10 Ways to Make the Most of the Common App Activity List

This blog was written by Caroline Damon.

In my years of reading college applications, I found the Common App activity list to be one of the most underutilized spaces by applicants. The list is their chance to show the admissions team how they spend their time outside the classroom and what matters to them and gives colleges a sense of who the student is and how they might contribute to the college campus.

Here’s how students can take advantage of the opportunity to share their skills, interests, and values through this part of the Common App!

1. Start early. Starting the writing process earlier in the summer helps students organize all the activities they have done since 9th grade, and that process often helps develop ideas about what they might want to highlight in their personal essay and university-specific supplemental essays.
2. Draft the activity list outside the Common App. Just as when writing an essay, students should expect to revise their activity list several times. Drafting the list in a separate document allows students to edit freely, then copy and paste the final version into the application.
3. Be intentional about the order of commitments. Put the most important, recent, and meaningful activities at the top. While most admissions readers review the full list, some may focus primarily on the first few entries.
4. Include all types of activities. In addition to school clubs and sports, students can include jobs, hobbies, community service, summer commitments, family responsibilities, and anything that matters to them. Colleges care about all of it.
5. Know how and where to share details of activities to make the most of each section. Each activity entry has several sections. Here’s a quick breakdown of what to share and where to share it:
   • Activity Type: This is a drop-down menu of categories (for example, Art, Athletics, or Work) where students choose the option that best describes their activity.
   • Organization Name: Simply write the name of the organization that oversees that specific activity, if applicable.
   • Position/Leadership Description: In just 50 characters (not words!), this is where students share their role in the activity (for example, Vice President, Volunteer, or Babysitter).
   • Timing of the activity: In this section, students note the time spent on the activity, broken down into grade levels, weeks per year, and hours per week. Be honest about time commitments.
   • Description: In the 150 characters allotted, students will share the details of their roles, responsibilities, and accomplishments. This section is the hardest to write because of tight space, but it’s also the most important. Avoid repeating the activity name, position titles, or stating the obvious. The next two tips will help you dive deeper into this section.
6. Use action verbs in the descriptions section and focus on specific responsibilities and actions. Students should highlight what they’ve done and the impact they’ve made, not just what the activity is. Words like “led,” “organized,” or “designed” help admissions officers understand involvement, initiative, and impact.
7. Write in an authentic voice. Even in short descriptions, it is okay and encouraged to show personality through a tone that is genuine, engaging, and age-appropriate!
8. Respect the space limits and make choices. For students with more than 10 activities, they will have to decide which to omit, as 10 is the limit. It is okay to leave some things out and to prioritize activities that best reflect commitment and passion. For those who may have a short list of activities: It’s OK to have fewer than 10 entries! Admissions officers value depth over breadth.
9. Group similar activities when it makes sense. If students have participated in closely related activities, it likely makes sense to order them near each other on the activity list. For example, if an applicant played in the school band and taught music to children, they could put those near each other on their list.
10. The Common App “Preview” button is your friend. Once students have copied and pasted their activity list into the Common App, they can save their work and use the “Preview” button to see how this section of the application will look to admissions officers. It’s a good way to proofread this section—and every other section—of the Common App before hitting “submit.”