Although many high schoolers believe that the only extracurricular activities they can participate in are sports and clubs, there are so many more extracurriculars that are free and will help you stand out to colleges.
1. Leadership in School Clubs
First and foremost, having extracurricular activities in your school is critical, showing colleges that you are involved in your community. Having a leadership position in one or more clubs at your school shows your leadership skills and determination. If you're unable to obtain a leadership position in any club, I recommend creating a club with a topic that interests you. It will show colleges that you are willing to go to great lengths to create something that will improve your community.
Here are some amazing organizations that partner up with you to create a chapter in your school:
- our minds matter- https://ourmindsmatter.org/start-a-club/
- Our Future of Change (sign up in their Instagram bio)
- Cancer Kids First- https://www.cancerkidsfirst.org/start-a-chapter
2. Passion Projects
If you are an introvert or don't feel comfortable working with other people, a passion project is the perfect extracurricular for you. A passion project can be anything from writing a book to starting a blog or a YouTube channel. It's all up to you! It will show colleges that you are creative and help further stand you out from the crowd. As with every other extracurricular activity, make sure you are doing it because you want to do it and not primarily for your resume.
3. Internships
Although internships can be hard to find as a high schooler, it is certainly not impossible. In my case, I was lucky enough to come across a remote internship in a slack workspace. If you are having trouble finding internships, I recommend joining slack workspaces with opportunities for high schoolers. I also recommend going on https://www.volunteermatch.org/covid19, where you can not only find volunteering opportunities but internships.
4. Research
Creating a research paper supervised by an expert is one of many great ways to get a bite of how college will be. Researching at a high school level will show that you are prepared for college. Furthermore, you will be a likable applicant for colleges you apply to.
To find research opportunities, you can either search for them online or find them through Instagram. Instagram has certainly been a savior for me when it comes to finding opportunities. Search through #researchopportunities, and you will be able to find one or more that you will love.
@genzjobs on Instagram also have great internship opportunities for high schoolers!
5. Summer Summits/Programs
Participating in one or more summer summits/programs, especially during the summer before your senior year, is essential to show colleges that you spent your time and effort improving your intelligence.
Some awesome summer summits:
- Girls Up https://girlup.org/
Some awesome summer programs:
- Girls to Industry https://linktr.ee/girlstoindustry
- MedSTEMPowered https://www.linkedin.com/company/medstempowered/
Good luck with your search!