Extra-Curriculars in International Education: Tips for Standing Out

The number of Indian aspirants for international education has grown manifold in these last few years. Higher income levels, affordable education loans and access to information has fueled this growth. Back in the days when I was applying to the universities abroad, the selection criteria used to be perfect test scores, grades achieved in schools and colleges, and a bit of weightage to extra-curricular activities. With the kind of grades that we are hearing these days, falling back on academic grades is highly unlikely – resulting in a shifting of weightage to Extracurriculars. They alone will differentiate your application from the thousands of others flooding the admission office. What do your Extracurriculars highlight? • Ambition • Personal Initiative • Ability to take on responsibilities • Leadership abilities • Community involvement What do you need to ensure while writing about them? • Start early in life – Whether you plan to study abroad or not, Extracurriculars will add greater and more genuine value to your persona if you involved yourself early-on. • Be authentic – Trying to feign your involvement is a bad idea! • Describe your dedication, not the grandiosity – simple, sustained efforts are more likely to draw a positive response, rather than a one-off ‘grand charity ball.’ So, here’s wishing you well in all your endeavours, be it in the classroom and out of it. Go ahead, build your personality and your resume! What do you think about extra-curriculars? Do share your thoughts. #letstalkcollege #extracurricularactivities #applications #personalitydevelopment