What are graduate admission committees looking for when they review your resume? How are extracurricular activities such as work experiences, research, and internships considered in the review of your application? Why are they important for you as a prospective graduate student? Below are some points for you to consider as you think about building your extracurriculars in college:
Extracurricular experiences come in many forms, and students often think of gaining relevant research or internship experiences as the only valuable options. While those experiences are valuable, there are many ways you can gain experience in an area of study and show admissions committee members your motivations for learning as much as you can about your intended field of study. In short, don’t just make a “Plan A and Plan B” for gaining experiences; make plans A-Z.
Experiences can be a time of self-discovery and to gain confidence in various areas of your life, such as improving your communication skills, self-reliance skills, and problem-solving skills.
Experiences are about adding another bullet point to your resume and learning new concepts, skills, and work processes.
Building and working with your network are also important steps to take in college, and extracurriculars will allow you to develop your network.
Unrelated Experiences Not all extracurricular activities need to be 100% aligned with your career goals. One gains many transferable skills through various experiences, such as time management skills, organization, and working with people. Admissions committee members want to see applicants who are passionate about various issues within their intended field of study. Showing them how you've grown in your field through related experiences and why it means a lot to you to be involved in this work can give members a glimpse into the kind of person you are and the contributions you will make in graduate school.
Extracurriculars are also there to help you discover new avenues of interest. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Uncertainty is uncomfortable, but allowing yourself to be curious and taking chances are often ways to build layers of experiences that shape who you become and the contributions you will make to a graduate program and your career.
Recognize your Successes Many people believe their success results from luck and fail to realize that their persistence and hard work at school and extracurriculars contribute to their successes. How can you shift your mindset about the positive experiences you have had from them being lucky occurrences to something you worked hard for?
One of the many reasons I decided to pursue a career in graduate admissions consulting is that I read so many applications at Stanford where students failed to do justice to their experience and potential in their statement of purpose. Graduate school is about the diversity of a cohort, not only in the diversity of cultural backgrounds, values, and beliefs but in the diversity of experiences, perspectives, and goals. Your academic and related experiences should tell the story of how they have shaped where you are at now and why you want to pursue an advanced degree.
If you’re unsure what extracurriculars will help you stand out in the admissions review process, feel free to comment below or email me at debby@wisegradadmissions.com.
Debby
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