conferences to learn more about new mathematical theories and speak with applied mathematics professionals

Top Extracurricular Activities to Add to Your Resume (Samples)

Customers Interviewed by:

When you’re a new grad entering the workforce, extracurricular activities on your resume can help you stand out to hiring managers. But what types of activities should you include?

In this article, you’ll learn:

• The best types of extracurricular activities to include in your resume writing . 
• How activities can add value to your resume.
• Where to add your extracurricular activities on your resume for maximum impact. 

The best extracurricular activities for a resume

Extracurriculars are any activities that aren’t required for your college credit. Depending on the jobs you’re applying for, certain activities will look more appealing to hiring managers.

Some of the most popular activities to add to your resume include:

• Student council
• Clubs or societies
• Volunteering
• Study abroad programs
• Additional languages
• Sororities or fraternities

Your role in extracurriculars can help you build transferable skills . These are skills you take with you from job to job. Transferable skills on your resume can make you a stronger candidate in your job search. 

Use Jobscan’s resume scanner to ensure your resume includes the transferable skills you need to secure the interview. Below is a screenshot of the match report generated by our tool. It illustrates exactly which keywords from the job description you need to integrate to be competitive.

Resume activities: student council or union

Members of a student council or students’ union are often elected by their peers. They collaborate on student-led initiatives, address school issues affecting students, and organize school activities or events. 

If you take part in student council, you develop some essential soft skills, including:

• Communication
• Problem-solving
• Organization
• Decision making
• Time management

Participation in student council builds practical skills you can relate to your post grad job hunt. 

Resume activities: team sports

Playing team sports isn’t just a fun hobby. Sports can help you grow valuable skills you need in any workplace, including:

• Strategic thinking
• Problem solving

Even if you don’t play on a competitive team, recreational sports helps you establish key transferable skills to add to your resume.

Resume activities: clubs or societies

There’s a club for almost any interest. And if they help you cultivate transferable skills, they can enhance your resume. 

Examples of popular clubs include:

• School newspaper
• Choir or chorus
• Orchestra, jazz band, or concert band
• Girl or boy scouts
• Debate club
• Mock trial club
• Literature club
• Photography club

Clubs are a great place to build a network and hone skills like:

• Relationship building
• Creative thinking
• Adaptability

Resume activities: volunteering

Volunteering positions are like unpaid jobs. You gain practical experience you can add to your resume with desirable skills to back it up.

Helping out your community has the added benefit of boosting your resume. You can volunteer your time to organizations that match your interests and are relevant to your dream job.

Skills you show by volunteering include:

• Customer service

Don’t add every activity you’ve participated in. Instead, be strategic and choose the activities that can help in the role you’re applying for. 

Resume activities: tutoring

Helping a peer or younger student learn tough concepts can help you build desirable skills for your resume. Some skills include:

• Flexibility
• Active listening

A proven ability to mentor others is a valuable skill and can stand out to hiring managers. This is especially true if you’re looking for a teaching or management role. 

Resume activities: study abroad experience

If you have the opportunity to study abroad, it can be life changing. You make friends, see new places, and experience unique cultures. 

It also lets you develop unique skills that attract potential employers, including:

• Cultural awareness and sensitivity
• Independence
• Foreign languages
• Interpersonal skills

Resume activities: additional languages

Bilingualism or multilingualism is becoming more common. But even if you’re not fluent, speaking a second language can improve your starting salary in some industries.

Some of the most common and valuable languages to learn include:

Even less common languages, like American Sign Language, shows skills like:

• Cultural awareness
• interpersonal skills

Resume activities: sorority or fraternity

Sororities and fraternities are social organizations that can broaden your network. Experiences in a sorority or fraternity vary, but members often participate in:

• Regular meetings
• Philanthropic activities
• Special events

These organizations help you develop skills like:

• Project management

Why should you add extracurricular activities to your resume?

Extracurricular activities on your resume, when added correctly, can make your resume stronger. The key is to use your activities to highlight important resume skills relevant to the job you’re applying for.

Skills are either hard or soft. Hard skills are specific skills you need to do a particular job. Soft skills are transferable skills that you can develop and use in any job. 

Extracurricular skills for your ATS resume

All job descriptions are full of skills that hiring managers want in a candidate. Those skills determine whether your resume will reach the hiring manager at all.

When you apply for a job, your resume goes into the applicant tracking system , or ATS. It acts as an internal search engine for the hiring manager.

They can search for specific keywords and the ATS will parse resumes for those terms. It then pulls out the strongest resumes for the hiring manager. It’s crucial to include the right keywords to get your resume in front of the hiring team.

Here’s a sample job description with keywords and soft skills underlined. These are among some of the critical skills you should add to your resume when applying for this job. Extracurriculars can help you hone them.

Never forget to include keywords again with Jobscan’s resume scanner to support you. The match report will give you a resume score to measure the strength of your resume and show you which keywords are missing. It’ll also catch any formatting issues that will affect your resume’s readability by the ATS.

Take it further and make your resume optimization easier with Jobscan’s premium Power Edit . It will show you which skills you’re missing and also provide suggestions on how to integrate them into your resume.

Below is an image of the match report generated for transferable skills or soft skills . The highlighted skills need to be added to the resume to increase your chances of the hiring manager finding your resume.

Extracurricular activities can be a great way to integrate skills and keywords into your resume.

How to put extracurricular activities on resume

You can incorporate your extracurricular activities in your resume in a few different ways.

• In your work experience section.
• In your volunteer section.
• In your education section.
• In an achievements or awards section.
• In your interests or extracurriculars section.

How to add activities to your work experience

For new grads, work experience can be a short section. But you can add volunteer positions in your work experience section if they’re relevant to the job you’re applying for. Highlight the skills you used in your volunteer role to draw connections to the proficiencies the hiring manager will be searching for. 

Sample resume extracurricular activities: work experience section

Below is an example of how to add volunteer extracurricular activities to your resume. Achievements are quantified and skills are integrated into the summary.

How to add activities to your volunteer section

Your volunteer section can show off your skills while keeping it separate from paid work experience. Format the dates and position descriptions in the same layout and emphasize the skills that helped you excel in your position. 

Sample resume extracurricular activities: volunteer section

This volunteer experience section highlights the soft skills gained in the role, from collaboration to creative thinking.

How to add activities to your education section

When your extracurricular activities are related to school, adding them to your education section makes sense. Add details to include clubs and organizations, and the skills you developed while there. 

Sample resume extracurricular activities: education section

Below is an example of extracurricular activities in the resume under the education section. The sorority is affiliated with the school, so keeping it with your education maintains organization. The summary demonstrates transferable skills like organization and planning.

Another example of extracurriculars in the education section includes a student-run news organization on campus. Including the role and the skills developed can help illustrate experience when work history is limited.

How to add activities to your achievements and awards

If your extracurricular activities earned you recognition, an achievements section can highlight it. When you excel at your activities, you’re demonstrating to the hiring manager that your skill set is exceptional. 

Sample resume extracurricular activities: achievements or awards section

Below is an example of adding an extracurricular to an awards section of your resume. Not only does this example have the achievement listed, but it includes a summary of the skills they used to win the award.

How to add activities to their own section

Another option is to include your extracurriculars in their own section of interests and activities. This can be the place to include activities that don’t quite fit into other resume sections. A a separate heading can organize the resume layout . 

Sample resume extracurricular activities: interests or activities section

In this example, the extracurricular activity has its own resume subheading. While it’s not affiliated to education, volunteering, or awards, it can still demonstrate valuable soft skills employers seek, like teamwork.

