essay about activities in school

Student Essays

7 Well Written Essays on Co-Curricular Activities [ 2024 ]

Co-Curricular Activities are of great importance in course of one’s journey of education. These Co-Curricular activities are the measure of a student’s alertness, curiosity, clarity and activeness. The following Essay on Co-Curricular activities talks about concept and meaning of Co-Curricular Activities, Importance of extra academic activities for students in their mental, personal and academic growth. This essay is really helpful for students.

Essay on Co curricular Activities and their Importance for Students:

Co-Curricular activity refers at all those activities which students undertake voluntarily and that are not a part of the formal academic curriculum. Co- Curricular Activities (CCA) play an important role in the overall development of a student. They help students to develop their skills, talents and abilities. There are many different types of co curricular activities that students can engage in.

Some of the most popular co curricular activities include sports, music, arts and drama. Students who participate in co curricular activities tend to have better academic performance and are more likely to go on to tertiary education. They become physically active and confident.

Benefits of Co Curricular Activities at school:

There are many benefits of co curricular activities for students. Some of the key benefits include:

• Co curricular activities provide an opportunity for students to explore their interests and talents.
• Participation in co curricular activities can help to develop teamwork skills.
• Co curricular activities can provide a healthy outlet for stress and anxiety.
• Participation in co curricular activities can improve academic performance.
• Co curricular activities can enhance social skills and confidence.
• Co curricular activities can promote physical health and well-being.
• Co curricular activities can foster a sense of belonging and community spirit.
• Co curricular activities can develop leadership skills.
• Co curricular activities can provide an opportunity for personal growth and development.
• Co curricular activities can be a lot of fun!

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A student learn a lot from co curricular activity. He is able to maintain a balance between studies and other life goals. He is able to socialize with friends, learn new things, promote group work and more importantly co curricular activities makes a student fit and healthy.

Therefore co curricular activities should be an integral part of study. They are in fact, best exercises that we would miss in the later period of our life. It should not be viewed as an extra-curricular activity. It should be given equal importance as that of academics. CCA provides a platform for all round development of a student. It helps in the grooming of a student and makes him a better individual.

Short Essay about Co-Curricular Activities:

Co-curricular activities are those activities that take place outside of the classroom but still contribute to a student’s overall educational experience. They encompass a wide range of activities such as sports, music, drama, debate, and community service. These activities are an essential part of a student’s development, and they have numerous benefits.

Firstly, co-curricular activities help in the overall development of a student. They provide an opportunity for students to explore their interests and talents beyond academics. This not only helps in developing new skills but also boosts self-confidence and self-esteem.

Secondly, these activities teach important life skills that cannot be learned in a classroom setting. For instance, participating in team sports teaches students the value of teamwork, communication, and leadership. Similarly, community service activities teach students the importance of empathy and social responsibility.

Moreover, co-curricular activities also help in improving academic performance. When students are engaged in a variety of activities, they become more motivated and focused, which ultimately leads to better academic outcomes.

Furthermore, these activities provide a platform for students to interact with their peers outside of the classroom. This promotes socialization and helps in building friendships, which is crucial for a student’s overall well-being.

In conclusion, co-curricular activities play an integral role in a student’s overall development. They not only provide a break from academic work but also contribute to the holistic growth of a student. Therefore, it is important for schools to offer a diverse range of co-curricular activities and for students to actively participate in them. After all, as the saying goes, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.”

Essay on Importance of Co-Curricular Activities:

Co-curricular activities are an essential part of a student’s overall learning experience. They refer to any activity that takes place outside of the traditional classroom setting and supplements the academic curriculum. These activities can range from sports, music, drama, debate, volunteer work, and many others.

One of the main reasons why co-curricular activities are so important is because they provide students with a well-rounded education. While academic subjects teach students important knowledge and skills, co-curricular activities help to develop other essential qualities such as leadership, teamwork, time management, and critical thinking. These skills are crucial for success in the real world.

