The importance of extracurricular activities in the college admissions process

What extra-curricular activities do you do, and why?

In this article, we'll explore the importance of extra-curricular activities for university admissions and offer some tips and resources for students looking to boost their profiles.

Extra-curricular activities are an absolute must-have if you want to get into the best universities in the UK. This applies to Oxbridge, the G5 and also to the Russell Group. Any university ranked in the UK top 50 in the QS rankings will expect you to have a wealth of activities to rely upon. But what are they? And where can you find them? Read more to find out!

So, what are extra-curricular activities, and where can you find them? Extra-curricular activities simply mean things that you do outside of your normal school routine that compliments your school studies, develop your skills and crucially show admissions officers that they should choose you to study at their university. Now, this doesn’t have to mean that you do these outside of school, many top schools in the UK will offer classes like this as standard. All you have to do is remember to opt-in!

For students seeking admission to top UK universities, extra-curricular activities are especially important because they help differentiate you from other high-achieving candidates. The average successful applicant at Oxbridge in a sciences subject will have straight A* grades at A Level. This leaves you less space to differentiate yourself from others and so it’s only in your personal statement and potential interviews you’ll be able to make yourself stand out. In those moments, you need more to talk about than just your school studies… because everyone does those. You need something unique, or at least uniquely good. That means either studying something, carrying out an activity that no one else has done, or doing something better than anyone else. That might mean winning an essay prize or scoring a gold award in a competition, but more on that later.

The Student Room as always is a font of knowledge and information about what you could take on so make sure to check out this thread for ideas. So, how can you find extra-curricular activities that will make a difference in your university application? Here are some suggestions:

Academic

This is far and away the most important category on this list. You need to show that you’re obsessed with your subject outside the classroom. This means going beyond the syllabus into greater depth or greater breadth than you have a chance to in the classroom. Rather than taking on the whole world, choose a couple of topics and really go into depth on them. You can do this by entering competitions like the Olympiads, or essay prizes like the John Locke or the Libra Essay Prize.

Community

Another important category of extra-curricular activities is community involvement. Showing that you care about the community that you live in and the other people within it is also important. Universities, especially outside of Oxbridge, want to know that their students are conscientious citizens of the world. You can do this by volunteering your time. You can also do this by leading or founding community groups or activities. Try and tie this into one of your own interests.

Work Experience

Getting out into the workplace is another good example of an activity that can make a difference in your application. It is more important for vocational courses such as the law of medicine, but can still be helpful in other cases too. Even if you're not pursuing a vocational course, work experience can demonstrate your professionalism, dedication, and willingness to take on new challenges.

For further ideas and tips check out the recourses section on our website where you can find further information and ideas about which competitions to enter. At Libra Education, we offer a range of expert consultancy and tuition services designed to help students achieve their goals and stand out in the highly competitive UK university admissions process. Contact us today to learn more about our services and how we can help you succeed.