Standing out in a crowded college applicants list
Print Edition
I’m often asked by parents: “What should my child be doing to prepare for a university application?” There is a relatively straightforward answer — they should work hard on their academic courses.
This might seem obvious, but academic grades are still the most vital component of any university application. Nonetheless, it’s true that grades by themselves are not enough to guarantee a pupil will get an offer from a world-leading university. To achieve this goal, extracurricular and supercurricular activities are key in supporting a candidate’s application.
Extra vs supercurricular
The term extracurricular refers to those activities that a pupil takes in addition to and outside of their core academic program, whether at school or not.
The term supercurricular is less commonly used and refers to those activities which seek to extend knowledge of a specific subject beyond the boundaries of any official curriculum that the pupil may be studying. Broader extracurricular activities are much more important when applying to US-style universities, whilst UK-style universities will have a narrower focus on a pupil’s supercurricular studies.
Supercurricular activities
A UK-style university will want to know that a pupil has all the relevant skills and interests to succeed at the specific subject for which they are applying. Therefore, undertaking wider reading and study will be vital in convincing subject-based academic admission tutors that a candidate deserves a place. Furthermore, this commitment to independent study will also demonstrate the type of study skills that will be needed for undergraduate study.
A pupil’s supercurricular involvement is likely to be assessed through an application essay or statement — such as the personal statement required by those applying to UK universities through UCAS and potentially an academic interview. Interviews are much more likely at world-leading universities such as Oxford or Cambridge and usually involve a sitting academic assessing a pupil’s ability and interest in their chosen subject. This can be quite a daunting experience, so it’s essential to prepare well in advance.
Extracurricular activities
US-style universities wish to see a more rounded view of the candidate beyond the specific major they are applying, which a university-wide admission team will assess as part of a “holistic” admission process.
Candidates should seek to use their extracurricular activities to demonstrate how they will contribute to university life — emphasizing their wider talents and evidencing key attributes such as leadership and a commitment to the wider community. Candidates will generally need to include a list of their most important activities and choose one as the focus of a college essay. Some universities may even allow pupils to send supplemental information (a video, extra recommendation, artwork, etc) to further enhance their application.
Regarding the type of activity, there is a long-standing myth that pupils need to have a ridiculous range of activities in specific categories: play a team sport, play an instrument, etc. This approach may work for some but it isn’t necessary. It is also vital that any activity reflects the true interest of the child. Forcing a child to take a particular activity is likely to be counter-productive.
It is true that there may be occasions where a particular talent or skill may increase the chance of a successful application. However, these are factors which are difficult to predict. Obviously, if a pupil has a particular skill which they perform at a high level, it is worth researching into the opportunities offered by different universities. Yet, when these exceptions are removed, universities don’t tend to favour one activity over another. It is what these activities say about the candidate that is important.
In closing, the top priority for any university application will be the candidate’s academic grades. Any other aspects of an application process, including extracurricular or supercurricular activities, should enhance and fit around the demands of a pupil’s core academic program. Ultimately, preparations for university study should start early, should focus on the full range of admission procedures, understanding how the different aspects of any application will be judged and ensure that the correct amount of emphasis and attention is placed on those different aspects.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