Moreover, participating in co-curricular activities also helps to improve a student’s physical and mental health. Engaging in sports or physical activities can keep students physically fit and healthy, while activities such as music or art can serve as a form of self-expression and stress relief.

Additionally, co-curricular activities also offer students the opportunity to explore their interests and talents outside of the traditional academic subjects. This can help them discover new passions and potential career paths, which can greatly benefit their personal growth and development.

It also allows students to develop a well-rounded personality, making them more attractive to universities and future employers.

In conclusion, co-curricular activities play a vital role in a student’s overall development. They provide opportunities for learning, growth, and self-discovery that cannot be found within the four walls of a classroom. Students should be encouraged to participate in these activities, as they can greatly enhance their academic, personal, and professional lives. So, it is safe to say that co-curricular activities are indeed an essential part of a student’s education and should not be overlooked.

Essay on Co-Curricular Activities Preparing Students for Future :

Co-curricular activities refer to any activity that is not a part of the academic curriculum but still plays a significant role in shaping a student’s overall development. These activities can range from sports, arts and culture, clubs and societies, volunteer work, and many more. While academics are undoubtedly essential for a student’s future success, co-curricular activities also have a crucial role in preparing students for their future.

One of the primary benefits of co-curricular activities is that they provide students with practical skills that cannot be learned inside a classroom. For instance, participation in sports teaches students teamwork, discipline, and time management. These skills are vital for success in any career path and will undoubtedly benefit students in their future professional lives.

Moreover, co-curricular activities also help students discover their interests and passions. These activities provide a platform for students to explore different fields, whether it be through joining a photography club or participating in a debate competition. By engaging in diverse co-curricular activities, students can uncover their talents and interests, which can guide them towards choosing the right career path.

Additionally, co-curricular activities foster social skills in students. As these activities involve interaction with peers from different backgrounds, they help students develop communication skills and build relationships. These social skills are not only essential for a student’s personal growth but also for their future professional life.

Furthermore, co-curricular activities also promote creativity and critical thinking in students. Participating in artistic activities or problem-solving clubs challenges students to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions. These skills are highly sought after in the workforce, making co-curricular activities an essential aspect of preparing students for their future careers.

Lastly, co-curricular activities also instill important values and ethics in students. Through volunteer work or community service projects, students learn about empathy, compassion, and the importance of giving back to society. These values are crucial for becoming responsible and ethical members of society, which is necessary for future success.

In conclusion, co-curricular activities play a vital role in preparing students for their future. They provide practical skills, help students discover their interests, foster social skills, promote creativity and critical thinking, and instill important values and ethics.

Essay on Co-Curricular Activities in School:

Co-curricular activities are an essential part of a student’s overall development. These activities refer to the activities that take place outside the classroom setting, but are still related to academic learning. Co-curricular activities are often organized and overseen by schools, and they include various clubs, societies, organizations, and teams.

These activities play a crucial role in shaping a student’s character, personality, and skills. They provide students with opportunities to explore their interests, develop new skills, and showcase their talents. Co-curricular activities also promote teamwork, leadership, time management, and discipline among students.

Participating in co-curricular activities helps students to balance their academic workload and engage in other productive tasks that can positively impact their overall academic performance. These activities also help students to develop a well-rounded personality by exposing them to different experiences and challenges.

Some popular co-curricular activities that schools offer include sports teams, drama clubs, music groups, debate teams, community service projects, and many more. These activities not only enhance a student’s physical and mental well-being but also foster social interactions and build strong relationships among peers.

In conclusion, co-curricular activities are an essential part of a student’s educational journey. They provide students with the necessary skills and experiences to excel not only academically but also in various aspects of their personal and professional lives. Therefore, schools should encourage and support students to participate in co-curricular activities as they play a vital role in shaping well-rounded individuals.

Benefits of Co-curricular essay:

Co-curricular activities are an essential part of a student’s academic journey. They refer to activities that take place outside the traditional classroom, such as sports, music, drama, and clubs. These activities are designed to enhance a student’s overall development and provide them with opportunities to learn new skills and develop their talents.

