How to Write Your Common App

College Activities List

The Common App activities section is an opportunity to demonstrate to the Common App
colleges your talents, skills, and specific examples of extracurricular activities you’ve
participated in over the last few years.

I think one of the best ways to write a great activities list is to look at some really solid
Common App activities section examples (which I’ll share in this guide). In this post, you’ll
also find some great tips and exercises to help you draft and then up-level a successful
Common App activities section that highlights all of your awesome-ness, as well as the
impact you’ve had in your activities, beyond what you’re sharing in your response to the
Common App essay prompts.

You only get 150 characters on the activities list for the Common Application. How do you
make the most of them? Here are some tips with accompanying college activities list
examples.

Applying through the Coalition Application, ApplyTexas, UC Application, or another

application system? These tips still apply.

In this guide I’ll cover:

● Why it’s worth spending half an hour up-leveling your activities list
● How to develop more and better content for your activities list
● How values can help you bring much more variety to your activities list
● Whether you should “show” or “tell”
● Why you should never stretch the truth on your activities list
● Answers to commonly asked questions
● Tips for the Honors and Awards section
● Tons of examples

What’s the activities list again? It’s the space on the application where you name and briefly
describe your non-academic pursuits.

What’s its purpose? “Extracurricular activities can be a great opportunity to see how an
applicant has self-directed their passions and interests,” says Jorge Delgado, Associate
Director of International Admissions at Brandeis. “There are only so many hours in the day
so seeing how a student has involved themselves outside the academic arena is a great way of
understanding their potential fit for a university campus.”

Why should you spend 30 minutes up-leveling it?

Your activities list can make a big difference in your application.

Want proof? Compare these two:

Art

Created art and organized club.

Founder, Art Honors Society

Organized and ran meetings, set up field trips, brainstormed and created group art
activities, wrote and sent newsletter to members.

Most students write a pretty good activities list description and then they stop there. But it
doesn’t take long to up-level an activities list from pretty good to great.

Here are three tips for doing that:

1. Use stronger verbs. I’ll define “stronger” in a moment, but in short: Are you
describing your activity in the most dynamic way possible? Most students aren’t.
Why? Because they’re using just-okay verbs.
2. Develop better (and perhaps a bit more) content. Have you included a wide
range of responsibilities? Most students forget to include solving problems, gaining
skills, and making tangible (and even quantifiable!) impact.
3. Demonstrate skills & values. Are you communicating what you learned or how
an activity changed you? If not, you may be leaving money on the table.

Here’s how to make it happen.

THREE TOOLS FOR UP-LEVELING YOUR

ACTIVITIES LIST
1. THE EPIC LIST OF ACTIVITIES LIST VERBS.

You probably need stronger verbs. How do I know? I’ve seen hundreds of Activities Lists and
most need stronger verbs.

Compare this typical description of debate:

Member, Debate

Debated topics, attended tournaments, researched topics.

Shall we break that down right quick?

● Debated topics (um, redundant)

● Attended tournaments (we assumed?)
● Researched topics (I hope so!)

BTW I am so much nicer and less sarcastic in real life—just employing it here to make a
point.

Here’s a much clearer, more interesting, and more varied description:

I lead research and case writing, mentor younger debate students, organize mock
debates, host an annual debate tournament. See Add’l Info for Awards.

FRIENDS, LOOK AT THOSE VERBS:

● “lead” (BOOM)
● “mentor” (YES)
● “organize” (SIZZLE)
● “host” (POP)

That’s what I’m talking about. I’m like, “Oh, now I get what debate looks like to you.” But
wait, what makes a verb stronger?

A stronger verb … is more specific.

Example: “taught” is fine, but did you coach, mentor, train, or demystify?

A stronger verb … often provides more information.

Example: “organize” is fine, but did you arrange, catalog, compile, or systematize?
A stronger verb … just sounds better.

A few examples I like: mediate, publicize, administer, or plagiarize (I’m kidding about
plagiarize, please don’t).

I know, some of you are probably wondering: “But Ethan, which verbs should I use?”