Tips for including activities on your resume

Here are some quick tips to including activities on your resume.

The activities on your resume should be relevant to the job

You may have varied interests and pastimes you enjoy, but they don’t all have a place on your resume. Keep the activities hyper relevant to the job description you’re applying for. Otherwise, the overflow of information can distract from the valuable information you include. 

Include details about the activity in your resume for credibility

Try to be as specific as possible about your volunteer roles, participation in official organizations, and achievements. Details can provide credibility to your experience and skills.

Take advantage of soft skills gained from activities

Soft skills are not less valuable than hard skills. Many hiring managers see the value of soft skills. They’re increasingly seeking candidates who prove those skills.

Wherever you’re putting your soft skills in your resume, leverage the ones that align with the job description. 

To ensure your resume is as strong as possible, use Jobscan’s resume scanner tool to generate a match report. This report can tell you what key skills you’re missing from your resume and your overall resume match score. It will also detect any parts of your resume that aren’t ATS-friendly. 

Make your resume stand out and get noticed

Upload your resume to see what’s missing and get a free match rate.

View full results and optimize your resume

When your extracurricular activities highlight relevant skills to the job, hiring managers take notice. If you include irrelevant activities, your resume can look overcrowded and take attention away from critical skills.

Extracurriculars can help develop skills you need to make your resume stand out to recruiters and hiring managers. If you lack practical work experience or your activities developed critical skills you’d need for your new role, adding resume activities can benefit your job application.

Activities for your resume come in a range of types to suit every interest and ability. Some of the most common include: • Student council • Sports • Clubs or societies • Volunteering • Tutoring • Study abroad programs • Additional languages • Sororities or fraternities

Hobbies can count as extracurricular activities as long as you can demonstrate valuable skills relevant to your the job description you’re applying for.

You won’t be punished for not including extracurricular activities on your resume. It’s an extra way to incorporate skills and keywords to your resume, but it’s not essential. You can also develop skills from other jobs, your education, and certifications.

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Kelsey is a Content Writer with a background in content creation, bouncing between industries to educate readers everywhere.

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Extracurriculars.

73 Awesome Extracurriculars for Impressing Colleges

What’s covered:, how important are extracurriculars in admissions, how do colleges evaluate extracurriculars, should you be well-rounded or specialized, how many extracurriculars do you need.

• Impressive Extracurriculars for College

What you do outside of the classroom is almost as important as what you do in it. Your extracurricular activities will set you apart from other academically qualified college candidates. But which ones are the best for highlighting your talents and strengths?

Below are some impressive extracurricular activities across various categories ranging from STEM to sports that you can add to your resume and boost your chances of admission to your dream school!

Extracurricular activities account for about 30% of a college application. But their impact on your admissions chances is a bit more nuanced than that. Most highly selective colleges use the Academic Index to screen applicants. This metric represents academic factors like grades and test scores. Students must meet the college’s minimum standards before the admissions committee will take a closer look at their application. 

However, colleges receive applications from thousands of students who reach their Academic Index threshold, so how do they make their final decisions? That’s where extracurriculars enter the picture! These activities, along with other qualitative materials, like essays, will make students stand out.

Curious how your Academic Index and extracurriculars will affect your admissions chances? Our free chancing engine takes into account GPA, test scores, extracurriculars, and other data to predict your chances of admission at over 1600 colleges across the country. We’ll also let you know how you stack up against other applicants and how you can improve your profile.

Not all extracurriculars are created equally. There is a system CollegeVine and admissions committees use to evaluate extracurriculars based on their uniqueness and the level of dedication or skill they demonstrate. Extracurricular activities can be divided into four tiers .

Tier 1 Extracurricular Activities

These are usually rare and demonstrate exceptional talent, achievement, or merit. Winning a prestigious national award, sitting first chair in an all-state orchestra, and starting a nonprofit that gains national attention are examples of tier 1 activities.

Tier 2 Extracurricular Activities

While somewhat more common than tier 1 activities, tier 2 activities still demonstrate exceptional achievement. Admissions committees simply encounter these activities more frequently than they do those in tier 1. For example, you might serve as student body present, make it to state tournaments for tennis, or you could win a local or regional contest.

Tier 3 Extracurricular Activities

These activities are more frequently found on students’ applications, but they’re still worth including since they demonstrate applicants’ interests outside of the classroom. This tier includes smaller leadership positions in school clubs like treasurer or distinctions in a sport like player of the week or junior captain.

Tier 4 Extracurricular Activities

Tier 4 describes the activities that are most commonly seen by admissions committees. Although less impressive than the other tiers, these activities do play a role in helping colleges see what kind of student and person they would be admitting. This tier includes general membership in clubs and organizations, volunteering regularly, or taking music classes or other types of lessons for several years.

The activity itself is less important than your commitment to it. Tier 1 and 2 activities that demonstrate a real passion should be prioritized, but, of course, it’s unlikely that you’ll have more than a couple of those on your resume.

Contrary to popular belief, being well-rounded doesn’t necessarily make you stand out to college admissions officers. It’s a pervasive myth that you need to be well-rounded to get into a good college. In reality, students are more likely to stand out with a well-developed specialty, also known as a spike . This depth, instead of breadth, can showcase your commitment, passion, and potential to contribute uniquely to the college community.

Furthermore, you can enhance your spike with juxtapositional depth. It’s a term that describes the blending of two different specialties into a single activity, which can make you even more memorable to the admissions committee.

For example, if you’re an athlete who loves to write, you might combine these interests by finding a niche in sports journalism, such as starting a column for your high school newspaper. 

Or, if you’re a musician with a passion for helping your community, you could teach music lessons to children at your community center.

Another example could be a student passionate about both software and sports. They could develop an app to track stats for their school’s teams, or they could start a coding club that creates software to help local sports clubs with their logistics.

There isn’t a fixed number of extracurricular activities that an applicant must have on their list. While competitive applicants often have 8-10 activities, this is merely an average, not a requirement. Doing more activities isn’t necessarily better. The impact and tier of the extracurriculars are most important. Additionally, remember that many activities, like sports, are seasonal; you definitely don’t need to be doing 8-10 activities all at once!

Remember, your extracurriculars should showcase your talents, interests, and commitment. If you take on too much, your grades could suffer—as could your mental health. Learning to prioritize certain activities and manage your time is a valuable skill, not only for college applications but also for life beyond high school.

73 Impressive Extracurriculars for College

The following are extracurriculars you could consider joining depending on your interests. Remember, the most impressive extracurriculars are those with juxtapositional depth that connect two of your interests, so if you see something you like in the Medicine and Music category, why not start your own activity and bridge your two interests together!