One of the primary benefits of co-curricular activities is that they promote holistic development. In contrast to the academic curriculum, which focuses on theoretical knowledge, these activities allow students to put their learning into practice and develop practical skills. For instance, participating in a drama club can help improve a student’s communication and presentation skills.

Moreover, co-curricular activities also play a crucial role in promoting physical and mental well-being. Regular participation in sports or fitness clubs not only keeps students physically active but also helps them develop a positive mindset. Similarly, engaging in creative activities such as music or art can be therapeutic and aid in stress management.

Participation in co-curricular activities also provides students with valuable life lessons that cannot be taught within the classroom walls. Students learn to work in teams, manage their time effectively, and take on leadership roles. These skills are essential for success in the real world and cannot be acquired through textbooks alone.

Additionally, these activities help foster a sense of community and belonging among students. Joining clubs or teams allows students to interact with peers who share similar interests and form lasting friendships. This sense of connectedness can have a positive impact on a student’s overall well-being and academic performance.

In conclusion, co-curricular activities offer numerous benefits that contribute to the holistic development of students. They provide an avenue for practical learning, promote physical and mental well-being, impart valuable life skills, and foster a sense of community.

Therefore, it is crucial for schools to encourage and support students in participating in such activities alongside their academic pursuits. So, students should actively take part in co-curricular activities to reap the many benefits they offer. So, choose an activity that interests you and enjoy all that it has to offer!

Co-Curricular Activities Paragraph:

Co-curricular activities are a vital part of student life. They refer to any activity that takes place outside the regular academic curriculum, designed to complement and enhance learning. Examples include sports, clubs, music, drama, volunteering, and more. These activities provide students with opportunities to explore their interests, develop new skills, and build strong relationships with peers. Co-curricular activities also promote teamwork, leadership, and time management skills.

Participating in these activities can help students improve their academic performance by reducing stress and increasing motivation. They also play a crucial role in preparing students for real-world challenges and experiences. Hence, co-curricular activities are an essential aspect of holistic education.

Q: Why is the co-curricular activities essay important?

A: An essay on co-curricular activities is important because it highlights the significance of extracurricular involvement in a student’s overall development and growth.

Q: What are co-curricular activities in short notes?

A: Co-curricular activities are non-academic activities conducted outside the regular curriculum, such as sports, clubs, arts, and community service, which enrich a student’s educational experience.

Q: Why are co-curricular activities important in a short paragraph?

A: Co-curricular activities play a vital role in a student’s education by promoting skills like teamwork, leadership, and time management. They provide a well-rounded learning experience beyond the classroom, fostering personal growth and enhancing one’s social and practical abilities.

Q: How important are co-curricular activities?

A: Co-curricular activities are highly important as they contribute to a holistic education, fostering qualities and skills that go beyond academic knowledge, such as leadership, social interaction, and personal development. They help students become well-rounded individuals ready for real-world challenges.

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Extracurricular Activities Essay | Essay on Extracurricular Activities for Students and Children in English

February 13, 2024 by Prasanna

Extracurricular Activities Essay:  Educational philosophy refers to the importance of teaching students to be life long learners. There is much more to education and experience than classrooms, textbooks, and success.

Extracurricular activities provide opportunities to students to express and explore themselves in areas depending upon their interests, skills and talents.

You can also find more  Essay Writing  articles on events, persons, sports, technology and many more.

Long and Short Essays on Extracurricular Activities for Students and Kids in English

We provide the students with essay samples on a long Extracurricular Activities Essay of 500 words and a short essay of 150 words on the same topic for reference.

Long Essay on Extracurricular Activities 500 Words in English

Long Essay on Extracurricular Activities is usually given to classes 7, 8, 9, and 10.

Extracurricular activities teach students to work as a “unit” and be team players. It is a non–academic activity and serves as a part of development modules which can make the students think from a somewhat simpler point of view of themselves and the world around them.

