Jun 12 (edited) • 🎓 Strategy Posts
đź“ť The Common App: How to Write Your Activities List
In our last post, we covered what admissions officers are really looking for in your activities list. Now: how to write it—strategically, clearly, and with impact.
💡 Remember, admissions officers skim this section in seconds—so it needs to be intentional, strategic, and give a clear sense of your strengths and academic direction. Just by reading this list, they should already know what kind of student you are.
🔧 Each Entry Has 3 Parts—Here’s How to Get Each One Right:
1. 🧑‍💼 Role / Position (50 characters)
Tips:
- Be specific (not just “member”)
- Include leadership + growth using grade level (G9–G12)
- Avoid repeating what's already in the organization name
âś… Examples:
- President (G12), VP (G11)
- Lead Programmer (G11–12)
- Founder & Head Instructor
❌ Weak Examples:
- Club Member
- Volunteer
- STEM Club
2. 🏢 Organization Name (100 characters)
Tips:
- Use full names for external orgs
- Clarify if school-specific
- Add a quick context note if it’s not well-known
âś… Examples:
- STEM Scholars Program (selective research fellowship)
- Greenlight Foundation (nonprofit for under-resourced youth)
- Debate Team – Lincoln High School
❌ Weak Examples:
- STEM Club
- Local Nonprofit
- Summer Camp
3. ✍️ Description (150 characters)
Tips:
- Start with a strong action verb
- Quantify your impact whenever possible
- Show leadership, growth, or initiative
- Don’t repeat org name or title
- Use abbreviations for well-known terms
âś… Examples:
- Launched 8-week coding class for girls; reached 40+ students across 3 schools in under-resourced districts
- Led outreach, grew team from 8 to 25; organized fundraiser ($1.2K raised) and regional competition
- Analyzed addiction behavior data; co-authored abstract presented at HS Neuroscience Conference (2k participants)
❌ Weak Examples:
- I helped out with students and did teaching
- We had meetings and discussed STEM topics every week
- I attended lab and learned about research methods
đź“Ś Final Notes:
- The 150-character limit only applies to the description—you still have 50 and 100 for title/org
- Don’t write in full sentences—use concise, action-driven phrases
- Skip pronouns—they take up unnecessary space
- Quantify + clarify—specifics beat vague fluff every time
Next post: Side-by-side comparison of real activity entries—strong vs weak + next steps for you.
Got questions? Drop them below 🤍
6
7 comments
đź“ť The Common App: How to Write Your Activities List
powered by
skool.com/the-ivy-wizard-2876
🎓 Free group for students applying to U.S. colleges — run by The Ivy Wizard (Harvard x2, Oxford). Strategy made accessible.
Suggested communities
Powered by