• International Biology Competition
• Math Olympiad (1st place)
• Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science
• Research Science Institute
• Science Olympiad (president)
• Telluride Association Summer Program
• Hackathon programs (and winning an award)
• Computer science internships
• Robotics programs (and winning an award)
• Creating custom websites for businesses
• Founding a science, technology, engineering, or math club at your school
• Organizing a community-wide STEM fair or event
• Congressional Art Competition
• International Thespian Honor Society
• Juilliard Summer Dance Intensive
• National Art Honor Society (award)
• National YoungArts Week
• Scholastic Art Award
• Teaching art lessons
• Painting a mural for your city
• Organizing a local arts festival or exhibition
• Directing a play or film
• Starting a local art class for children or adults
• Doctors Without Borders high school program (leadership position)
• HOSA – Future Health Professionals
• Medical Explorers
• Medicine-related internship
• Volunteering in a clinic
• Doing research
• Founding a medical science club at your school
• Organizing a health fair in your community
• Launching a public health awareness campaign
• Doors to Diplomacy Competition (award)
• Model Congress (president or award)
• Model UN (president)
• Senate Page Program
• Starting a Junior Statesmen of America chapter
• Volunteering for a political campaign
• Founding a political discussion or debate club at your school
• Starting a blog or podcast that discusses current political issues (and getting a good amount of traction)
• Captain of a competitive sports team
• Coaching a competitive team
• High-ranking, recognized athlete
• Running a half marathon
• Scholar-athlete award programs (usually run by states or districts)
• Founding a new sports team or club at your school
• Organizing a community sports event, like a fun run or charity game
• Launching a fitness or wellness initiative in your community
• Interning at a publication
• NCTE Achievement Award
• Newspaper (editor)
• Publishing your work in a national publication
• Quill and Scroll
• Scholastic Writing Award
• Starting a creative writing club at your school
• Publishing a book or ebook
• Hosting a community poetry reading or writer’s workshop
• All-state band or orchestra
• Demonstrated exceptional skill in a difficult or less common instrument (e.g. oboe)
• Director or leader of a music ensemble, band, or orchestra
• Starting an in- or outside-of-school music group or ensemble
• Tri-M Music Honor Society
• Organizing a community concert or music festival
• Starting a school radio station or podcast featuring student music
• Teaching music lessons to children in your community

Community Service

• Amnesty International (leadership role)
• Key Club (leadership role)
• Mentoring peers or younger students through a formal program
• Starting a nonprofit
• Starting a volunteering club
• Organizing a large-scale fundraising event for a local charity
• Creating a community garden or other environmental project
• Launching a tutoring or mentorship program for younger students.

Looking for more ideas? Check out CollegeVine’s complete list of extracurricular activities.

Remember, colleges are interested in how you’ve demonstrated leadership, initiative, and growth through your extracurricular activities. The more you’ve taken on responsibility or achieved a high level of expertise, the more impressive the activity will be to admissions officers.

Your activities should reflect your genuine interests and the things you’re passionate about. College admissions officers can often tell if an activity is just padding for your resume, and they’re more interested in what you’re truly excited about. It’s okay to explore a variety of activities early in your high school career, but as you progress, try to focus more on the ones that you’re truly passionate about.

Related CollegeVine Blog Posts

Get Accepted: The Best Extracurricular Activities For College Applications

Updated: Sep 8, 2023, 10:58am

The best colleges and universities want to educate the movers and shakers of tomorrow, so their admissions committees seek well-rounded applicants—students who earn good grades and are also involved in extracurricular activities such as academic clubs, sports teams and interest groups.

When a student takes the initiative to stay after school to meet with like-minded peers, organize events and take on leadership roles, they can grow beyond their GPA and test scores. Extracurricular activities challenge students to be team players and leaders, attributes that can help them become successful college students and productive citizens who make positive contributions to their community.

In an increasingly competitive college admissions landscape, students with a solid list of extracurricular activities can have an edge.

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What Are the Best Extracurriculars for College?

Whether you opt to spend your time with school-sponsored clubs, community-based organizations, or independent activities and work, you can explore extracurriculars through several avenues.

Academic Clubs

Academic-oriented clubs are the bread and butter of extracurricular activities. Students can join academic clubs such as the National Honor Society, Italian Language Club and Mu Alpha Theta to demonstrate their interest in academics outside of the classroom.

You don’t need to be the star athlete on a varsity squad to make an impression on colleges. The most important aspect of playing a sport in high school is teamwork. Even with sports such as diving and cross country, which rely heavily on individual talents, each athlete is still part of a team.

Community Service

Students showcase their humanity when they donate their time and talents to improving their communities. Key Club, Beta Club and Leo Club are well-known organizations dedicated to services like volunteering at homeless shelters and cleaning litter in public spaces. Students can also engage in community service activities on their own by volunteering with groups such as Habitat for Humanity, Amnesty International or local churches.

Creativity and the Arts

Students who express themselves through the arts are not just more empathic but also creative problem solvers. Opportunities for creative expression include joining the drama club, being part of the choir or playing an instrument in the marching band.

The more unique the creative activity, the more it will stand out. Why just play second fiddle in a school orchestra when you can explore your Mexican heritage by being part of a competitive mariachi ensemble? And if there isn’t already a club for your creative interest, start your own. Founding your school’s first slam poetry club, for example, showcases initiative.

Work Experience

Not every student has the luxury of joining an after-school club. Many students have to work to support themselves and help their families. Most young people between the ages of 16 and 24—many of them teenagers in high school—are employed, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics .

Luckily, work experience counts as an extracurricular activity. Students shouldn’t feel reticent to include their time as a cashier at a fast food restaurant on their résumé. A strong work ethic always looks good.

Political Involvement

Whether a student is making phone calls on Election Day for their favored presidential candidate or helping a city commission raise funds, there is always a campaign that needs help. If you’re a skilled writer, you can help with campaign speeches. If you’re a social media guru, you can manage the Instagram account for a candidate.

Participating in student exchange programs or going on a school-sponsored international trip showcases that an applicant is committed to expanding their cultural horizons. A well-used passport shows colleges that applicants have the potential to be a great ambassador for the United States as a study abroad student in college.

Technology-focused clubs have come a long way from the low-tech AV clubs of the 20th century. By participating in a competitive robotics team or an engineering club, you can demonstrate your ability to work with peers and master the skills needed to thrive in STEM fields.

How To Find the Right Extracurriculars for You

If you’re lucky enough to attend a high school with a variety of clubs and teams, you might be overwhelmed by all of the options. Just like with the stock market, you’ll want to cover a variety of interests, whether they be creative, athletic or academic. Whatever you decide, make sure your choice makes sense to you.

Authenticity

Be yourself. Authenticity is key when applying for college, especially when writing your personal statement. Do you have a thoughtful and engaging story about a transformative experience you had while volunteering with your drama club at an elementary school? That college essay could make your application stand out from the competition.

Quality trumps quantity. Listing your membership in 12 clubs doesn’t mean as much as being the president of the Spanish Honor Society or the secretary of the Student Government. Spreading yourself too thin can not only be harmful to your mental well-being but also signal a lack of focus. Likewise, you demonstrate their passion for an extracurricular activity by committing to one for several years rather than just before college applications are due.

Ask yourself: What subjects, hobbies and sports am I most interested in? What “subculture” do I want to be a part of? What kind of people would I like to geek out with?

Si vous voulez comprendre cette phrase , join the French club. If you’re a graphic design whiz, consider becoming the layout editor for your school’s yearbook. If you love to watch Studio Ghibli films and attend comic cons, you might join the Anime Interest Club. And if you want to support LGBT rights, take on a leadership role with the Gay-Straight Alliance.

Extracurricular activities should be fun, interesting and meaningful to you. While everyone wants to put their best foot forward when applying to college, extracurriculars could also be the source of some of your best memories after you graduate from high school.

Why Do Colleges Care About Extracurricular Activities?

In many ways, a college campus is a city unto itself. And like any city, it needs a variety of people to thrive. This is where extracurricular activities come in. Without student-led events, campuses become drab places lacking in cultural and intellectual excitement. Colleges count on self-motivated students with varied interests to help make their campuses enjoyable and intellectually engaging environments.

A solid record of extracurricular activities proves that you can work well with others, whether you gained those skills through band practice, school musicals, homecoming parades, film festivals or symposiums on hot-button topics.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Best Extracurricular Activities for College Applications

What extracurricular activities will look good on college applications.

