Common App Activities

Colleges and Universities A-Z Tulane University
1

I am currently filling out the activities section of my Common App and I have only one slot left to fill. I am unsure of which of these two activities I should include:

Guitar - 9th-11th grade
Varsity Lacrosse 9th grade

My involvement with the lacrosse was obviously very brief (see above) and I do not have any notable achievements within this team. However, in my description of this activity I would be able to include more details like that I was on Varsity, my position (attack) and how far my team moved in the league.

For guitar, I just took private lessons once a week. My hours/week would be able to be relatively high, though, as I practiced for over an hour every day year round. However, I do not really have anything to write in the description of this activity and I’m struggling to phrase “took lessons and performed at annual recitals” in a way that seems at all significant (any suggestions for how to describe an activity like this in a more impressive way would be very MUCH appreciated).

On my Common App, I already included two years on the varsity lacrosse team, but I don’t have any music-related activities other than guitar.

Which activity should I include? Any help would be appreciated!

2

You should post this on the Common Application-specific thread, not in Tulane’s.

I had a similar involvement with music (high hours and performed from time to time, though not at a competition-level,) and framed it on my application as being more for fun than anything else. You may want to include details about your repetoire, especially if you’re not submitting a music supplement. IMO list guitar, though it’s your choice at the end of the day.

You do not need to list each year of Varsity Lacrosse separately. The Common Application allows you to assign multiple years to an activity. If you did the activity in middle school and continued it in high school (like music,) just state “for the last x years,” and Admissions Officers will likely understand.

Hope that helpsp!