The fall semester of senior year also offers a final opportunity for a student to enhance their overall profile.
Some students may start that feel they have ‘not done enough’ and will rush to join clubs or try new activities, but this is not a good strategy. Colleges are savvy, and they can tell when a student has done something for the wrong reasons. Students should consider ways they can increase their participation in extra-curricular and volunteer activities where they are already involved, but especially in those where they can demonstrate leadership.
Nearly all college applications contain a section dedicated solely to a student’s extracurricular activities. Schools use this list to determine what has mattered to a student outside or in addition to academics, and they learn how well-prepared a student may be to handle a college environment where their time will not be as structured as it was in high school.
Schools can also use a list of activities to ascertain the types of skills a student has developed that go beyond grades. A student that has been deeply involved in projects and programs that include working and communicating effectively with others or that require leadership skills show they are prepared are to be successful not only on a college campus, but in life as well.
From this standpoint, adding new activities during senior year does not provide the same benefit as deepening their commitment to existing clubs and organizations. This can be easily done by volunteering for special efforts or events, recruiting new members, helping to raise awareness about a group’s purpose, working with an organization to promote its visibility, or by helping to raise funds; all skills that are useful throughout life.