Applicants can demonstrate their versatility and commitment to interests by participating in a solid variety of extracurricular activities, running the gamut from academic clubs to athletic teams to community service organizations. But when it comes to extracurriculars, quality is more important than quantity, so listing a couple of committed leadership roles—ideally held for longer periods of time—is key to standing out.

What extracurriculars do Ivy Leagues look for?

The more rarefied and intellectually stimulating the better. Extracurricular activities that fit the bill include Model United Nations, student government, debate team and coding clubs. Likewise, Ivy Leagues love elite sports such as fencing, horseback riding, water polo and lacrosse. Leadership positions look particularly good to Ivy League institutions.

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How To List Extracurricular Activites on Your Resume

Everything you ever wanted to know about how to include extracurricular activities on your resume — and whether it’s a good idea in the first place.

2 years ago   •   10 min read

Getting a job isn’t like getting into college — Hiring managers generally don’t care about your extracurricular activities. So why even bother including them on your resume?

Extracurricular activities can be a good way of showcasing your abilities when you don’t have a lot of work experience — in particular, if you’re still a student or have only just graduated. In that case, recruiters can look to your extracurriculars for evidence of transferable skills like leadership , teamwork , communication , and work ethic . This doesn’t mean that extracurricular activities are a substitute for relevant experience, but they’re a great place to start.

In this article, we’ll discuss how to determine if extracurricular activities are a good addition to your resume, which ones to include to show competitive transferable skills, and how to tailor your extracurricular activities to your particular industry and career level.

Should you put extracurricular activities on your resume?

Before we delve into how to showcase extracurricular activities, let’s decide if they’re the right fit for your resume.You should list extracurricular activities on your resume if:

• You’re a current student or recent graduate seeking an entry-level position.
• You don’t have a lot of paid work experience .
• It was through a prestigious or recognizable organization, like a law review or official charity.
• They demonstrate relevant transferable skills or noteworthy accomplishments that are relevant to the job you’re applying for.

You should not list extracurricular activities on your resume if:

• You have enough paid work experience to showcase the same skills.
• The activity is more than 5+ years old.
• You’re applying for a senior position (with exceptions).
• It was a one-time activity rather than a regular, ongoing thing.

You can consider listing extracurricular activities on your resume if:

• You’re changing careers and want to include skills that are relevant to your new field.
• Your extracurricular activities are highly relevant or especially noteworthy.
• Your extracurricular activity includes a board membership or a similar position of leadership.

In these cases, you should still prioritize relevant paid work experience but can include extracurricular activities if there’s space on your resume. If you’re not sure if extracurricular activities are helping or harming your resume, upload it for free to Score My Resume , an online resume checker that will provide instant and detailed feedback on how to improve your resume.

How to list extracurricular activities on your resume

There are three ways to best showcase extracurricular activities on your resume: In a separate ‘Activities’ section, in your ‘Education’ section, and in an ‘Additional’ section at the end of your resume.

Generally, in any of these sections, you should list your activities in reverse chronological order, starting with the most recent. However, if older activities are more relevant to the job you're applying for, it's ok to list them first. For instance, a leadership role you had in college might be more relevant to a managerial position than more recent but less relevant activities.

In an activities section

If you were heavily involved in extracurricular activities and want to showcase that, it’s okay to have a whole section of your resume dedicated to it. Title it ‘Activities’ and include the name of the organization, the dates you were involved, your role or title, and 1-2 of your most relevant accomplishments. When deciding what to put under ‘Activities’ on your resume, consider activities that showcase your skills, interests, and professional experise.

For example:

In your education section

If your extracurricular activities were school clubs, they can go in the education section of your resume. For current students, your education section might be the most detailed section of your resume and can go at the top. You can also include other information like your major and relevant minor(s) , awards, relevant coursework, study abroad, and GPA.

If you’re a mid-level hire who graduated less than 10 years ago, you can still include extracurricular activities on your resume if they’re relevant and particularly noteworthy. In that case, you should keep it brief by listing extracurriculars on a single line in a short education section at the end of your resume, as shown in the example below.

If you don’t have a lot of work experience, you should aim to show transferable and soft skills that hiring managers and recruiters look for in your extracurricular activities. To find out if your bullet points are strong enough and have no mistakes, upload your resume to the tool below — it'll perform a quick scan and let you know if your extracurricular experiences can be improved.

In a volunteering section

If your extracurricular activities doubled as volunteer work, you can create a separate ‘Volunteering’ section on your resume. List each project or activity separately, including the dates you worked on it, and include 1-2 bullet points outlining your main accomplishments.For example:

In an additional section

If you want to include extracurricular activities on your resume without taking up a lot of space, consider including them in an additional section at the end of your resume. Include a subheading like ‘Activities’ and keep it to a single line, as shown in this resume example:

Optional resume section titles for extracurricular activities

Using appropriate section titles helps improve the readability of your resume and makes it easier for a recruiter to pick out the most useful information. Here are some additional resume section titles you can use when listing extracurricular activities:

• Extracurricular: Use this title if you have a broad range of activities outside of your academic or professional work that are relevant to your application.
• Activities: Use this title if your extracurriculars demonstrate a wide range of skills, including clubs, sports, or other group activities.
• Leadership : Choose this title when you want to emphasize leadership roles, such as president of a club or captain of a sports team. This is particularly effective if you’re applying for roles where leadership is a priority.
• Other: This title can be used to gather various parts of your resume that don’t fit into standard categories, such as extracurriculars, certificates, affiliations, etc.

Sample resume showing extracurricular experience

Here’s a good example of a resume for a student or recent graduate that showcases extracurricular activities, providing you with activities examples that easily fit into a high-performing resume:

How to highlight transferable skills through extracurricular activities

When considering what extracurricular activities to include on your resume, focus on those that demonstrate transferable skills, leadership, teamwork, or community involvement. Good activities to put on a resume can range from sports teams and clubs to volunteer work and personal projects.

Identify key transferable skills

Extracurricular activities are a great way to showcase both hard and soft skills in a professional setting. Consider the activity you took part in and identify if you can showcase any of the soft skills listed below:

• Leadership: Showcasing roles where you led a team or project.
• Teamwork: Demonstrating collaboration and collective problem-solving.
• Digital literacy: Showcasing your competence with digital tools and technology.
• Communication: Highlighting roles that required effective verbal or written communication.
• Organization: Managing events or projects efficiently.
• Problem-solving: Demonstrating your ability to identify challenges and come up with productive solutions.
• Innovation: Showing your ability to think outside the box.
• Time management: Highlighting your ability to juggle multiple responsibilities.
• Adaptability: Showing your ability to thrive in changing environments and adjust to new challenges.
• Conflict resolution: Demonstrating your skill in resolving disagreements and conflicts.
• Project management: Showcasing your ability to plan, execute, and oversee projects from start to finish.
• Analytical thinking: Showing your ability to analyze information, identify trends, and make informed decisions.

If you want to find relevant skills for the job you’re applying for, use our hard skills and keywords tool below to search for the job, and it’ll give you a list of skills relevant to the position.

Quantify your achievements

Once you have chosen an activity that showcases your desired skill, quantify your achievements with numbers and metrics . This gives a recruiter tangible proof of your skills while also explaining why your experience is relevant to the job you’re applying for. For example, if you were involved in fundraising, specify the amount raised, or if you led a team, specify the size of the team.

Organized a charity event that raised $5,000 for environmental conservation.

