Apr 1 (edited) • 🎓 Strategy Posts
🌱 How to Find Extracurriculars (Even If Your School Doesn’t Offer Any!)
“I don’t have any extracurriculars because my school doesn’t offer them.”
“I’m in 8th or 9th grade—what should I be doing?”
If this is you—don’t worry! Whether you’re early in high school or starting late, there’s always time to build a strong, meaningful activities list. The U.S. system values what you do, not where it comes from. That means your activities don’t need to be official, expensive, or even school-based—they just need to show curiosity, initiative, and impact. Let’s break it down 🤗
🔍 What Counts as an Extracurricular?
Colleges love students who:
✔️ Take initiative
✔️ Show real interest in a field
✔️ Make a difference in their community
✔️ Build skills or create something of value
That means all of these count:
- ✏️ A self-initiated project or small business (podcast, tutoring, blog, YouTube, newsletter)
- 🧠 Research (formal or informal, with or without a mentor)
- 🌱 Volunteering (library, local NGO, school, community—even informal tutoring or helping neighbors!)
- 🎓 Online courses or competitions—especially if you apply what you learn
- 💻 Internships (even short, unpaid, or virtual)
- 🎨 Creative work (art, writing, filmmaking, music, theater)
- 🏕️ Summer programs – These can be amazing ways to explore your interests, connect with peers, or work with professors.
👉 Important: Summer programs aren’t the only way to stand out—and they don’t have to be expensive. Many are online and offer full or partial scholarships. If you can’t attend a formal program, that’s okay! You can gain just as much (or more) by starting your own project, volunteering, or deepening a personal interest from home.
📅 When Should You Start?
Ideally, you build throughout high school—but any time is a great time to begin.
- During the school year, focus on a few consistent activities. Even 1–2 things done weekly or monthly over time can show real dedication.
- During summer and winter breaks, go deeper:
- → Join a program, start a project, or take on short-term research or internships.
- → These are perfect times to try something new or make progress on a bigger goal.
- If you're in 8th grade or early 9th, explore! Try different things and see what excites you. It’s the ideal time to experiment and build a foundation rather than narrow in too soon and discover late in high school that it's not the right focus for you.
🧠 What Makes an Activity “Good”?
It’s not about having the fanciest or most impressive list—it’s about what the activity says about you. Ask:
- Does it reflect your interests or values?
- Does it show leadership, initiative, or creativity?
- Can you reflect on what you learned or how you grew?
Even small or local efforts can have major impact—especially when they’re meaningful to you.
💭 Coming up next: A MEGA list of ideas, competitions, and programs (including some with scholarships!)—so you can take action right away.
And in the meantime: What’s something you’ve always been curious about—or would love to explore more deeply? Drop it in the comments!
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🌱 How to Find Extracurriculars (Even If Your School Doesn’t Offer Any!)
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