Extracurricular activities are a kind of learning method that includes observation, practise and experience. Students can perform better in both the internal and external skills such as self-acceptance, self-esteem, sexual orientation, career goals and others. In the article of Curriculum planning, sustained development and reforms by the country’s educational purposes as manifested.

These activities are ongoing effort towards further developing the potential of individuals a holistic and integrated manner to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious based on a firm belief in truth and discipline. These activities help to improve the academic scores as well as social life.

Extracurricular activities produce knowledgeable and competent beings, who possess high moral standards and the ones who are responsible and capable of achieving a great extent of personal well- being, as well as being able to contribute to the progress of the family, the society and the nation at large.

Mostly when we talk about extracurricular, what directly strikes our minds are related to the different periods allotted for activities like hockey, swimming, equestrian club, culinary club and many more. But, we have to realize that these activities are not only related to any schools, clubs or uniform bodies but also Representative Council and Committee of Students and so on is categorized as extracurricular.

There are mainly three types of extracurricular, first being the society. Society has categorized as a club or an organization for students who have specific interest in a societal matter like public talk. Second is uniform bodies, as mentioned above, is an organization that involved the same uniform that they wear as their identity. Last is sports and games, and this is the most common as well as popular one which involved students to spend time for fun as can maintain good health.

Students like to join many extracurricular activities, while some other students do not. Thus, their level of involvement and interest in the extracurricular activities limited to the desired and willingness of themselves. One of the benefits of joining these extracurricular activities is getting a chance of being a leader, to develop, management skills, time management, ability to handle stress, talk delegation, decision making, carrying out meetings and many more.

Disadvantages of extracurricular activities are the failure in time management, which inversely effect on academic and creates an imbalance. Being, an active student is excellent rather than passive. Not every student that join the activities or programmes can manage their student’s life. Proper time management can help students in scheduling their study time, involvement in extracurricular and other tasks. Moreover, the most important thing is students should be alert about the trend of their schedule and proper use of it. Extracurricular activities, when merged with academics, will help students learn effectively.

Short Essay on Extracurricular Activities 150 Words in English

Short Essay on Extracurricular Activities is usually given to classes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Students who take part in extra curriculum activities improve their academic scores and social life. It also helps to reduce many peer pressure related problems and enrich the lives of students, their families and our communities. Extracurricular activities also help to shape a person’s movement within him or herself, in the community and their performance in schools. Schools are all over the world should highly encourage students to be in some activity.

Extracurricular activities help to improve student’s academics though they can also harm how grades turn out. There is a requirement for a boost for most of the students so that they can participate in activities. These activities help to develop the work ethic, and it enriches the personality of the students. It caters the student’s voluntary involvement that is being present at the external realm of the academic curriculum for all-round development.

10 Lines on Extracurricular Activities in English

• Extracurricular activities help students to pursue interests outside the standardized education.
• These activities encourage students to expose themselves to the students of their age permissively.
• These activities involve the student in various activities and help to develop a work ethic.
• Extracurricular activities enrich the student’s personality as it includes voluntary involvement.
• An extracurricular activity helps a student with responsibility and time management.
• These activities help to improve the academic scores as well as social life.
• Extracurricular activities are entirely instrumental in building self–esteem and leadership quality.
• These activities give the students the scope and the spirit of healthy competition.
• Extracurricular activities help to exhibit a person’s potential in the area of interest, skill or talent.
• Extracurricular activities, when merged with academics, will help students learn effectively.

FAQ’s on Extracurricular Activities Essay

Question 1. What is an extracurricular activity?

Answer: Extracurricular activities provide opportunities to students to express and explore themselves in areas depending upon their interests, skills and talents

Question 2.  State the importance of extracurricular activities?

Answer: Extracurricular activities enriches the student’s personality as it includes voluntary involvement. These activities help to improve the academic scores as well as social life.

Question 3.  Mention how extracurricular activities are helpful?

Answer: Extracurricular activities give the students the scope and the spirit of healthy competition. These activities, when merged with academics, will help students learn effectively.

Question 4. What are the pros and cons of extracurricular activity?

