Application Preparation

How to write an activities list

An activities list shows how you spend your time outside class. Choose what matters most to you, put it first, and describe what you did in short, specific phrases.

Your activities list is a quick record of your life outside class. Readers scan it fast, so every line has to say something clear. A short list with real detail beats a long list of vague entries.

What counts as an activity

More counts than most students think. Clubs and sports are only part of it.

  • A job, paid or unpaid
  • Caring for siblings or relatives
  • Working to provide family income
  • Religious or cultural groups
  • Volunteer work and internships
  • Hobbies you take seriously, such as coding, art or repairing things

Common App explains that responsibilities at home differ from chores because you are meeting a real family need. It says these details help readers understand your grades and your time. If you spend hours each week on family duties, list them.

How to choose and order

  1. Write down everything you have done since ninth grade.
  2. Mark the items that took the most time or mattered most to you.
  3. Put those first. Readers may spend less time on the last lines.
  4. Cut anything you did once and would not talk about.

You do not need to fill all ten spots. Common App says so directly. Choose entries that tell the story of how you spend your time.

How to write each line

  • Start with a strong verb: built, taught, led, repaired, organized.
  • Name the result or the people you helped.
  • Drop the word I. Phrases are fine here, and you can abbreviate.
  • Skip the time you spent. You report hours and weeks in separate fields, and Common App says a best guess is alright if you can't recall the exact numbers.
  • Use a real number when you have one, such as how much you raised. Keep it accurate. Never round up.
Made-up example: community garden volunteer
Weaker

I helped out at the community garden and did a lot of different things there whenever they needed me, and I really enjoyed it and learned so much.

Stronger

Planned weekly planting schedule; taught neighborhood kids to compost; started seed swap that adds produce to local food shelf donations.

The weak line uses most of the space to say little. The strong line names what the student did and who it helped, and it fits the details limit.

Made-up example: family responsibility
Weaker

Watched my brothers.

Stronger

Care for younger brothers on weeknights while parents work: homework help, dinner, bedtime routine.

The strong line shows a real commitment and explains why it happens. A reader now understands where those evenings go.

Keep it honest

Your counselor and teachers may describe the same activities, and you sign an affirmation that everything is true. Report your real role and your real hours. Academic honors have their own section, so save activity lines for what you did and any awards tied to that activity. If one activity needs more explanation, the Additional Information question in the Writing section gives you space. Its word limit is shown in your account.

What to do next

Open the activities tool and list everything first, then cut. When your list is done, read Choosing a personal statement topic so your essay adds something new.

Sources

Reviewed October 2026.

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