How to Write Your Common App Activities List (With Examples)

150 Characters Is Not a Lot

The Common App gives you 10 activity slots. For each one, you get a position/leadership description, an organization name, and a 150-character description of what you did. That's about one long sentence.

Most students waste those 150 characters on vague descriptions that could apply to anyone. Here's how to make yours stand out.

The Order Matters

List your activities in order of importance to you. Not alphabetically, not by time commitment, not by how impressive they sound. The first 2-3 activities get the most attention. Put your strongest, most meaningful involvement at the top.

Exception: If you have a clear "spike" (one area of deep commitment), cluster related activities at the top even if one is technically less important than an unrelated activity.

How to Write a 150-Character Description

The formula: Action verb + specific accomplishment + scale/impact

Bad example (vague):

"Participated in community service events and helped organize fundraisers for various causes throughout the school year."

That's already over 150 characters, and it says nothing specific.

Good example (specific):

"Led 3 beach cleanups (200+ volunteers); raised $4,200 for ocean conservancy; designed social media campaign reaching 12K."

This is specific, quantified, and shows leadership. In 130 characters, the reader knows exactly what you did.

The Power of Numbers

Admissions officers scan activities lists quickly. Numbers jump off the page. Whenever possible, quantify your impact:

• Members recruited or managed
• Money raised or budgets managed
• Events organized
• People served or reached
• Awards won or rankings achieved
• Hours per week and weeks per year (these have their own fields)

"Tutored students in math" becomes "Tutored 15 students weekly in calculus; 12 of 15 improved by one letter grade or more."

What Counts as an Activity

Students often undersell themselves because they think activities need to be formal organizations. They don't. Valid activities include:

• Family responsibilities: Caring for siblings, translating for parents, managing household logistics
• Work: Part-time jobs, family business responsibilities
• Self-directed projects: YouTube channel, personal app development, blog, small business
• Hobbies with depth: Cooking, chess, photography (if you can show commitment and growth)
• Community involvement: Religious groups, neighborhood organizing, informal mentoring

If you spend significant time on something and it's shaped who you are, it belongs on your list.

Position/Leadership Descriptions

The "position" field is your title. Make it specific:

• Instead of: "Member" → Write: "Varsity Starter" or "Section Leader" or "Lead Organizer"
• Instead of: "Volunteer" → Write: "Peer Tutor" or "Crisis Line Counselor" or "Youth Mentor"
• Instead of: "President" → Write: "Founder and President" (if applicable)

If you held multiple positions over time, list the highest one and mention progression in the description: "Promoted from member (9th) to VP (10th) to President (11th-12th)."

The 10-Slot Strategy

Most students don't have 10 meaningful activities, and that's fine. 6-8 strong entries beat 10 padded ones. Don't list something you did once sophomore year just to fill a slot.

How to prioritize your 10 slots:

Slots 1-3: Your spike. The things you're most passionate about and committed to. These should show depth, leadership, and impact.

Slots 4-6: Supporting activities that round out your profile. These show breadth and character.

Slots 7-8: Work experience, family responsibilities, or meaningful hobbies.

Slots 9-10: Only if genuinely meaningful. Leave them empty rather than padding.

Common Mistakes

Listing every club you ever joined

If you went to three Key Club meetings sophomore year, it's not an activity. Admissions officers can tell when you're padding.

Using passive language

"Was involved in" and "participated in" are wasted characters. Use active verbs: led, built, organized, raised, designed, launched, managed, coached, created.

Repeating information

Don't repeat the organization name in the description. The name field exists. Use your 150 characters for what you actually did.

Being too modest

This is not the time for humility. If you founded something, say so. If you led a team, specify the size. If you achieved a result, include the number. You're not bragging. You're informing.

Forgetting the "Additional Information" section

The Common App has an Additional Information section where you can add context to any activity. If 150 characters isn't enough to explain something significant, use this section to elaborate. Don't write a second essay, but a few sentences of context can be valuable.

Example Activity Entries

Activity 1 - Debate

Position: Captain

Description: "Led 12-member team to state finals (top 4); coached 6 novice members; organized 3 invitational tournaments hosting 20 schools."

Activity 2 - Part-time Job

Position: Shift Lead, Local Coffee Shop

Description: "Managed team of 4; trained 8 new hires; created inventory system that reduced waste 15%; worked 20 hrs/week since 10th grade."

Activity 3 - Personal Project

Position: Founder

Description: "Built study-tool app with 2,300 downloads; taught myself React and published to App Store; featured in school newspaper."

The Bottom Line

Your activities list is a highlight reel, not a diary. Every character should show either what you did, how much you did, or why it mattered. Be specific, be quantified, and be honest.

Want to see how your extracurricular profile stacks up at your target schools? AdmitOdds evaluates your full application, including activities, to give you honest odds at every school on your list.