Importance of Extracurricular Activities in Study Abroad Application

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Mrunmayai Bobade
Updated on Mar 08, 2022 02:48 PM IST

Extracurricular activities hold a peculiar significance in the study abroad applications. Not only do they pique interest in your application but also take up your chances of selection several notches. Read on to find out the ideal ways to include the right set of extracurricular activities in your application abroad.

Importance of Extracurricular Activities in Study Abroad Application

The former US secretary of education, William Bennett gave voice to speculation that The arts are an essential element of education, just like writing, reading, and arithmeticdance, music, painting, and theatre are all keys that unlock profound human understanding and accomplishment. Isn't this specific piece of writing forcing us to consider how to improve ourselves as humans in all facets of life rather than just academically? Well, it does. As Aristotle puts it, the quality of life depends on its activities.

If you are serious about getting a seat confirmation in the university of your choice then extracurricular activities are a must epoxy to the application and abroad education. Outlandish universities appreciate and welcome students whose main interest extends beyond the class hours.

An integral and one of the most crucial parts of your international study experience as well as your academic profile gets to the bottom of extracurricular activities because it prepares you to be a multipotentialite.

The topuniversities in the world are some of the finest ones, not just because the academic curriculum is outstanding but because the scope of learning is geared towards the overall development of the personality. This holistic advancement of growth, magnificent learning, and research set the seal on overall personality development; not only as a student but also as an individual. Therefore, performance stress is equally divided between both extracurricular activities and academic success.

As a result of our Study Abroad experts' advice, thousands of students are placed at our partners' institutions around the world. We are thrilled to know that many of our students are now enrolled at their desired colleges pursuing their dream of studying abroad. Know More.

Want to Know How You Can Boost Your Study Abroad Application?

Importance of Extracurricular Activities in Study Abroad Application

Studying abroad is a great opportunity for many students to receive top scholarships, but often many students tend to turn a blind eye to the significance of the extracurricular activities involved.

The extracurricular activities that you participate in exude more characteristics of your personality than grades or test scores. Activities outside the classroom are a great way to reveal your intangible qualities more than a mark sheet ever could.

To a certain degree, top universities desire to absorb your comprehensive past acknowledgments, involvements, and interests which helps them to judge an individual at the back of the application whether they are one of their meritorious candidates or not.

To help you beyond the class activities shine with a wavering of light, we have leaked some A-1 justifications that will help you to nearly authenticate your seat at your dream college.

Also Read:Top 10 Books You Must Read to Polish Your English Language Skills

1. Ace Academic Abilities

The belief that extracurricular activities eat away time from the undeniably important academics is a strong trait amongst many Indian students, and it has been stapled with a bad rep through unreliable word of mouth. If facts are laid out, extracurriculars prove to be a ladder to higher grades. It allows the student to break the monotony of studies and spend their time doing something they love and enjoy. This essential break acts as a refresher and puts a jet-pack on the students' backs by giving their brains the time to relax.

For example, students who choose to play cricket or football as a part of their extracurriculars tend to develop their focus, stamina, and enduranceall of which helps to better their academic performances. Something more? It has been proven through several research studies.

2. Strengthen Social Skills

The demand for extrovert behavior is not only popular in the working sector but also among universities abroad. Lack of a social skill set might prove to be the only thing standing between a student and their dream university. Extracurricular activities serve you a chance to peek into the outer world, meet new people, make new friends, and thus take a lions share in developing the students social skills. In addition to being a tell-tale of the students adaptability, it reinforces their mental well-being which is an absolute necessity for every career and ones personal life.

These social skills will also lend the student a much-helping hand when getting a real job. Plus, more friends equals more fun whether youre in high school, college, university, or the workplace. Social skills are always welcome.

Also Read: How to Increase Your Chances of Admission into the Popular US Universities

3. Soaring Self-Esteem

The complaints about a persistent lack of self-esteem are persistent in todays day and age. Confidence is achieved through successes, small or big; be it an A+ or a job. But those opportunities are occasional. Extracurricular activities open one to newer and multiple such opportunities to give their confidence a much-needed boost. It is often fun to learn and master new skills, to work hard but feel zero pressure, and every time one achieves success in such works, it slowly acts as a build-up to sturdy self-esteem.

