By Rebecca Rogalski, Social Media Intern

When it comes to the college application process, all students must answer a key question: “Do I diversify my application with many extra-curriculars or do I focus on one specific activity?” Depending on your interests, the answer to this question may not be as simple as black and white.

Ever since I was a little girl, I have been passionate about writing. Being able to express myself and create a compelling story with only a pen and paper was something I took absolute joy in.

When I got to high school, I wanted to pursue activities that catered to my interest in writing. Without hesitation, I joined the student newspaper as well as the yearbook. In addition to writing, I also enjoyed singing and dancing as a way to reduce stress and have fun. With that in mind, I joined concert chorale and participated in various musical theatre productions.

However, around junior year, this still didn’t feel like enough to me. I remember being so worried that colleges would look down upon my focus in the arts rather than expanding my interests to other arenas. I thought that because I was so into one area, schools wouldn’t think that I was well-rounded.

Looking back now, I realize that I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Forget about having to impress colleges with you extracurricular activities. It is entirely the wrong approach to take. In most cases, admissions officers don’t even value a list of activities that kids have pursued just for the sake of trying to look well-rounded. 

Moral of the story: It all depends on YOU. Whether you’re someone who has a specific interest and joins 2-3 clubs or someone who has multiple interests and participates in a variety of activities, colleges will look highly upon both. The key, rather, lies in your commitment, continuity, leadership, and passion in whatever you do.