Answer: Extracurricular activities help to improve student’s academics though they can also harm how grades turn out. It enriches the personality of the students.

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Essay on Extracurricular Activities

Students are often asked to write an essay on Extracurricular Activities in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

Let’s take a look…

100 Words Essay on Extracurricular Activities

What are extracurricular activities.

Extracurricular activities are things you do outside of your regular school work. They can be clubs, sports, art, music, or volunteering. These activities help you learn new skills, make friends, and discover what you like to do.

Benefits of Joining

Joining these activities can make you happier at school. They teach you how to work with others and give you a break from studying. They also help you do better in school and can lead to better jobs in the future.

Types of Activities

There are many types of activities to choose from. You can play soccer, join a science club, or learn to play an instrument. It’s important to pick something you enjoy.

Getting Involved

To get involved, ask your teachers or friends about different activities. Try out a few and stick with the one you like best. It’s a fun way to learn and grow outside the classroom.

Also check:

• Speech on Extracurricular Activities

250 Words Essay on Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are things you do outside of regular school classes. They can be sports, clubs, debate, drama, school publications, student council, and other social events. These activities help students learn new skills, make friends, and find what they love to do.

The Importance of Extracurricular Activities

Joining these activities is important for several reasons. First, they help you grow as a person. You learn how to work with others, solve problems, and manage your time. They also make school more fun because you get to do things you enjoy. Colleges and jobs often look for people who have been involved in extracurricular activities because it shows you’re a well-rounded person.

Types of Extracurricular Activities

There are many kinds of activities to choose from. Sports like soccer, basketball, and swimming teach teamwork and discipline. Clubs like chess, science, or art encourage you to explore your interests. Activities like drama or music can help you be creative and confident.

Balance is Key

It’s important to balance schoolwork with these activities. Too much of anything can be bad, so make sure you have time for both. It’s okay to pick one or two activities that you really enjoy and focus on them.

Extracurricular activities are a great part of school life. They help you learn new things, meet new people, and have a good time. Remember to balance them with your studies, and you’ll have a great experience.

500 Words Essay on Extracurricular Activities

Extracurricular activities are the fun things students do outside of their regular school work. These can be sports like soccer or basketball, clubs like art or music, or even groups that help the community. They are not part of your grades at school, but they are still very important. They help you learn new skills, make friends, and discover what you love to do.

The Benefits of Joining In

When you join an extracurricular activity, you get to enjoy a lot of good things. First, you can make new friends who like the same things you do. This can make school more fun because you have buddies to share your interests with. Also, you learn how to work with other people as a team, which is a skill you will use your whole life.

These activities also help you become better at managing your time. You have to figure out how to fit your homework, your activity, and your rest time into each day. This makes you more organized and responsible.

Discovering New Passions

Sometimes, you might not know that you are really good at something until you try it. Extracurricular activities give you the chance to try new things. You might find out you are a great actor when you join the drama club, or you might learn that you love science when you join the science club. Finding what you love doing is a big part of growing up, and these activities can help you with that.

Staying Healthy and Active

Sports and other active clubs are great for keeping your body healthy. Running around and playing games is not just fun, it also makes your body stronger. It is important to move and not just sit all day, and sports are a great way to do that. Plus, being active can also make you feel happier and more ready to learn when you are in class.

Getting Ready for the Future

Believe it or not, extracurricular activities can even help you in the future when you are looking for a job. They teach you how to be a leader, how to solve problems, and how to talk to other people. These are all things that bosses like to see when they are hiring someone. Also, if you want to go to college, they like to see that you have done activities outside of class too.

Choosing the Right Activities

With so many different activities out there, how do you pick the right one? Think about what you like to do. Do you like drawing or painting? Maybe the art club is for you. Do you like being outside and learning about nature? Then maybe a gardening club would be fun. It is okay to try a few different things until you find the one that feels right.

Remember, the most important part is to have fun and try your best. You do not have to be the best at something to enjoy it. Just by being there and giving it a go, you are already doing something great. So go out there, join a club or a team, and start having fun!

That’s it! I hope the essay helped you.

