How extracurriculars can help your university application
Learn how to let your personality shine in your Personal Statement

Most students applying for universities struggle with writing their Personal Statement. One of the reasons can be a lack of extracurricular activities or relevant experiences resulting in poor overall self-presentation. When talking about extracurriculars, one must be careful about deciding for the right interests and eliminating those that are not useful at all. But how can you tell which activities are worth it?
When thinking about your future university and, eventually, your future career, you must think about how you spent your time . Do you spend time playing video games, even though you’re not exactly on the way to become an excellent programmer or animator? Do you watch TV regularly, although you are not interested in filmmaking? Always think about your activities with the course you want to pursue in mind. There are two reasons for that:
1. Extracurriculars are a source of relevant experiences
Ever wondered why some people have so much experience even though they’re only high schoolers? Think about their volunteering experience and hobbies! If you choose the right activity for one afternoon a week, you could quickly become relatively experienced in the field. You can develop your soft skills in communication, leadership and time-management, as well as meeting a lot of inspiring people or travelling to new places. Remember, your free-time activities are only the beginning of your studies. They are what sparks your interest and help you develop your skills over time. So, don’t be afraid to try playing a new instrument or organise an educational event. Everything counts if it’s relevant!
When I was applying to university, I was volunteering as a peer-to-peer support in an NGO. Every week, I tried to help one person overcome difficult situations, and I chatted with them for a while. Not only it was a rewarding experience for me, but it helped my application as well. I was able to demonstrate strong empathic and analytical skills. Judging the language of the person and their current situation was hard, but in the end, I managed to learn it. When the Admissions team read my application, they knew I could analyse a complicated literary text thanks to my strong analytical skills.
2. They make you an overall right candidate
Extracurriculars also help you with shaping you as a person. When the Admissions Team reads about your consistent ballet practise, fundraising and Model United Nations participation, they learn about a candidate with a curious personality and excellent self-discipline. These personality traits are crucial for university students to have the best experience when studying and meeting new people. People who strive to do their best and go beyond their comfort zone tend to be successful at university. If you ever wished to climb up the Mount Everest or study History of Art on your own, do it! It will show how rigorous and ambitious you are. Just remember that most of the activities should be relevant to your course. Therefore, it’s not very smart to write about your awesome laboratory experiment when you’re applying for Social Sciences.
I will give you another great example. One of my friends is hugely passionate about film. She studies it now at university level and enjoys it very much. When she was applying, she already made a few short films and contributed to a small magazine at school. She wrote reviews and amateur analyses of the newest pieces, sharpening her knowledge of the field specific terminology and of film theory. She told me that she wouldn’t even know what to write in her Personal statement if it weren’t for her activities!
I gave you two reasons why you should think very carefully about your extracurriculars and how they can shape your university application, as well as your future career prospects. Next time we’ll look at why volunteering is one of the best extracurricular activities, giving you not only experience but fantastic network opportunities.
