<p>Just wondering, how much does Yale look at extracurricular things? Also, would relatively uncommon activities help in any way? And what would be considered unusual activities? I seem to see a lot of the same things here: newspaper editor, track team, etc., so would those not stand out as much as something different?</p>
<p>Thanks</p>
<p>Flying. Not like on a plane, but like Superman flying. Poor joke aside, very few thing going to make a Yale admissions officer jump up in amazement. They will be impress if you overcame difficult situations, but that's character base. Frankly I don't know what would stand out, they've seen everything.</p>
<p>From posting and asking around, I gather that that what makes you stand out (or at least as much as you can for an ultra-selective college like Yale) is not so much what the activity is as it is commitment to a certain activity. Go for a leadership role in your activities: for instance, editor of school paper stands out just a little more than participant or staff writer.</p>
<p>This is really all just a guess on my part, as I am not an admissions officer.</p>
<p>And unusual ECs--don't do them because their unusual, do them because you enjoy them and could potentially get somewhere with them.</p>
<p>they like to see passions that you will continue at their school to increase the sense of community</p>