5 Steps for Organizing Your Activities
(in prep for college applications)
Step 1: Sit down with your mom, dad, or someone who knows you well and start brainstorming/remembering everything you have done since 9th grade. You can include anything and everything you do beyond homework, playing video games, watching TV, sleeping. . . you get the idea.
*We understand you might be super proud of something you did in middle school, but unfortunately those things will not have a place on your college applications (i.e. there are only check-boxes for grades 9-12)
Step 2: Note the following for everything on your list!
Positions/Roles/Leadership
Awards (if any)
Years you participated (by grade-level)
Duration of participation (# hours/week and weeks/year - it’s okay to guesstimate!)
*Plop all this into a spreadsheet and save it!
Step 3: Organize your list into a Top 10, placing your most important activity first and go down from there.
SAVE THIS FORMAT!!! Make another file if you have to. This will save you loads of time down the road.
Quick Check: Did you include volunteering? Something you are involved in at school? Community involvement? Job?
Step 4: Format your activities into a more formal resume (click here for a sample)
Step 5: Keep updating both your spreadsheet and resume throughout the year.