As seniors are nearing the end of the application blitz, extracurriculars come to mind. Universities love to see the students who succeed academically, but also are involved in or outside of school.

These students search for last-minute extracurricular options to join in so they have a reason to catch the school’s attention. These programs can be ones they were involved in the year before, or new ones they wanted to add last-minute to show they are involved.

The decision to join last-minute groups during  senior year to build up your extracurricular list is pointless.

It is true, of course, not all students can be involved after school because of a job or having to watch their siblings. What most students do not realize is this is now an extracurricular on college applications.

Schools see these students as caring and mature and understand this student was not capable of joining extracurriculars because of their responsibilities at home or work.

In these extracurricular activities, most students have the opportunity to have a leadership role after gaining experience in the program. If a student spends their time dedicated to an activity, they can possibly be a president or vice president of the program after the student shows the importance of the program to the other members. It’s very essential to show colleges how the student leads a program.

Starting in these extracurricular programs your freshman year allows for connections in and outside of school. If you’re struggling in your class or need some type of help, you should be able to rely on someone in your program.  Assistance can be recieved from multiple people, instead of just your peers. Along with help, you gain the chance to connect with the faculty member that runs the program. This gives the student access to knowledge, resources, and a trusted source to write recommendations, another important part of the college process.

When you’re asked to describe the background of a program you’ve been apart of for the last 2 months, you will realize that you have made a mistake. Now you have to explain something you know little about because you felt it would be smart to include it in your application. Joining an extracurricular late doesn’t help a student bulk up their application.

So as you begin your highschool career, try many programs, but stick to the ones that you feel are worthy of dedication. It looks good to have a few extracurricular programs with important roles, instead of a lot of extracurriculars where you are just a member.