Activities in order of importance...

Applying to College Common and Coalition Application
1

<p>Hello, I have a few questions about listing our activities on Common App. The Common App specifically tells us to ask our activities in order of importance to us.</p>

<p>For me, I have been an active member of basketball (captain) but an ordinary member of soccer. They are both varsities. I have shown leadership in school publications (newspapers, yearbook..) and have some distinctions in volunteering and in school band. After I completed my activities list, I am worried that my list would look a little scattered because I did not group similar categories right after each other. Soccer ranks pretty low in my list, whereas basketball is among the top. Other newspaper related activities and volunteering take up my priorities. Would colleges wonder why I did not list the two varsities next to each other when they see my application?
Or would you rather suggest that I do not rank my activities in order of importance but group them together according to similar categories?</p>

2

<p>I think you are over thinking this. I doubt colleges would care either way.</p>

3

<p>Thanks. I sometimes agree that I am trying too hard. Should stop overthinking. :)</p>

4

<p>Any way you list them will be considered the order of importance, so I suggest you follow the instructions.</p>

5

<p>Thank you. I guess I will leave mine as it is then.</p>

6

<p>I just help my D to reorganize the activity list last week. It is indeed important to prioritize the list particularly when you have a very long one. The adcom may just read the first few lines in the initial round of screening. You really want something more important to catch their eyes first. If they read the first couple lines and found them not interesting at all, they may assume you have nothing better to put on the list as the instruction said you have put the more important ones up front.</p>

7

<p>@billcsho Thank you for the details.</p>