Led a 15-member team to organize a college debate, attracting over 300 participants.

Use action verbs to create power phrases

Start your resume bullet points with a strong action verb , followed by a quantified metric, and end each phrase showing the positive result of your work. This formula creates eye-catching power phrases that succinctly demonstrate your skills.

Coordinated a team of 10 volunteers, leading to a 20% increase in fundraiser efficiency.

Designed and implemented a new marketing strategy for a college event, resulting in a 30% higher attendance than in previous years.

Tailor your examples to the job description

To make your extracurricular activities relevant to each application, tailor the examples you use to align with the job description. Identify key skills or responsibilities mentioned in the job description and choose extracurricular examples that best demonstrate these skills or qualities.

For instance, if the job requires strong leadership skills , highlight a time you led a team or project in your extracurricular activities.

Led a team of 20 volunteers in organizing the annual campus charity event, raising over $10,000.

Organized and directed a student-run theater production, coordinating a cast and crew of 30 people.

Align your examples with employer cultural and ethical values

When selecting which extracurriculars to highlight on your resume, consider the cultural and ethical values of the organizations you're applying to. Research each company’s history and their involvement in community and global initiatives. This will help you choose activities that resonate with their company structure and values as a whole.

For example, if a company prioritizes sustainability, describe your involvement in environmental clubs or eco-friendly initiatives. If a company values innovation and creativity, highlight your participation in tech projects or creative competitions.

What extracurricular activities to include on your resume based on your experience level

Not sure if your extracurricular activities belong on your resume? Here are some extracurricular activities that add value to your resume at every experience level.

Current students and recent graduates

For high school students and recent graduates, extracurricular activities are a major asset. On a high school activities resume, include sports, leadership roles, and any volunteer activities you’ve been involved in, such as:

• Foreign language activities — particularly study abroad
• Sports teams
• Performing arts
• Student government
• Fundraising
• Official clubs

Determining where to put clubs on a resume depends on how relevant they are to the job you’re applying for. If they are highly relevant, they can be included in the main 'Experience' section. Otherwise, they can be listed under an 'Activities' or 'Extracurricular' section.

For mid-career professionals, extracurricular activities should demonstrate continued personal growth. Include activities that highlight your leadership skills, industry involvement, or community engagement, such as:

• Volunteer work
• Publications
• Business venture and other projects — if these are significant enough, you might even want to consider including them in your regular work experience section.

Senior level

For senior-level professionals, the focus should be on activities that showcase strategic leadership and industry influence. Highlight roles that reflect your expertise and contributions at a higher level, including:

• Board memberships
• Consultancy
• Speaking engagements
• Business ventures
• High level of leadership

Tailoring extracurricular activities to your particular industry

Tailoring your extracurricular activities to the specific industry you're applying to is an important part of ensuring your resume stays relevant and impactful for each application. Below are examples of extracurricular activities that align well with different industry sectors:

Technology and IT:

• Coding clubs that demonstrate technical skills and proficiency with specific tools.
• Tech-focused volunteer work that showcases skills such as AI, machine learning, and web development.
• Personal tech projects, such as creating your own apps, websites, or software projects.

Led a team in a university hackathon, developing a mobile app that won second place for innovative use of AI in healthcare.

Finance and business:

• Leadership roles in investment clubs or business associations.
• Organizing fundraising events or managing budgets for student organizations.

As President of the campus Investment Club, grew membership by 40% and consistently outperformed market benchmarks in mock portfolios.

Education and academia:

• Tutoring or mentoring roles, showcasing teaching and coaching abilities.
• Involvement in educational clubs or academic competitions.

Tutored 30+ high school students in math and science, achieving an average student improvement rate of 25% in test scores.

Creative arts and design:

• Participation in arts clubs, creative writing courses, or performing arts groups.
• Contributions to campus publications, blogs, or design contests.
• Personal creative projects, such as films, photography, portfolio design, and art exhibitions.

Organized a campus art exhibit featuring 30+ student works, attracting over 300 attendees and promoting local artists.

Marketing and communications:

• Leading or participating in marketing or advertising clubs.
• Managing social media or publicity for student organizations or events.

Directed social media campaigns for the Campus Music Festival, increasing online engagement by 50% over previous years.

• Involvement in mock trial competitions or law student associations.
• Volunteering for legal aid societies or related community service.

Active member of the University Mock Trial team, reaching national finals and winning first place in our category.

Hospitality and tourism:

• Leadership roles in event planning or hospitality-related student organizations.
• Volunteering at local tourism events or cultural festivals.

Coordinated a local food festival, managing over 20 vendors and logistics, drawing an attendance of 5,000+ people.

Using extracurricular activities to help a career change

Extracurricular activities can be especially helpful when changing careers. When you’re moving to a new industry or field, your direct work experience may not align perfectly with your new career path. This is where extracurricular activities come into play, helping bridge the gap in your professional experience by showcasing relevant skills and interests in your new field.

• Focus on activities that demonstrate relevant skills to your new field. For example, leadership roles in community organizations can translate well into managerial positions in various sectors.
• If you're moving into a field that requires new technical skills, extracurricular activities like attending workshops, online courses, or certifications can demonstrate your commitment to learning and adapting.
• Demonstrate commitment to your new sector by showing involvement in industry-related groups. For example, someone transitioning to a career in environmental science might highlight their active role in conservation projects or environmental clubs.

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How to Showcase Extracurricular Activities In Your College Applications

In the following article, CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Expert Julian Zambrano (University of Pennsylvania ‘23) shares tips for how to approach extracurricular activities in relation to the college admissions process. For more guidance on extracurriculars, the common app, and the college application process in general, sign up for a monthly plan to work with an admissions coach 1-on-1.

The college admissions process is daunting. Throughout high school, students work to fill their resumes with amazing extracurricular activities in order to improve their chances of admission into top universities. When it comes to extracurriculars, there isn’t a clear cut formula that will get you into college. You can objectively say that a 1520 on the SAT is better than a 1300, but how can you compare volunteering at a soup kitchen to participating in boy scouts or starting a small business?

Throughout my own experience with the college admissions process and working as an advisor for CollegeAdvisor.com , I’ve learned a lot about how you can use your extracurricular activities in order to set your applications apart. I hope that my story can help you as you create your own narrative around your extracurriculars.

My Interview for Wharton School at University of Pennsylvania

When I got the call to interview for Wharton, I was ecstatic. I went to meet my interviewer in person in New York City.

“Holy cow! You do a lot of community service,” he exclaimed as he looked over my resume. We shared a laugh.

After a few moments, he looked up at me. He said, “Now, you have a lot of amazing things on this resume. But I know I did a lot of baloney in high school just to get into Penn… so I’m going to ask you, what things on this resume have you done just to get into college?”

I was slightly taken aback by this question. I never saw myself doing these things to get into Wharton. Instead, I had only done activities that I genuinely enjoyed.

Some general advice – as you prepare for college applications, it can be tempting to select extracurriculars based on what you think might improve your admissions chances. However, don’t choose activities for how they will look on your resume — instead, find extracurriculars that mean something to you.

Sports and the CommonApp Essay

At the beginning of high school, football was a major component of my life. I spent much of my time improving my skills, developing bonds with my teammates, and monitoring my physical health. I learned valuable lessons about perseverance, which translated into my school work and other extracurricular activities.

Unfortunately, I injured my back the summer before my senior year, which prevented me from participating in my final season. Until this point, my life had revolved around football. Leaving it behind was alarming to say the least. However, my injury gave me the opportunity to explore my other interests.