Behold …

COLLEGE ESSAY GUY'S EPIC LIST OF ACTIVITIES LIST VERBS

Important Note About Overdoing Verbs

As with a resume, you want your activities list to be in your own words, to sound like you.
Overwriting can make it sound like you hired a professional to write it, which can detract
from your application. So, unless it’s the one and only word that perfectly captures what you
did, avoid using “corporate verbs.” See some examples of the words below. I’m not going to
say “100% DO NOT use these words.” But at the very least, I am saying “Proceed with
caution.”

“Corporate” Verbs I Would Caution Against Using on Your Activities List

allocated familiarized projected

apprised formalized queried
arbitrated forecasted standardized
audited forged simulated
augmented fostered stimulated
briefed interceded substantiated
dispatched maximized transmitted
executed outpaced validated
expedited presided yielded

Heads up: Using this list for ten minutes will up-level your activities list verbs, and thereby
your descriptions.

But wait. We’re not done yet. Here’s the second tool for up-leveling your activities list:
2. THE BEABIES EXERCISE

What’s the BEABIES exercise? Simply the Best Extracurricular Activity Brainstorm I’ve
Ever Seen.

It’s great for developing better content for your activities list.

Instructions: Spend 5-8 minutes filling out a BEABIES chart per activity on your list to
generate plenty of content for your activities list descriptions. Use the 25 questions below the
chart for ideas.

Activity: [Name it here]

WHAT I DID PROBLEMS I LESSONS IMPACT I HOW I

SOLVED LEARNED/SKILLS I HAD APPLIED
GAINED WHAT I
LEARNED

The key here is These Tip: Use the Values This is super How did you
active verbs. problems Exercise for this! important. apply lessons
could be: from the
Tip: Use the Tip: Use activity
“Epic List of - Personal numbers and *beyond* the
Activities List - Family actual quotes activity itself?
Verbs” - Local to support
- Community your bullet See examples
- School points below.
- State-level
- National
- Global

After a few minutes, your chart may look something like this:

Example Activity #1: Chinese Dance Club

WHAT I DID PROBLEMS I LESSONS IMPACT I HOW I

SOLVED LEARNED/SKILLS I HAD APPLIED
GAINED WHAT I
LEARNED
 Practiced every Feeling Became more Grew closer to Used teaching
Sunday morning for disconnected goal-oriented. the values of skills while
2.5 hours for 9 years. from Chinese Chinese tutoring peers
culture and Managed and kept culture, as in Chemistry.
Performed at Chinese community. record of thousands of there is always
New Year festivals for dollars. a story behind Lessons in
9 years. Not much every dance. leadership
connection to Learned... helped me
Danced in junior relatives in ...to articulate and Relatives in manage board
group for four years, China. explain my thoughts to China watched members in my
senior group for five younger dancers. links to my club.
years, senior small Club was dances,
group for three years. struggling to ...how to handle allowing us to Continued to
maintain steady conflicting interests connect more reach out to my
Served as club funds. from group leaders and on phone calls. community
treasurer, dancers’ parents. about other
managing Improving Developed a causes I cared
club-related funds technique and ...our surrounding sense of deeply about,
and handling artistry in community is actually community helping to
reimbursements. Chinese open to supporting our within the fundraise for
dancing. group. group of annual event.
Organized fundraiser dancers and
at the Chinese Difficulty ...to express my parents. Helped me
Dragon Boat festival transitioning to individuality in a way become more
that raised over Chinese dancing that I didn’t with ballet. Showed beauty expressive and
$2000 for the club. from ballet. of Chinese seek other
...every movement and culture to local outlets of
Served as club Vice Difficulty pose has its own community. expression.
President. articulating nuances.
ideas and
Won Honorable thoughts. ...how to choreograph
Mention at the and adapt a dance
Chinese School Our community based on material from
Association in the lacked Chinese past dance groups and
United States cultural events. videos.
(CSAUS).
...to remain patient and
forgiving while
teaching.

25 Questions to Help You Brainstorm More Content for Your Activities List

What I Did (Day-to-Day):

● Did I list all my tasks, or just a few? What’d I forget? Go back and check.
● Did I list tasks I completed that fell slightly outside the scope of my responsibilities?
● Did I leave off any awards? Any uncommon achievements?
Problems I Solved:

● Did I consider the internal problems I solved—any personal challenges?