Now a common mistake that students make is telling themselves that success is only defined as a win against someone else. Instead, success is always a win against the past. Success is improvement in one-self, and rest assured because every extracurricular activity is inadvertently going to make you better and lift high your self-confidence.

4. Break Out Of The Box

Students tend to shelter themselves within the coops of their books, hoping it is the only thing they need for their dream university. Its a well-established lie. Learning new things lifts the veils one never knew existed, and extracurriculars provide students with the opportunity to break out of their bubble, to resurrect their profoundly buried passions, or to open themselves to a range of new interests.

5. Savvy Skill Set

Extracurricular activities are like mock exams; not only do they give a taste of whats to come and tell of ones preparation for it, but also give a chance at improvement. Only, in extracurriculars, the questions are real-world skills and their answers are a way of being.

Although not limited to, these skills include mainly the following:

  • Teamwork

  • Goal setting

  • Leadership

  • Time management

  • Public speaking

  • Analytical thinking

  • Problem-solving

All these skills are highly sought after in foreign universities and hold the power to separate your application from the rest and convince the recruiter to pick you over others.

Also Read: 10 Foreign Scholarships for Indian Students to Study Internationally

6. Astounding University Applications

Foreign universities, especially the USA and UK universities, seek students whod bring vibrance and interest to their student body. Meaning? They are looking for students with the above-mentioned qualities.

Quick fact: Extracurricular activities amount to about 30% of ones application.

Universities want students who have taken that extra step; they want someone who has set themselves apart. They want those who went beyond. They want something different, they want a palette full of colors because foreign universities rarely limit students to one stream.

Explore beyond academics, go beyond grades, and get a university beyond the seven seas.

7. Ritzy Rsum

When one harbors no work experience, the only way companies assess their abilities is through participation in extracurricular activities, concretizing again their importance. They act as a judge of ones strengths and weaknesses. They layout a map for employers to navigate the fresh graduates ability to work and their commitment to work. Long story short, it enriches a freshers rsum by acting as an equivalent of work experience.

In the end, good grades are important but prominent universities are seeking Avant-grade freshmen. Hence, to help you stand out from the wide pool of applicants, attaching extracurricular activities to your university application is a prerequisite.

Unsure of How to Make the Most Out of Your Extracurricular Activities? Connect With Us Today!

What to Include in Your Extracurricular Activities?

There are no activities that are superior to others. What colleges are looking for is that you are energetic, driven, persistent, hardworking, and want to develop yourself in every way. Choose activities that reflect your interests, abilities, or something you enjoy doing. On that point, you should be addressing the types of extracurricular activities that distinguish your application from others, as well as activities that demonstrate relevance to the type of personality you possess.

Whatever extracurricular activity you select, be sure it is enjoyable for you and does not become a burden. When you engage in things that you actually like, you will have a great feeling of accomplishment and will be able to advance in your area. We've included some fascinating extracurricular activities you might include in your application below.

Leadership Activities

Look for opportunities to develop and demonstrate your leadership abilities while in school. Is there an opening in a club or on your school's student council? If this is the case, you might consider putting your hat in the ring. Universities want to see that you'll be a strong leader on campus, and this is a fantastic method to demonstrate what you have to offer.

Sports

Participating in sports outside of the classroom is one of the simplest methods to boost your portfolio. Many pupils have a natural affinity for sports such as football, cricket, basketball, and swimming. It is a good idea to join a sports club that will help you advance or allow you to take on leadership responsibilities. One suggestion is to start a football club at your school, which will help you to develop your leadership and collaboration abilities. Participating in tournaments and earning medals at the regional or state levels is very remarkable.

Creative Activities

If you're not the sort of person who participates in more traditional extracurricular activities, it's time to look outside the box. Participation in your local art community, playing music, writing a blog, acting in a play's cast, building excellent websites, or another form of arts such as painting, sculpture, photography, poetry, and so on can help universities' admissions staff understand how you'll fit into their academic community.

Music

Do you want to learn to play a specific instrument? Learning an instrument not only helps your hand-eye coordination, but it also makes you stand out to institutions. Universities like the fact that you have taken time away from your academic life to pursue a passion. Learning to play a musical instrument demonstrates to the committee members that you have both tenacity and patience.