In my CommonApp essay, I wrote about coming to terms with the fact that I would not be able to play football my senior year. Throughout high school, football had taught me many valuable lessons. However, my injury taught me an important lesson as well — that I am not defined by one thing. Your CommonApp essay can be a great opportunity for you to showcase your extracurricular interests and reveal how you have grown as a person, teammate, and leader throughout your participation in those activities.

Music and the Supplementary Essay

Before I began playing football, I found solace in playing the guitar and participating in various music organizations. I played at many exciting venues, including one gig on the same stage as Bruce Springsteen. I also composed and performed my own work.

Once I got to high school, however, I shifted away from public performance. During my recovery from my back injury, I decided to start recording my original compositions for the first time. Most colleges allow (and encourage) applicants with interest in the arts to submit artistic supplements along with their CommonApp submission. I took this opportunity to showcase my musical talent by submitting recordings of my compositions.

Some students worry that their art submissions won’t be taken seriously if they’ve never had formal training or if they never participated in organized, institutional programs. However, my introduction to the guitar was rather unconventional. In fact, I never learned how to read music, as I could decipher songs just by hearing them. When I first started, I noticed various patterns in the fingerings for different modes and scales. Over time, I began to develop a geometric understanding of music theory for guitar.

By explaining my atypical relationship with music in one of my supplementary essays, I was able to express both my artistic creativity and my critical thinking skills. Admissions officers are looking for students that can think outside the box. If one of your extracurricular experiences helped you think in an unconventional way, highlight it. These experiences can greatly strengthen your application.

Community Service, Volunteering, and Work

Through local parishes, I volunteered regularly at the Samaritan Center, which distributes food, clothes, toys, and other household items to less fortunate families. I spent my Saturday mornings filling bags for clients, stocking shelves, processing the trash, organizing the back rooms, and bringing supplies to local churches. Seeing frequent patrons, including some that I knew personally, made me more grateful for my circumstances. My work at the Samaritan Center made me realize that small organizations can make a huge difference for many families.

Volunteering at the Samaritan Center granted me valuable experience and gave me a greater perspective of the financial struggles that many people face. Additionally, being able to see how my contributions actively helped my community taught me that even small actions can go a long way.

If you have the time and resources, I highly recommend getting involved in community service throughout high school. Not only will it help you broaden your appreciation for your community, but it will also help college admissions officers gain a better understanding of how you help serve the communities that you are a part of.

That being said, not all students have the ability to volunteer, as they may be working part-time jobs or taking care of family in addition to school. These commitments are also important to showcase on the CommonApp application, as they also demonstrate to admissions officers your impact on your community.

Applying this Advice

The college admissions process can be daunting. As you develop your interests and begin your applications, keep in mind these three things:

• Everyone’s extracurricular experiences are going to be drastically different, so don’t compare your resume to someone else’s.
• On your application, express why your activities are meaningful to you, what you learned from them, and how they shaped you as a person.
• And, most importantly: DON’T do activities that you have no interest in. Colleges can see right through resume builders.

This informational essay was written by Julian Zambrano, University of Pennsylvania ‘23. If you want to get help writing your Penn application essays from Julian or other CollegeAdvisor.com Admissions Experts , register with CollegeAdvisor.com today.

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Complete List of Extracurricular Activities: 100s of Examples

Other High School , College Admissions , Extracurriculars

How do you like to spend your time after school? Did you know that how you choose to spend this time could be one of the most important ways you shape your future?

Extracurricular activities are a critical component of your college application, and you need to impress colleges with your interests. But you might not know what good extracurricular activities look like or what you should be spending your time on.

We've got you covered here in our guide of hundreds of examples of extracurricular activities. Read on to get some inspiration for how to spend your valuable free time during high school!

What Is An Extracurricular Activity?

An extracurricular activity can be almost anything that isn't required for high school credit or paid employment that you do while you're in high school. These activities will become very important later, such as when you are applying to colleges, because they help you develop your talents, interests, and passions. They can also teach you practical skills like time management.

With so many options out there, all students should be able to find an extracurricular that they are interested in and can develop a passion for!

Remember that extracurricular activities do not have to be sponsored by your school, so you should also consider things that you do with your family or within your community as viable options.

Below I've listed many popular activities that you may not have thought of as extracurricular activities. Take a look at the list and see if your activities are already on the list, or if anything you hadn't considered before catches your eye.

Of course, this list isn't complete, because you can turn almost any interest into an extracurricular. If you are actively involved in something that you don't see here—meaning you spend a significant amount of time doing an activity that is allowing you to develop a talent or interest, be a leader, or help out your community—then you should definitely consider that an extracurricular activity, as well!

What doesn't necessarily count as an extracurricular? Any interest of yours that's very self-centered is probably not going to make the cut.

An extracurricular should be an activity that demonstrates a talent or primarily contributes value to other people. If you have to really contort to find justification for something being an extracurricular (my taking drivers ed will make the roads safer for everyone! Keeping my vaccinations up to date helps immunocompromised people!), then chances are, it won't count as an extracurricular .

There's a spectrum here, though—for example, improving your hair quality or braiding hair for fun isn't really an extracurricular. But starting a YouTube channel around beauty tips or creating a club for teen health enthusiasts definitely does.

But if you're still unsure if something counts as an extracurricular, or you need some inspiration, then read on for our complete list of extracurricular activities.

How Should You Use This Extracurricular Activities List?

Not sure how you should use this list of extracurriculars? Just follow the six steps outlined in this section, and you'll be on your way to choosing the best extracurricular for you!

Step 1: Brainstorm Extracurricular Ideas

What are your interests? Have you always wanted to try out something related to art, but weren't sure if it would be worth your time, or if it would be viewed favorably by a college admissions team? Keep in mind that colleges don't really care about what kind of activity you are doing—instead, they want to see that you are doing something that you are passionate about. So make a list of all of your interests—both things that you are already interested in and other areas that intrigue you and you'd like to learn more about.

Step 2: See Which Extracurriculars Fit Your Interests

Look through the list below and see if any of the activities match your interests. You may see some ways that you hadn't thought of before to pursue an interest! Keep in mind that there can be a lot of different outlets for each interest you have. For example, if you want to play an instrument, you can take private classes, play in your school's marching band, play in a community concert band, or work as part of the orchestra for your school's next musical.

Step 3: Research Different Extracurricular Options

Research to see if these activities are available at your high school or in your community. If there is something you are very passionate about that's not already offered, consider starting up a group of your own. But if you aren't sure that the interest will stick and you only want to try it out, it's probably best to find a different outlet for your curiosity.

Extracurriculars List by Category

This list is organized into categories to make finding an activity that matches your interests easier. However, we recommend at least skimming all the extracurricular options below, even if you think they're categories you're not interested in. You never know what might catch your eye!

Note: not all schools will offer formal clubs in all these categories. If you see something you're interested in that your school doesn't offer, try joining a community group or even a national or online group to explore the interest further! Many of these topics are available as summer camp activities, as well.

You can also consider starting a club at your school if you are looking for a way to get involved in something you are interested in while also showing leadership and initiative.

These activities are based on a certain academic subject, and include both clubs (groups to discuss and practice certain subjects) and competitive teams. Academic teams have competitions that take place at all levels, from local to national.