● Did I name the external problems I solved—for my friends or family? School?
Community?
● Was I tackling a much larger (perhaps global) problem?

Lessons I learned & Values/Skills I Developed:

● What were some of the soft skills I learned (patience, communication, etc.)?
● Did I learn any specific software (Photoshop, Final Cut Pro)? Languages (Spanish,
C++)? Survival skills (how to start a fire or clean a fish)?
● What am I better at now than I was before?
● What would I have done differently?

Impact I Had (On Self, School, Community and/or Society)

● Did I consider the impact this had on my family? Friends? School? Who else
benefited?
● What impact did this have on me personally? Did this change my life/perspective?
How?

Applications to Other Parts of School/Life:

● What skills did I develop and lessons did I learn that will make me a better X (tutor,
debater, advocate, volunteer, programmer, fill in the blank)? How so?
● What did I do to build on and take what I learned to the next level?
● What surprised me about this experience?
● How might I continue this activity during college and beyond?

FYI: Spend 10-15 minutes filling out a BEABIES chart using these 25 questions and (bonus)
you’ll have enough content for pretty much any extracurricular activity essay, too.

Here’s the third tool for up-leveling your Activities List:

3. THE VALUES SCAN

The Value Scan is a great way to make sure your core values are apparent throughout your
application. If you haven’t completed the values exercise, you can do that here. It’s an
awesome (and quick) way to figure out what your top 3-5 core values are.
You’re about to use it to make your activities list EXPLODE with depth and variety. How?
Like this:

Pick one of the activities list descriptions you’ve written and ask of it these three questions:

1. Which values are clearly being revealed in the description?

2. Which values are kind of being revealed, but could probably be revealed more
clearly in the description?
3. Which values are not in the description at all yet, but perhaps could be included?

Take this description as an example, written by a student who was secretary of her Red Cross
Club:

Responsible for taking minutes, updating calendar and active member list,
communicating with advisors, acting as a liaison to our local chapter.

Okay, now ask those three questions:

1. Which values is this description clearly revealing?

I see the author is:

● Organized: “taking minutes” and “updating calendar”

● Responsible and collaborative: “communicating with advisors” and “acting as
liaison”

Do you see others? Maybe! But this is a good start. Okay, next ask...

2. Which values could be revealed more clearly in the description?

Reading the example above, I’m curious if the author might demonstrate leadership more
clearly. She hints at some responsibilities, but I wonder if she could delete “updating
calendar and active member list” in favor of a detail more clearly demonstrating leadership
skills.

I might ask the student if she can think of something she did that might demonstrate
leadership. (If not, that’s okay! This is a process of asking questions and seeing what variety
might be possible. But we’re not in the business of making stuff up—see warning note below.)
I’d also wonder if the description could more clearly demonstrate the author’s commitment
to health—this is the Red Cross, after all—or perhaps social change.
Finally, ask:

3. Which values are not in the description at all yet, but perhaps could be?

To determine the answer for this student, it helps to know the author. I happen to know one
of this author’s core values was adaptability. So I asked her: Did working with the Red Cross
help you become more adaptable? If so, how? What detail might show this?

Once you’ve written a new draft, hand your activities and awards list to a trusted editor. They
should have your Values Exercise nearby for reference so they can assess how well you’re
demonstrating your values. Here’s an example:

Indian Tabla

Self-taught via YouTube videos; played drums at community meetings for worker rights
awareness; helped my sister become proficient.

I see these values:

1. Ambition: “Self-taught…”
2. Social change: “Played drums at community meetings for worker rights awareness”
3. Family, helping others: “helped sister become more proficient”

See how that works?

Goal: Include 2-3 values per activity. If you can achieve this, just think: your list could
demonstrate 20 or 30 values! That’s rad. But don’t drive yourself crazy with this. If your
Activities List shows a nice variety of 10 or so values, that’s enough. Really.

Once you’ve got some great verbs and some great content, here are:

10 TIPS FOR MAKING YOUR ACTIVITIES

LIST AWESOME
1. Aim for variety, making sure your verbs aren’t redundant.