If you’re looking for more, here are essays on other interesting topics:

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Apart from these, you can look at all the essays by clicking here .

Happy studying!

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College essay resources

How to write a great “describe an activity” essay | guide and examples, work on school supplements.

Brad Schiller

You’re going to enjoy writing this essay more than you might think. As college essay coaches , we’ve found students tend to like it. (Well. As much as you’re gonna “like” any of these.) 

Usually a short one, this supplemental essay is a chance to talk about something you already love and connect it to your dreamiest ideas of what you might be getting up to on the college’s campus in a few short months.

This post will take you through 5 easy steps for writing a killer “Describe an Activity” essay without wasting any time. 

(For tips on writing all college essays and supplements, check out our College Essay Help Center .)

Choose your second-best activity 

No, that’s a joke. Of course, choose your “best” activity. Except if you already used your “best” activity in your personal statement (which many people do - writing about activities in your essays is a great idea). In that case, let’s go with the second best. 

The important thing here is to spend 15-30 minutes brainstorming all of your activities. Put down on paper the obvious ones; the ones you dropped; the unusual ones that aren’t really “Debate Club” stuff — maybe you make your own umbrellas; maybe you’ve read every Jane Austin biography known to man. Think carefully and get everything down so you can see your candidates clearly. 

Next, assess which extracurricular is “best” using the 4 criteria below:

Choosing your activity: 4 big things to look for

1. Steady commitment — Choose an activity you’ve spent real time on. You need to talk about something that’s meaningful to you. 

“Commitment” implies that you’ve kept up with the activity until relatively recently . That is, through most of high school. For example, if you were all-in on Debate from middle school through the first half of freshman year, that’s not the steady commitment colleges are looking for. 

2. The 5 traits — there’s never a time admissions officers aren’t interested in the 5 traits . Bonus: activities are great at showing off the 5 traits. For example: 

• Drive — you’ve never missed a soccer practice, you convinced the team to add another practice when the team hit a rough patch, you added weights to your fitness routine when you learned it might help your performance.
• Intellectual curiosity — if you write for your high school fiction magazine, talk about the authors you’ve discovered in extra reading you’ve done in your own time; talk about a seminar you sought out on the basics of fiction writing.
• Initiative — there was no band before you came to your high school. Or there was a band, but it had old, broken instruments, and you held a fundraiser to pay for upgrades, and advocated for a budget change, too. 
• Contribution — you started volunteering more and more hours at a local food pantry and got involved with neighborhood groups publicizing free food pantries during the pandemic. You’ve learned how deep food insecurity goes in your own community, and you’ve recruited friends to help and to see that for themselves.
• Diversity of experiences — Your love of band comes from growing up in jazz-soaked New Orleans, where you learned jazz trumpet. Your volunteer work gives you a perspective into your community that many others lack. (Activities are a great place to show off what gives you a unique perspective.)

3. Awards, leadership - Awards and leadership experience are pretty irrefutable proof that you developed the interest fully and well. They’re not necessary (unlike commitment and the 5 traits, which are necessary), but they’re nice. 

4. Unique, interesting - Something memorable and unusual can be more tantalizing to a college admissions officer than all the awards in the world. Not always — you’d generally want to talk about an interest for which you were a leader and won rewards (ex: Debate Club) over an unusual one (ex: making your own umbrellas), but if you didn’t really shine in Debate, go for the umbrellas every time. There’s a lot to be said for writing about something genuine that the admissions officer has never read before. 

Write an essay that shows off what you might do on campus

Think of this supplement as something of a “preview.” Colleges are wondering if you’re likely to fully develop an interesting extracurricular with them , on their campus. (And also, maybe later, once you graduate.) That’s hard to predict, of course. But the best evidence you have of your future success is to show you’ve done it before — with a really cool high school activity. 

Paint a picture for your admissions reader of you doing this exciting activity on their campus. Making their campus better and more interesting because of your work. Make them salivate over the prospect of seeing you doing your thing. 

They’ll be itching to get you admitted. 

