Stuck at home and wondering what extracurriculars you can do?
So you are stuck at home because of Covid-19 and all of your classes, club activities, sports, internships and volunteer activities have been cancelled or are now online. What should you do? And many of you are asking, “How will this impact my college admissions?”
First off, take a deep breath. This is a global pandemic and students across the world have been affected. Now that you realize that everyone is in the same boat as you, take a step back and try to see quarantining at home as an opportunity to learn about yourself, your interests and exercise some creativity. There is no right answer to what you should do for your extra curriculars while quarantine is in effect. Slowing down for some self-reflection is healthy.
Having said that, college admissions officers are intrigued by the opportunity that the pandemic has presented students because they want to see what kids do with their time when most scheduled activities are cancelled. This can be a time for you to stand out to admissions committees to show initiative, resourcefulness and independence. So how should you think about extracurricular activities when we are quarantined?
1) Being stuck at home doesn’t mean that your group extra curriculars have to stop. If you are part of a team like a sport – continue to train and connect with your team on an ongoing basis. Try to be the leader and organize on your own if you don’t have a coach or teacher pushing to keep your clubs and groups active. Perhaps your coach is organizing virtual workouts. If not, encourage your friends to train with you or present safe workout challenges to keep you in shape and connected. If you are in the band or orchestra, ask your teacher or band director for a list of songs to learn on your own or just pick ones you’ve always wanted to try. If you can, connect with friends and organize your own band where you each learn your part and then put it together digitally. If you are part of academic teams or the chess club, continue to improve your knowledge and skills on your own and challenge others online. Not only will your group appreciate you more, but you will earn the respect of your teammates, teachers and coaches for keeping up your activities while everything was cancelled.
2) Find an opportunity to contribute and help out in your community. Start by looking for issues within your local area. Examples include seniors who are socially isolated and lonely, students who may not have access to devices for remote learning, peers who need additional tutoring support, and schools that could use help spreading positivity. There are many ways you could contribute. You just need to be resourceful and creative. By making a positive impact, it will show admissions officers that you have empathy, creativity, initiative and follow through.
3) Search out opportunities to learn on your own and take risks to try something new in an area that interests you. Whether you choose an academic topic to dig deeper into or something just for fun, doing so will show admissions that you are a curious person and an active learner. Here are a few examples of what you could do. Pick up an instrument that you have been meaning to try like the ukulele, learn a new language on Duolingo, dive into those books you’ve been waiting to read, use your hands to build or create something, practice coding and build a simple computer game, start a blog that inspires positivity during quarantine. It doesn’t really matter what you choose. The point is to lean in to something, and it is better if that something is of interest to you. Also, don’t worry if you look like a dabbler by trying new things and becoming an expert at none. Do it for yourself and for fun. Worry less about the outcome and more about the process of self-discovery.
4) No internships?... No problem. Feel free to think out of the box and come up with your own idea to further your academic interest. Conduct your own research project, volunteer your services to a local business that needs help, write a blog about a subject you are interested in, take online classes and invent your own summer curriculum, set up informational interviews and shadow professionals who have careers you are interested in.
5) If your responsibilities at home have shifted, be open about it in your applications. Home responsibilities like taking care of siblings or sick family members are considered extracurricular activities, and you should include that in your activities section on the common app or coalition app including any additional hours due to quarantine. It is typically viewed as strongly as any other extracurricular activity because of the amount of responsibility and commitment involved.
For some of you, being at home and out of routine gives you anxiety. Can’t find the motivation to get started to do any of the things we just mentioned? Maybe it is because you need some downtime to unwind and recharge your batteries from the busy year. That’s ok too. Perhaps reflect on what is motivating for you. More important than what you actually do with your time is what you actually learn from your time in quarantine.
We’re here to help guide you thinking through your next steps and your entire admissions journey from deciding on your extracurricular activities, classes, test prep, school targets, all the way through to essay development, application strategy, and interview prep. Contact us at myeliteprep.com
