Get involved
You've likely heard the phrase "well-rounded student." The more types of people, tasks, skills, and situations you are exposed to, the more well-rounded you’ll be. Participating in extracurricular activities will help you explore your interests, prepare for life after high school, and build your resume.
Why do extracurriculars matter?
Extracurriculars are an invaluable piece of the college admissions process. They help show colleges who you are beyond your grades and test scores.
But when there are a lot of extracurricular options available, how do you know you’re choosing the "right" ones? BigFuture has some advice on how to approach extracurricular activities so that you can stand out through the skills and experiences they gain from those opportunities.
Better yourself and your network
Participating in extracurriculars comes with a lot of benefits. You can gain skills and experience in an activity you’re interested in, meet new like-minded friends, and grow your network of professionals and potential mentors who can help you later in high school.
Make your summers matter
Did you know summer activities can push your college application into the "yes" pile? Colleges want to see that you’re committed to extracurriculars during the school year, but they also love it when you are making the effort to expand and stretch yourself over summer vacation. What you do with your time can help you stand out from other applicants who have similar test scores and GPAs.
Exploring military careers through extracurriculars
Participating in the Junior Reserves Officer Training Corps (JROTC) is one way that you can prepare for a future military career during high school. With its focus on developing students’ self-reliance, self-discipline, and citizenship, JROTC can be a great cocurricular option for you.
If you participate in JROTC, you aren’t obligated to enter the military. And even though the program borrows from military training principles and exercises, it’s not a strict military preparation program.
Get real world experience with an internship
An internship is a temporary job to gain hands-on experience in a field you’re interested in. It can show you what the working world is like and give you an idea of how you like to work.
Like internships, Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs offer high school students opportunities to explore different careers, including high-demand fields like information technology, engineering, and healthcare. Through these classes, you can gain hands-on knowledge working in these industries. Both internships and CTE programs can help set you on the path to a future career.
On BigFuture’s website, you can learn more about how to find an internship while in high school that can hopefully lead to a career down the road.