• Adopt-A-Physicist
• Architecture Club
• Astronomy Club
• Biology Club
• Chemistry Club
• Economics Club
• Electronics Club
• Engineering Club
• English Club
• Distributive Education Clubs of America
• History Club
• Life Sciences Club
• Literature Club
• Literary Magazine Club
• Mu Alpha Theta: Math Honor Society
• National Honor Society
• Peer Tutoring
• Poetry Club
• Physics Club
• Psychology Club
• Quill and Scroll
• Robotics Club
• Science National Honors Society
• Trivia and Quiz Clubs
• Web design/coding club
• Writing Club

Academic Competitive Teams

• Academic Decathlon
• Academic Triathlon
• American Mathematics Competitions
• American Regions Math League
• Caribou Mathematics Competition
• Chemistry Olympiad
• Clean Tech Competition
• Creative Communication Poetry Contest
• EconChallenge
• Educators Rising
• FIRST Robotics Competition
• High School Innovation Challenge
• Intel International Science and Engineering Fair
• Kids Philosophy Slam
• Math League
• National Academic Quiz Tournament
• National French Contest
• National History Bee
• National Spelling Bee
• Odyssey of the Mind
• Poetry Out Loud
• Questions Unlimited
• Science Bowl
• Science Olympiad
• Other Trivia and Quiz Competition Teams

These activities will allow you to express yourself artistically—on paper, through a lens, on stage, and through several other media. Unleash your creativity!

• Anime/Manga Club
• Art: drawing, painting
• Blacksmithing
• Fashion design
• Graphic Design
• Jewelry Making
• Photography
• High School Theater Program
• Community Theater Program
• Video Game Development Club
• Woodworking

Cultural and Language

These activities may help you reconnect with your roots, or allow you to get a taste of the world's diversity without ever leaving home. There are many other cultural and language-related activities that you can participate in. Some of the most common ones are listed below.

• African American Student Alliances/Clubs
• American Sign Language Club
• Chinese Club
• French Club
• German Club
• International Food Club
• Pacific Islanders Club
• Russian Club
• South Asian Student Society
• Spanish Club

These activities will allow you to get involved in your community.

• Community Festivals
• Do Something
• Habitat for Humanity
• Kids Helping Kids
• Mountaineers Club
• Sisters on the Runway

Interested in making a difference in your school, community, or on a larger scale, through policy? Try a government-related activity to see if this could be a career interest for you!

• Community Youth Board
• Student Council
• Student Government
• Community Government

These activities could be a fit if you're a natural leader, skilled at motivating, directing, and inspiring others.

• National Beta Club
• Peer Leadership Group

If you love writing and communicating, consider getting involved in a media activity to help bring news and information to your school or community.

• School or local magazine/journal
• School or local newspaper
• School or local radio station
• School or local television channel
• School or local web site
• Work on a movie
• Yearbook Committee

If you are interested in learning about discipline, teamwork, and leadership, then you may be interested in a military-based extracurricular activity.

• Civil Air Patrol
• Junior ROTC

If you want to try playing an instrument or singing, there are many opportunities to try music-related activities. These are usually available both in your school community and in your wider community.

• Any musical interest club
• School Chorus/Choir
• Community Chorus/Choir
• Church Chorus/Choir
• Chamber Music Group
• Concert Band
• Singing Lessons
• Marching Band
• Your own band
• Tri-M Music Honor Society

Performance Art

Love to ham it up? You'll find there are many outlets both in your school and in your community to get on a stage and make an audience laugh and cry.

• Comedy Club
• Choreography
• Classic Film Club
• Film Production Club
• International Thespian Society
• Slam Poetry Club
• High School Theater Group
• Community Theater Group

You can usually find these groups in your community.

• Church groups
• Fellowship of Christian Athletes
• Jewish Student Union
• Missionary work
• Youth Groups

Roleplaying/Fantasy

Did you know your love of fantasy can also be an extracurricular activity? Participating in one of these groups can show a dedication to many different creative skills.

• The Civil War Reenactors
• Dungeons and Dragons Club
• Gamers Club
• LARPing (Live Action Role Playing)
• Renaissance Faires

Social Activism

These groups may have chapters in your school or in your community. If there's a cause you're passionate about, seek out the local group that supports it.

• Amnesty International
• Animal Rights Club
• Breast Cancer Awareness
• Cancer Foundation
• Environmental Club
• Fair Trade Club
• Gay-Straight Alliance
• Girls Lean International
• NOW —National Organization for Women
• SADD —Students Against Destructive Decisions

Special Interest

You will often find these groups in your school or supported by the community. If you have a special interest in something that you can't find a local group for, consider creating one or join a national group. You can communicate with other people who have the same interest online, and attend meet-ups throughout the year.

• Equestrian Club
• Entrepreneurship Club
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA)
• Girl Scouts
• Horticulture Club
• Model Railroads
• Quilt Making

Sports and Recreation

You probably already know about the sports teams at your schools, but there are also many opportunities to participate outside of those. Try doing extramural sports, join a club league in your community, or consider coaching a youth team.

• Baseball and softball
• Bodybuilding
• Cheerleading
• Climbing Club
• Hiking Club
• Intramural Sports
• Martial Arts
• Ping Pong Club
• Quidditch Clubs
• Skate Board Club
• Track & Field
• Ultimate Frisbee Club

There are a lot of ways to make a difference in your local community. Look for volunteer groups in your school, your church, or elsewhere in your neighborhood. There are many websites, such as Volunteer Match , that can help you find a local community service project that is of interest to you.

• Adopt-a-Highway
• Animal rescue
• Best Buddies International
• Church outreach
• Hospital volunteer
• International volunteer program
• Red Cross Club
• UNICEF High School Clubs
• Volunteer Fire Department
• Work with a local charity
• Work with a local soup kitchen

If none of the above activities are for you, you're still in luck. Why? You can always create your own extracurricular activity!

Did you know that almost any hobby can be turned into an extracurricular activity?

Starting a business or a website, volunteering, or any unusual hobby can be turned into something that you can write about for college. And if it's unique enough to not be on this list, you can be sure that it will be something new for the college admissions committee, as well!

What matters most is that it's an outlet for your passion, creativity, and leadership.

So instead of thinking you don't do anything interesting, take the opportunity to find a new passion, or to turn something you already love into an activity you can share with the world.

If you think there's something we left off that you want to see something added to this list, leave a comment below.

What's Next?

Now that you know what extracurriculars look like, read about how to write about extracurriculars on your college application.

Did you know that you can use community service work to help pay for college? Check out our step-by-step guide on how to win community service scholarships.

Want your extracurriculars to really stand out? Check out our guide of three amazing extracurricular examples that are sure to impress colleges.

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Mary Ann holds a BA in Classics and Russian from the University of Notre Dame, and an MA from University College London. She has years of tutoring experience and is also passionate about travel and learning languages.

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What is an Activities Resume for College? Tips and Examples

In This Guide:

What to include on your activities resume, tips and tricks, when not to send an activities resume, example of an activities resume.

Quick Answer: An activities resume for college showcases a student’s hobbies, organizations, and activities, proving to prospective colleges that they are a well-rounded candidate. When crafting one, start with education, including GPA, academic awards, rank and extracurricular activities. Detail volunteer hours, community service, and any part-time jobs held. Use clean fonts, share the resume with recommenders, only mention significant roles, and avoid sending one if specifically asked not to. Finally, there is no set list of activities to include, so take part in opportunities within your community that interests you.

An activities resume for college is an opportunity for students to share what hobbies, organizations, and activities they are involved in. This is important because it’s a chance to prove to your prospective college that you are a well-rounded candidate. Included in this article, you’ll discover:

• Tips and tricks for building the perfect activities resume
• Dos and Don’ts when crafting your activities resume

Upload & Check Your Resume

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Because recent high school graduates may not have much in the way of employer experience yet, many students rely on an extracurricular activities resume for college . Not sure what’s relevant? Here’s what to include when crafting your resume.

