Everyone emphasises the importance of extra curriculum throughout your schooling or graduation. You can get involved in Sports, Fine Arts, Student government, volunteering, academic clubs like debate, student newspaper, or more technically adept Internships or part-time jobs. Apart from all the other benefits of your skills to grow as a person, it also builds your profile. But why does it matter?
If you dream of studying abroad, this is one thing that changes the game. With a cut-throat competition at hand, you can be a leading competitor with an extra curriculum in your bag.
Here are a few reasons why the extra curriculum activities are essential to get into a college abroad :-
Gaining a competitive edge: About 30-50% of acceptance decision depends on your academic performance. It is expected that every applicant has a solid academic record with straight A-s and perfect SAT/ACT scores, and that goes without question, but they want to look for someone different from all the others. As a student, your motive is always to excel in your studies. You have to bring more to the table by showcasing your involvement in things other than books. You will stand a better chance to win the tie-breaker if you list your co-curricular activities.
Demonstrate a speciality: If you have a good skill, why not hone it and let others know! Your creative writing, or the way you play the cello or your opinionated stand in a debate will set you aside from others. The universities look after the best of the best. The competition is not among the locals like in your school; it is among the best in the world. So if you have a speciality, making you stand out from the crowd and you will be one of the favourite candidates to get picked for the spot.
Testing your time management skills: The universities will judge in every aspect they can and will surely test your time management skills. They want to know whether you will adjust well to the changing environment and will you be able to manage your time among everything you get involved in. If you provide them with proof of the same beforehand, they will confide in your abilities better. The after-school showcases how well you balanced your studies and the activities better than the rest.
To showcase your personality: The university's acceptance rate that caters for a large number of international students is less than 3-5% only. To increase your chances to win the race, you have to find a way to exhibit your soft skills. Soft skills are the personality traits you display in a social environment. These include communication abilities, interpersonal skills, emotional empathy, time management, leadership skills etc. The university’s selection committee would want to know what characteristics make you distinctly better than others. Your activities will tell them more than you think. Sports may define your competitive and passionate behaviour; debating may light your critical analytical skills, music will enhance your coordination and focus. At the same time, volunteering will showcase your emotional quotient. The skills describe and shape you and your profile simultaneously. The universities want to know You as a person, and the EC section of your profile will let them know.
To summarise it, the universities abroad look for a candidate who is an all-rounder, who thrives on being best of both worlds. For achieving so, you have to be competent in non-scholastic activities too.
If you are worried about not having talent, you don’t have to beat yourself up. Not performing well in studies while juggling other activities can be worrisome. It is okay to not overdrive and put yourself under additional stress. You can opt for simple tasks like volunteering to teach fellow students or participating in a cleanliness drive. It is advised to take one day and start preparing to be your best version before applying to your favourite universities.
Written by Shahrish Khan
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