Volunteering at NGOs

Extracurricular philanthropic activities, such as volunteering at NGOs or orphanages, can significantly boost your application. You will be able to communicate with people outside of your social circle, which will allow you to strengthen your leadership and organising skills. Furthermore, this extracurricular activity is quite satisfying and provides you with a great deal of self-satisfaction.

Leading Clubs or Organizations

Another excellent option is to form a club inside your own school. A woman empowerment club, a club geared to fundraising for an animal sanctuary, or collaborating with an NGO to collect cash are some examples. You might also encourage your peers to join your group in order to have a greater influence. Students who are involved in high school are more likely to be involved in university, which is the type of student that institutions like.

Note: Students must discuss their hobbies pursued at some level, such as school/college, zonal, district, r national, and so on. Something that students must bring with them as proof. Students must not talk about trivial hobbies that do not count, such as coin or stamp collecting, scrapbooking, and so on. It is not a nasty thing to have such interests, but and you must present the admissions committee proof of your participation in the activities, such as a participation certificate, medals, prizes, and so forth.

Also Read: Most Affordable Places for Indian Students to Study Abroad

Mistakes to Avoid While Writing About Your Extracurricular Activities

It is preferable to avoid making the following errors when discussing your extracurricular activities in application forms such as SOPs, LORs, CVs, and Academic Essays:

Excessive Talk About Childhood Fantasies

Childhood fantasies, whether detailed in an application document, detract from the importance of the document. These can be mentioned in an undergraduate application, though. Your extracurricular activities should sound more focused and unambiguous while applying for a master's degree rather than a dreamer. Instead of detailing how you came to have an interest in a certain topic, which works for undergraduate applications, your goals should be specific.

Note: Avoid going too far back in your extracurricular accomplishments. Applicants must not go back more than 5-6 years while preparing an application and must speak about recent experiences or achievements.

Beating Around the Bush

Your application paper reflects your prior achievements outside of the classroom as well as your future aspirations. If you focus more on our accomplishments than on our career objectives, the admissions committee may perceive you as boastful and unfocused. Things must be explained, yet in such a way that nothing is overshadowed. Our accomplishments should demonstrate our strength and drive, whilst our aims should demonstrate our focus and clarity of vision. Both must be stated in such a way that our qualifications appear to be a perfect match for the chosen degree and university.

Missing Out on Essential Skills

Athletic participation has been shown to increase the brain's cognitive and memory processes, allowing pupils to perform better in examinations and academics. Students must incorporate leadership qualities, time management, problem-solving, teamwork, professionalism, interpersonal skills, empathy, active listening, emotional intelligence, and other key abilities while crafting their extracurricular activities in various application materials. This demonstrates to the committee members how you have honed these talents by engaging in extracurricular activities to reach performance enchantment.

Note: Don't Forget About Important Wins: If you've competed in any little events that are connected or parallel to the field you're applying for, include those modest accomplishments with the major ones. If you've won the same competition several times, you don't need to list each one separately.

Also Read: How to Write a Leadership Essay for Study Abroad Application?

Overuse of Technical Terms or Jargon

Please be sure to utilise basic language, taking in mind that the folks on the admissions committee aren't experts in your field. If you use too much jargon, it will confuse them, make them feel detached, and they will lose interest. It's fine to utilise technical phrases a few times to properly describe your motivations and demonstrate that you know what you want to achieve with your life. They should be able to link to your decision to apply to a certain programme as well as your future plans.

Showing False Achievements in Any Document

The admissions committee wants you to present accurate information, which is why you must submit documentation for everything you have done, from your academics to your extracurricular activities. If we are unable to offer them the necessary proofs of our accomplishments, such as academic transcripts and participation certificates for all of the activities we have participated in, the authorities will deem us to be at fault and will reject our application. They may ban our profiles indefinitely in some circumstances.

Note: Plagiarism is a major offence at universities abroad. Never replicate anything from the internet's Sample Essays or papers from previous applicants. Documents that have been copied or plagiarised may be rejected right immediately.

Also Read:

Common Mistakes to Avoid While Writing an SOP or Application Essay

Mistakes to Avoid During Your Study Abroad Application Process

Feel free to get in touch with us at abroad@collegedekho.com for more exciting information.Weve placed several students at our partners' institutions around the world based on the advice of our international study experts. We are delighted to know that many of our students are now enrolled at their preferred colleges to pursue their dreams of studying abroad. Know More.

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