• Start with your education section . Include your school’s name and your graduation date.
• Don’t forget your GPA. Make sure it’s cumulative and weighted.
• Here’s your chance to brag! Include any academic awards, honors, or recognitions.
• If beneficial, add your class rank!
• Include any summer programs, internships, or classes you’ve taken that don’t appear on your transcript.
• What extracurriculars were you involved in? Mention any athletic organizations, clubs, or organizations you were involved in. If you held a leadership position, be sure to include that!
• Detail volunteer hours and community service
• Did you have a part-time job in high school? Include that as well.
• Any special skills that you haven’t mentioned yet, such as another language or proficiency in software such as Photoshop.
• Only mention organizations you played a significant role in.
• Talk about specific lessons learned, or achievements earned to emphasize commitment to your organization.
• Use clean, easy-to-read fonts and formatting.
• Share your activities resume with those you’re seeking a recommendation letter from! It will help them remember your achievements.
• If the university specifically asks you not to
• If the application provides space to discuss extracurricular involvement, use that instead of sending a separate document.

Below is an activities resume for college template. Remember, this is an opportunity to showcase that you are a well-rounded, accomplished candidate.

Savannah Smith 555-555-5555 [email protected]

Green Lake High School Class of 2021

• Class rank: 9 out of 623 students
• Awarded GLHS Math Scholar of the Year Award in 2020

Extra Courses and Internships

• Interned at Mount Joy Veterinary Clinic for the 2019 school year
• Taken part in the Green Lake High Math Camp for three summers
• Interned at the Women In Business Organization in 2020

Volunteering Experience at St. Timothy’s Humane Society (2017-Present)

• Cleaned dog and cat environments daily
• Socialized nervous animals to help them prepare for adoption
• Worked alongside staff to learn about animal behavior and health
• Administered temperament tests and medications
• Incorporated photography and videography for social media
• Fluent in Spanish
• Proficient in Photoshop
• Social Media Management

You may ask what activities on your resume are required for college admission?

The good news is that there is no setlist. Look around for opportunities within your community you can take part in. Getting involved in local organizations that interest you will help you build the perfect extracurricular activities resume for college. Looking for more resources on building the perfect activities resume? Check out our resume builder here .

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Best Resume for College Application

Make a Best Resume for College Application

Published on August 9th, 2024

Some colleges and universities may ask you to provide a resume when you submit your application. Your college admissions resume provides an opportunity to highlight your academic achievements, extracurricular activities, work or volunteer experiences, special abilities, and any other of your qualifications that make you a candidate worth accepting. Knowing how to put together a well-written resume can strengthen your applications for colleges and universities effectively.

Things to Add in Your Resume for College Application

A college admission's resume describes the academic performance, extra-curricular activity, and the work or volunteer experience of a high school student. You usually submit an admission's resume along with your application to a college or university. An Admission resume is one sure way to prove to schools that you are capable of academic success.

While a job-seeking resume focuses on work experience, an admission resume is generally focused on academics. If you have had jobs during high school, you can include those on your resume, but the majority of the document covers information about your academic history and relevant school activities. Generally speaking, a college admission resume includes the following items. 

Header : A header is where you put your full name and contact information, such as your telephone number and email address.

Overview : A summary is a resume that provides a brief explanation about your academic performance and specialized skills. Also, you can write a statement about your academic or career goal to show colleges that you are serious about continuing your studies.

Education : You may want to include the date you expect to graduate and anything else that is essential for your application, such as your GPA and scores.

Activities : This would involve extracurricular activities you are participating in-sports or school clubs.

Work Experience: This section describes any work experience that you might have. Examples of things that you would put here include job experiences, but also internship or job shadowing experiences.

Skills : This can be a way to show colleges unique skills or capabilities, such as fluency in another language or technical skills.

Awards : An awards section is one way you can highlight yourself on your admissions resume and make yourself different from all those other students applying to that school. Academic honours qualify as notable awards for this category.

Volunteer work: You can make a section on your resume in case you volunteer or did community service that was of value.

How to write a college admission resume

Create or Choose a Resume Template

Begin with categorizing the information you want to include, such as activities, experience and awards. Be sure to leave space under each category to add specific information about each item. It's also a good idea to do an Internet search for templates you can use for a college resume. You can also choose any resume builder or template to create an attractive one. When you develop a template to base your resume on, remember the following formatting suggestions:

• Use 1 inch margins all around the document.
• Choose a font that is easy to read, such as Times New Roman or Georgia, and choose a font size of 10 or 12 points.
• Use bolding for your name and any section headings so colleges can skim through easily and identify important portions of your resume.
• Make sure your resume is only one page so colleges can effectively skim through in minimal time.

Research the College

Some colleges may require certain pieces of information to be on your resume. For example, a performing arts college may want to know all the roles or productions you have been in during the past few years. Research each college you'll be applying to and include information that may be requested. You'll want to make an entirely new version of your template for each college you apply to so you can tell why you are such a good fit for that particular school.

Gather Information

Using your template and the categories you have determined, you will want to know what information you would like in each space. Go ahead and take some time to get dates correct such as dates of an internship you have held. For each type of entry on your resume, you write the information in reverse-chronological order-the most recent experience first. So if you have had two part-time jobs, you would list the current or most recent job. 

Here are some examples of what you might include on your college resume: High School Course grades relevant to your intended major or field of study SAT or ACT scores Class Rank High School Overall GPA Dates of employment, extracurricular or volunteer experience.  

Describe your experience

Once you have the information you want to include, use it to fill in each section of your resume. Use action-oriented bullet points to describe your education and experience. Be specific and concise in describing your duties, activities and accomplishments. Begin each bullet point with an action verb and describe the results of each action. 

Example: If you worked at a fast food restaurant after school for several years, your bullet points may include the following. 

Worked at the cash register using math to keep an accurate till. Informed fellow colleagues about the division of labor to raise productivity through shifts. Prepared orders in rapid but calculated fashion to satisfy customers. Greeted every customer with politeness to provide the best service possible. 

Highlight your skills

Highlight in your skills section those traits and abilities that will make you an attractive candidate for admission. If you have an idea of what you want to study at college, try highlighting academic skills related to your major. If, for example, you know you want to major in computer science, then a number of technical skills may be included, such as coding or operating systems. 

It is also useful if you add some soft skills on your resume to show colleges your personality. The good soft skills one could add may involve teamwork, leadership, motivation, time management, communication, organization, active listening, etc. 

Read more:  How Many Skills to Listed on Resume

Final Words

Tailor your resume to each college application, highlighting experiences and skills that match the best with the focus of the program or activities you are applying for. A neat, clear, and professional resume will go a long way in impressing college admissions committees.

Tomsy Thomas

An aspiring writer with a desire of crafting lines with powerful words from what she learned and discovered from her surroundings.

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Cherry Fitch Scholarship

About the scholarship.

The Cherry Fitch Scholarship is offered to freshmen attending the University of West Florida who are graduates of Gulf Breeze High School in Pensacola, Florida. Students with documented participation in community service or extracurricular activities are welcome to apply.

• Essay Required : Yes
• Need-Based : No
• Merit-Based : No
• Minimum 2.50 GPA
• Resident of the U.S.
• Attending the University of West Florida
• College freshman
• Graduate of Gulf Breeze High School, Florida
• Participation in community service or extracurricular activities
• Country : US