Instead of: Instructed, helped, taught children tennis (how are these three different?)

Try: Instructed in proper technique, while imparting lessons in sportsmanship, health and
integrity.
2. Use the present tense if it’s something you still do.

Instead of: I gave tour campus tours and provided info on school history, student activities,
and boarding life.

Try: I give campus tours and provide info on school history, student activities, boarding
life.

3. Trim ruthlessly.

Because the space you’re using is so limited, the words you choose are incredibly important.

Actually, let me rephrase: Because your space is limited, your word choice is important.

One more time: Limited space demands precise wording.

See what I did there? Cut my character count from 92, to 61, to 37.

In fact…

4. State role, leadership description, and the organization name in the top two
sections so you don’t waste characters in the 150-character description section.
So instead of:

Position/Leadership description: Editor

Organization Name: School newspaper

Description: I am the editor for the school newspaper

...which wastes space, try instead:

Position/Leadership Description: Editor of International Column

Organization Name: Daily Herald, Ridgewood High SchoolDescription: Responsible for

brainstorming and copy-editing articles by underclassmen; managed deadlines; offered
layout & design input; liaised w/faculty sponsor.”

And are you still using complete sentences? If so, stop. No need here.

So instead of: I raised money to donate to a school in India by selling t-shirts and bracelets.

You might end up with: Arranged advertising events, organized fundraisers, and presented
to student body at assemblies (400+ students).

5. Emphasize tangible, measurable impact.

Notice for example the “400 students” inclusion above. This comes as a result of asking
questions like “Whom did your activity help? How many people? How much money did you
raise?”

Instead of: Raised money for children in Africa.

Try: Raised $3,000 to provide three uniforms and scholarships for students attending the
Joseph Waweru Home School in Kenya.

6. Include any responsibilities that demonstrate leadership skills.

Instead of: I swim on the swim team.

Try: Responsible for leading swim practices, planning fundraising events, assisting in
recruiting process.

7. What if there isn’t much to say or it was a one-time event?

Instead of: Tutored students.

Try: Provided support to fourth graders with particularly difficult math concepts. (This
works because you’ve explained the significance of the activity: why the event mattered and
to whom).

Or you can…

8. Describe selectivity. This is key if the reader might not understand the
achievement your activity represents.

Example: 1 of 2 student leaders elected by my peers to represent our class of 450.

Another example: Received 1st place out of 300 competing teams.

9. Avoid extreme language.

Instead of: ...to help all those in need (or) to end poverty in the world

Try: ...to help those in need (or) ...to fight against global poverty

10. If your role was simply “member” or “participant,” it’s okay to just list the
activity.

In other words, instead of writing Participant, MLK Day of Service

You can just write MLK Day of Service

 “Stretching the Truth” on your Activities List: A Cautionary Tale

I once knew a student who had participated in some wonderful activities. She was a class officer,
school club founder, nonprofit volunteer and former intern. With a near-perfect GPA and test
scores, she was applying to some of the most highly selective universities in the world. Once her
applications had been submitted, however, her counselor revealed to me that the student had
falsified parts of her application. She’d listed a trip she hadn’t actually taken, for example, made
up a leadership role, and padded her hours.

What happened to her? Initially, she was accepted by several highly selective schools. But when
one admission officer noticed application details that didn’t line up with her counselor’s
recommendation letter, they brought it to the counselor’s attention. After a little research, the
counselor found the same inconsistencies and was professionally obligated to inform the highly
selective schools that the student’s application contained, for lack of a better word, “alternative
facts.” (She’d lied.)

When the student was confronted, she claimed she had “stretched the truth” and hadn’t
technically lied. As far as the counselor and admission officer were concerned in this case,
however, “stretching the truth” and “lying” were pretty much the same thing.

As a result, the student’s acceptances to those universities were rescinded. In other words:
although she was initially accepted, she was ultimately rejected. Worst of all, it damaged her
reputation and relationship with her counselors, her principal, and me.

Please don’t lie on your Activities List. Don’t even stretch the truth. Same goes for your essays
too. But you know this.
ACTIVITIES LIST FAQ

Q: What if I didn’t do much for the activity and I don’t have much to say?