To do this, you do want to research that campus and what opportunities it offers to further your activity . This might mean what clubs and funding it has available, but it also could mean showing how the activity would influence or benefit from certain academics. 

Structure: Use 1 of our 3 outlines to write a strong essay

‍ If your essay is short (under 150 words) , you only need to keep in mind two things:

• Cram the essay as full of how this activity helped you exemplify 1 or more of the 5 traits as you can, and 
• Write clearly. 

You want this short piece of writing to unambiguously portray you as someone with tremendous potential. 

For medium to long essays (150 words or more) , almost any activity essay (and many others) can benefit from one of these structures. Actually, the best way to access them is via the supplemental materials section of our Dashboard — it walks you through exactly what to write (and you end the process with an essay that’s mostly done). 

The gist of them is this: 

1. Initiative and Impact — for activities where you solved a problem, overcame a challenge, or had a concrete impact. 

• Hook ( 1-2 sentences ). Briefly describe your achievement. Aim to make the reader think, “Impressive! How did they do that?” 
• Raise the stakes ( 1 paragraph ). Add context and detail about the challenge/problem. Hint: The lower the starting point, the more meaningful your achievement will seem.
• Your actions ( 1 paragraph ). List the actions you took. Think: How would things have been different if I hadn’t been there?
• The impact ( 1 paragraph ). The most important part!! Using concrete language — quantify where you can — describe what you achieved. 
• Optional - At the college ( 1-2 sentences ). The last “impact” paragraph is the place to add a word or two on how you might carry on or further develop your activity on the college’s campus. 

2. Personal Growth — for activities where you changed as a person, improved your skills, or learned to see yourself or others differently.

• Hook ( 1-2 sentences ). Briefly describe the activity and how you grew from it. Aim to make the reader think, “What a cool way to be. How did they get that way?” 
• Raise the stakes ( 1 paragraph ). Add detail about Before You’s problems. Show clearly, but briefly, how Before You thought or acted, so the reader can see how much you've grown.
• Your actions (1 paragraph). List the actions you took. Think: How would things have been different if I hadn’t been there?
• What you learned (1 paragraph). The most important part!! Describe what the experience taught you, and what New You does differently (better).
• Optional - At the college ( 1-2 sentences ). The last “What you learned” paragraph is the place to add a word or two on how you might carry on or further develop your activity on the college’s campus.

3. Passions — for essays in which you pursue a meaningful activity in a deeply engaged way. 

• Hook (1-2 sentences). Briefly describe your activity and how you pursue it. Aim to make the reader think, “What a fascinating interest. How do they pursue it?” 
• Raise the stakes (1-2 paragraphs). Add detail on the actions you take to pursue this interest. Hint: You should show how you've gone above and beyond to engage in this activity outside of your teacher's or parent's instruction.
• How it makes you feel (1 paragraph). The most important part!! Show why the interest is meaningful to you by describing what it brings out in you, or how it’s changed you.
• Optional - At the college ( 1-2 sentences ). The last “How it makes you feel” paragraph is the place to add a word or two on how you might carry on or further develop your activity on the college’s campus.

Writing Style: Clear and straightforward

College essays are the wrong place for “beautiful” writing . That’s particularly true here, where your space is more limited than in the personal statement. 

Put all your energy into showing off 1 or more of the 5 traits via the activity you chose. Then invest the time to get feedback. Obviously, using a college essay coach , who knows what colleges are looking for, is best. 

You can also ask someone you trust to read it through only for clarity. Ask your mom (let’s say) to circle places where she gets confused or has questions. Tell her not to focus on content. 

(She’s apt to think your fascinating and unique umbrella-building activity is less good than your lackluster Debate Club performance that you only did to make her happy. You have to be firm on that.)  

More articles on Prompt.com’s admissions-boosting methods:

• Work with a college essay coach
• Strong essays increase your chance of admission by up to 10x
• Don’t let influencers influence your college essays
• Should I apply test-optional?
• Early admissions: Everything you need to know
• College Essay Help Center

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