Kids are going back to school this month and for obvious reasons academic success is top of mind for parents. However, it is helpful to think about what Bella and Bradford are doing when they are NOT in school. As college admissions officers build a class each year, they are looking for well-rounded students who excel in and also beyond the classroom. Generally there are five aspects when considering these extracurricular experiences: Service, Social Media, Specialities, Sports, and Summer. Some parents will see this and want their kids to do everything. Don’t be that parent! Balance is good.

Service : So long as Bella and Bradford are motivated, anything from volunteering at the Urban Farm to helping Mom deliver for meals-on-wheels is appropriate so long as they’re doing it for more than just listing it on a college application. It’s not about how many hours or organizations but how much passion and commitment they put into it.

Social media : The common approach is to focus on the negative, “Don’t post anything that would embarrass Grandma.” Turn this thinking around: What would make Grandma proud? An affirmative social media approach is best and it’s a great way for Bella to tell her story.

Specialities : Every child wants to belong…and they also want to be unique. Bradford may have a passion for playing the trombone or maybe he has been driving his family crazy by debating every point of view. How can he channel that energy into something more constructive? Perhaps the debate club would be a place for him to thrive.

Sports : If they’re being recruited, it’s the coach’s job to determine their athletic skill. If Bella is an athlete, the admissions representative is solely interested in learning how her involvement in a sport helped her become someone who’ll thrive in college. How has her involvement in this extracurricular made her a better person?

Summer : This may be a long way off in your thinking right now, but don’t push it off too far. A student doesn’t have to go overseas and help bring clean drinking water to a remote village. That story has already been told. Your child’s narrative is still developing and summer is a great time to explore what that story could be.

Keep in mind it’s important to show progression as well. For example, Bradford may join the debate club in the ninth grade, then become the treasurer in the tenth grade, and then go on to be club President. In the end, it’s not specifically what Bella or Bradford did but how they are different because of it. At the core of this is authenticity. Who is Bella and would she thrive and be successful at this university? That is the question that every college rep is asking when looking at a student’s application.

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