A: If you aren't participating in many or any extracurriculars, ask yourself: why? And I’m not
assuming you should be, I’m really asking… why? Perhaps a better, less confronting way of
asking this is: What values have become more important to you than extracurricular
activities?

Do you have to work and provide childcare for your family, for example? Do you have and
enjoy an intense academic load? Or maybe you practice gymnastics eight hours a day? If so,
mention this in your Additional Info section, as that will help admission officers see your
Activities List within the context of your life experiences.
Q: What if I feel like I haven’t done “enough”?

First, stop comparing! It’ll drive you crazy. Next, some questions to ask:

1. Have you remembered everything you’ve done? Try sitting down with a parent or friend
who can help you remember stuff you might’ve forgotten you did.

2. How could you explore some things that are important to you, gain some experiences, or
learn some new skills in the time left before your application is due? Heads-up: admission
officers can usually spot it when a student is loading up activities in 12th grade just to pad
their activities lists. That’s not quite what I’m talking about doing. If you have a few months
before it’s time to apply, however, ask yourself, “What can I do that I’d enjoy doing?” But if
you’ve remembered everything and you’re submitting your application soon...

3. Focus on what you can control. Use the resources above—the Epic Verbs List, BEABIES
and questions, and Values Scan—to describe what you did in a way that’s clear and varied.

Q: Is it better to have a few really strong activities (less is more) or should I list
everything I’ve done (more is more)?

A: I find counselors are divided into two camps on this: “less is more” and “more is more.”
Here’s a quick comparison chart:

When I asked Brian Liechti of Warren Wilson College what he prefers, he said, “It depends! I
would rather see meaningful, current activities that also show up elsewhere in an essay or a
letter of recommendation. This adds weight and validation to what a student includes as an
activity and I know it was a more impactful experience. But uncommon activities can add
flair and character, especially if those activities are also represented on campus.”

In short, the choice is yours.

Q: What if a multi-dimensional activity is impossible to describe in 150
characters?

A: Write a short description in the Activities List, then put additional information into the...
Additional Information section (that redundancy was on purpose). Here’s an example of such
an activity:

Creator, AquaVR

Researched, brainstormed, created 3 prototypes for virtual reality scuba gear.

Recognized statewide. Developing app with Siemens. (See add’l info.)

That little note at the end signals the activity’s richness while directing the reader to find out
more in the additional information section.

COMMON APP ACTIVITIES LIST EXAMPLES:

Member, (9th,10th) Treasurer (11th, 12th)

National Honors Society, Ridgefield High School Chapter

We are amongst the highest academically achieving students at our school, who collectively
and consistently participate in community service projects.

Student, Class TA

Robotics Fundamentals, Online Course at Carnegie Mellon University

Learned the fundamentals of computer programming, robot assembly, and worked as a team
in competitions.

Intern

Center for Advanced Head & Neck Surgery, Duluth, MN

Learned how to operate various screening & diagnostic technologies under Dr. Yang; assisted
in patient care & diagnosis procedures in Otolaryngology & Oncology.

Leader/Concertmaster

AMAC Youth Chamber Ensemble (AYCE)

Lead ensemble in rehearsal and performance, coordinate rehearsal times, aid younger
members in learning music, present free community concerts yearly.

Volunteer (June 2012 - August 2012)

Boys & Girls Club of Santa Monica

Supervised and served as mentor for K-8 grade kids; Helped prepare lunch, entertained, and
tutored students in math and science.

Number 3 Starter (August 30th, 2013 - November 11th, 2015)

Varsity Girls Tennis, Robinson Crusoe High School

Practiced and conditioned daily, led daily stretches, competed in district and regional
matches against other schools.

Starter

JV/V Beverly Hills High School Tennis Team

Three-year League Champions; planned and hosted team banquet; Coach's Award Recipient.
Led practices and motivated teammates to perform at high level.

Local Violin Tutor

Gupta Violin Lesson & Training

Provide aspiring, middle school students a foundation on music and basics of violin,
demonstrate proper technique, develop strong cognitive and musical skills.

