MBA Application – Extracurricular Activitities

Extra Curriculars that Make an Impact

For the admissions committee, the extra curricular activities on an application may be one more way to make an applicant multi-dimensional and memorable. That said, it is important to think carefully about why types of extra-curriculars will make your application stand out.

Volunteer activities can indicate to an admissions staff that you are someone who is willing to step up, get involved and contribute to causes that interest you. Participation in outside events can give the admission committee some insight into how you might participate in campus organizations and contribute to campus life at the business school. Extracurricular leadership roles may show your ability to lead and manage responsibility, particularly if you don't hold a leadership position at work.

Extracurricular activities don't have to indicate leadership, however. If you have an outside interest in painting or studying foreign languages and can explain your commitment to a certain hobby, this could give the admissions committee a sense of your passions and interests. It could present you as a well-rounded person and give them a more lasting impression of your personality and what makes you tick.

If you don't think you have classic extra-curricular involvement to tout, take some time to reflect on the things you do outside of work and study that reveal something about your personality. Perhaps you participate in a sports league, are a music buff, studied abroad, or attend lectures on a certain subject. What is essential is to be able to explain what has driven you to participate in these extracurricular activities and what you have learned or gained from your involvement in them.

If you have participated in a single fundraising event such as a walk-a-thon, for example, that might not make an application stand out. However, if you have participated in that event year after year, and can communicate why it is important to you and why you make time for it every year, it will be more meaningful.