Writing the Activity Essay
Common App Supplemental Essays
By Eric Tipler, July 5, 2024
Form: 50–250-word narrative essay
Audience: The admissions committee
Topic: One extracurricular activity or work experience
Purpose: (1) To show how you engage with your community; (2) to give the reader a sense of how you pursue your passions outside the classroom
The Activity essay is a narrative essay about an activity, work experience, or family obligation. When you see one, take heart: they can be fun to write!
Although they’re often short, this genre gives you a chance to talk about something that you genuinely enjoy. These essays can also be an opportunity to let your hair down a bit and show a more playful side, while continuing to highlight personal qualities such as leadership, passion, and engagement. Here’s an example:
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt offers a community where students find balance between their academic and social experiences. Please briefly elaborate on how one of your extracurricular activities or work experiences has influenced you. (250 words)
Tips for a Great Activity Essay
1. Write about something you haven’t highlighted elsewhere. Each part of the your application should ideally show a different side of you! If your personal essay was about your love of science, use the Activity essay to talk about running cross-country or doing theater. Or if your personal essay focused on sports, you might use this essay to talk about a service experience.
2. Pick an activity that highlights your strongest personal qualities. Review the Top Ten list of personal qualities that admissions officers value. Though it can be useful to highlight any of them, three that often work well in Activity essays are leadership, passion, and community engagement.
3. Show what you did, and explain what it meant to you. Even if the essay is short, structure it as a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end. Show yourself actively engaging in the activity, and include a brief reflection on why it was meaningful to you.
For more on the Activity essay, including strategies for writing a great sports essay (while avoiding sports clichés), activities for brainstorming and outlining, and actual essays that helped students get admitted to top schools, check out Chapter 6 of Write Yourself In (p. 168).
Activity Essay Example
Prompt
If you could only do one of the activities you have listed in the Activities section of your Common Application, which one would you keep doing? Why? (100 words)
Essay
For the past three years I’ve constantly looked forward to sitting down, grabbing my mug of coffee, and diving in on the yearbook. I love yearbook because it ties together three of my favorite activities: writing, graphic design, and organization. This year, as editor, I’m especially excited because I’m responsible for everything from the overall theme to cover design. After we publish this spring, I look forward to passing on my experience to the rising class of editors. Next year, I can’t wait to join another student publication where I can channel my inner writer, designer, and manager.
For more help with the Activity essay and the rest of your college applications, get a copy of Write Yourself In from your favorite library or bookseller!