Full-time volunteer EMT (11th - 12th)

Virginia Paramedic Association

Responded to emergency calls, performed BLS protocols, interacted with patients and
families, assisted paramedics, organized ambulance rigs. 24 hr/wk for every week.

Volunteer (9th), Summer Intern (10th)

Red Cross of San Fernando Valley

Assisted supervisors, filed paperwork, made phone calls to donors, prepared facilities for
training programs by helping with class planning.
THE HONORS AND AWARDS SECTION
If it wasn’t obvious from the title, this is the place on your application where you list awards
you’ve won and honors you’ve received.

Here’s what Common App says:

Do you wish to report any honors related to your academic achievements?

So while the focus of this section will be on academic honors and awards, based on a few
conversations with folks who work in admission, it’s OK to list other significant awards and
honors that you’d like to highlight here.

What if I haven’t won any awards?

Don’t worry. Many schools don’t offer academic awards, many activities are not competitive,
and some students don’t have the time, money, or resources to compete. Admission officers
understand this based on the context of the applicant (what’s shared in your school report or
what you’ve shared in the Additional Information) and won’t use it against you.

If you do have awards to list, here are...

Seven Tips for the Honors and Awards Section

1. List your awards in order of importance.

Start with those that mean the most to you. If you’re unclear on your awards’ personal
meaning, start with international. Work down from there to national, state, regional,
school-wide, club, then team-wide.

2. Specify what the award means.

Congrats on winning the “Beacon Award”... but I have no idea what that means. Did you win
a beacon? Were you the beacon? Say so! Similarly, an “academic excellence” award could
mean so many things. Define the bar of excellence in the context of the award.

3. Emphasize selectivity

Were you the best team out of four teams, or 400? We won’t know unless you tell us.

4. Explain acronyms.
Speaking of things we won’t know unless you tell us. Some acronyms (like TEDx and AP) will
be familiar to readers, while others (like Future Business Leaders of America or regional
designations like California Scholarship Federation) may be less familiar. When in doubt,
spell it out. (Totally didn’t mean to rhyme there.)

5. Want to pack multiple awards into one slot?

Go for it. Just make sure they’re somehow connected. Example: SkillsUSA, Best of Show (1st)
Interior Design; (1st) Employment Portfolio; (2nd) Web Design Technical

6. Did your honor/award include money?

Throw it in there! Example: TEDx NYC Student Startup Competition Winner: granted
$1,500 in seed funding

7. Did they fly you out?

Mention that too! Example:

Google “Young Changemaker” Winner: all-expenses-paid trip + mentoring @ Google HQ

10 Examples of Honors and Awards That Could Have Been Improved—And Then
Were!

The examples below were revised to add context and specifics.

1. “FBLA Award”

Revised version: “Won 3rd in nation, Desktop Application Programming (Future Business
Leaders of America)”

2. “Congressional Award”

Revised version: “Gold Medalist, The Congressional Award, for 400+ hours public
volunteer service”

3. “Student of the Month”

Revised version: Student of the Month (1 of 350 students chosen) for “positive impact on
school culture.” Won twice.

4. “Journalism Award”
Revised version: “Silver Knight Award, Journalism. Given to 1 in entire county, included
$2,000 prize.”

5. “Science Olympiad”

Revised version: “1st in state, Analytical Lab, PA Chemistry Olympics”

6. “Debate Awards”

Revised version: “Debate: (4) 1st place finishes, Dade County Forensic League, 19-3 career
policy debate record”

7. “Boy Scouts: Various Awards”

Revised version: “Boy Scouts: 36 merit badges, Silver Buffalo Award (10th) & Distinguished
Service Award (11th)”

8. “DECA Champion”

Revised version: “DECA 2x Regional & State Champion and Int’l Finalist out of over 200K
members worldwide”

9. “Chess Champion”

Revised version: “1st place @ Pan American Intercollegiate Team Chess Championship”

10. “Dog Breeding Award”

Revised version: “4-H Best in Show Project on Dog Breeding”

What to see more example activities list descriptions? Here’s 80+ more descriptions
that might get you inspired.

Applying to the UC schools? You get a bit more space. Check out my How to Create the
University of California (UC) Activities List guide here.