Big Mistake -- I didn't include all my extracurricular activities on the Common App!

I just realized that on the common app I didn’t include everything that I could have. I didn’t include past community service that I did, or anything else interesting about me. All I included was

  1. 4 years of robotics club
  2. 4 years of Technology Student Association
  3. 2 years of National Honors Society
  4. 4 years of employment at a restaurant.

I thought that it was supposed to be strictly extracurricular activities (like clubs)

I also included some honors such as a video game design award and some robotics awards that our team won, but what do I do??? There were 10 slots! I should have filled them all up with things that I have done to stand out.

To be specific, it was the “activities” section of the common app

Why are you feeling like this is a problem?

Spending considerable time in fewer activities and sticking with them is more highly regarded than doing ten activities superficially and temporarily.

High schoolers SHOULD experiment with clubs/sports, try new things, etc. But by senior year colleges do like to see depth and commitment in at least a couple of activities. It is nearly impossible to get that in ten different areas. If you feel more detail may enhance your applications, you may be able to revise them, or in some cases send a supplementary letter to admissions.

So do you think that this was enough? I feel as though there wasn’t enough community service involved in my application. I probably should have included anything that describes me as a person.

“Enough” is relative.

If you left off activities that were meaningful to you, show something about you not shown elsewhere in the application, and that you spent considerable time exploring, then you might want to add them somehow.

If you are applying to colleges that highly value volunteerism and community service and the app doesn’t include any of that, add them. Likewise, if you are applying to a college that highly values character, and you left off three or four years of scouting, you have made a mistake.

However, if you spent a year in Club A for two hours a month, and two months total in Sport B and weren’t really committed to either one, quit at the end of the season (or sooner) and never went back, then you may have been correct in leaving them off. If you experimented a lot freshman or sophomore year, attended every club the school offered, but never officially joined or attended meetings regularly, then leave them out.

If you are applying RD it isn’t too late. You could write a letter or ask your GC for advice on how to get these ommissions communicated to admissions officers quickly.

Do you think that I should email the colleges and tell them about the other activities that are meaningful to me?

Give us some more context. Did you spend significant time on these activities? Or was it more like you volunteered at a one off event for a local volunteer organization? And what types of colleges have you applied to?

If you spent significant time and care deeply about these other activities, yes, I would email your regional admissions officer and the admissions office general email and explain that due to an error, some of your information was inadvertently left off the app. You have to be super concise though. As concise as when you filled out the app originally. You can bullet point the activities.

The information is going to be more relevant/important the more selective the college is and the more it prioritizes community service, for example.

The CA has a separate section for honors and awards. Not sure if you put honors and awards in your activities section, but that’s what you seem to be saying. Maybe ask them to put those honors and awards in the relevant section, if it means they take up space in the activities section.

Less is more in many situations. I actually think what you have is rather perfect. Without knowing anything about you and not reading your essays or seeing grades or stats those 4 items tell me a lot about you and it’s all positive. As stated doing meaningful activities that you really care about for 3-4 years is so much more telling then doing many for 1-2. Plus a work history. That is exactly what colleges are looking for. Your essays should of painted who you are and told your story. If you really feel something significant was left out then email your AO at that school. Filling the other 6 slots with obvious filler only detracts from your application not enhances it.

@Knowsstuff This is good to know. I have emailed all the schools that I’ve applied to and included some more information about these activities. This is reassuring. I hope that the colleges respond the same way that you are saying.