Extracurricular Activities for High School Students
Why Extracurricular Activities?
- Community Service and Volunteering
- Educational Preparation Programs
- Internships
- Summer Programs
- Other Ideas
Why Extracurricular Activities?
While academic achievement is at the very top of the criteria the UCs consider, the majority of the UCs also pay close attention to applicant achievements outside of the classroom. Given how competitive the top UCs are, extracurricular activities are also a way for you to distinguish yourself from other applicants. Make sure you balance your school work with your extracurricular activities during the school year and plan ahead for summer activities but NEVER sacrifice your grades for extracurricular activities.
Extracurricular activities encompass anything you do outside of the school. As long as you have devoted time and excelled in what you do, it doesn't matter if you are a cheerleader, a school club secretary, the student body president, the church choir lead, the youth orchestra flute section leader, the state yo-yo champion, a homeless shelter volunteer, a barista at the local coffee shop, or in charge of taking care of your 4 siblings while your parents work 3 jobs. Competitive UCs generally like to see applicants with demonstrated leadership potential, and the best way to do this is by describing your academic and/or extracurricular achievements in your personal statement.
What is Leadership?
So what exactly is leadership? This is how the UCLA Alumni Scholarship Program defines it:
Individual Qualities
- Shows initiative, takes charge, sets priorities.
- Displays intelligence, good judgment, confidence and self-knowledge.
- Accepts responsibilities willingly and eagerly.
- Demonstrates courage, resolution, and steadiness.
- Manages, decides, and sets priorities.
- Exhibits perseverance, ingenuity, creativity, and dynamism in solving problems.
- Seeks opportunities and surmounts obstacles, including challenging the status quo.
Group Leadership
- Sets an example through commitment and action.
- Works collaboratively with others.
- Guides changes and improvements.
- Makes plans, motivates, follows through and guides the participation of others so that all will benefit.
- Delegates, trains and shares the responsibility and the credit.
- Demonstrates selflessness and consideration of others.
- Assesses potential in others.
- Shows understanding of followers/constituents, and their needs.
- Skilled in dealing with people, shows social perceptiveness.
- Able to win and hold trust.
- Exhibits adaptability and flexibility in approach.
You don't need to achieve EVERY quality, but be sure to MENTION every quality you did achieve in your personal statement!
Below is a selection of activities and programs I have come across over the years. Broaden your search beyond the internet; check with your high school career center for local opportunities and browse the library reference section for guidebooks on summer program and internship opportunities.
Community Service and Volunteering
Ideally, you should pick two to three areas of interest (in case some don't pan out, there are couple of backups) and make long-term commitments (3 to 4 years) in 3 to 5 extracurricular activities. Development of leadership skills in your extracurricular activities is essential.
Volunteer Matching Services
Search for volunteer opportunities or sign up to receive email notifications when volunteer opportunities in the areas you are interested in become available. Most of these are national listings with opportunities in every interest area you can imagine.
- 1-800-Volunteer.org
- All for Good
- Volunteer Guide
- HandsOn Network
- idealist.org
- Volunteer Solutions
- VolunteerMatch
Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter
Organization: Habitat for Humanity
Date: Continuous
Location: Nationwide
Interest area: Community, Homeless & Housing
Age restriction: High school students
Details: Start a campus chapter of Habitat for Humanity at your high school to help building, fundraising, advocating, and educating.
Community Programs
Organization: Student Conservation Association
Date: Continuous
Location: Selected cities nationwide
Interest area: Environment
Age restriction: High school students
Details: Join one of the Community Programs across the nation to help with conservation efforts in your community.
Learning Ally
Organization: Learning Ally
Date: Continuous
Location: Nationwide
Interest area: Education & Literacy
Age restriction: At least a high school junior
Details: Help produce books on CDs at studios across the country.
Best Buddies High Schools
Organization: Best Buddies California
Date: Continuous
Location: California
Interest area: Children & Youth, Disabled
Age restriction: High school students
Details: Best Buddies High Schools pairs high school students and students with intellectual and developmental disabilities in one-to-one friendships .
Collegiate Challenge
Organization: Habitat for Humanity
Date: Continuous
Location: Nationwide
Interest area: Community, Homeless & Housing
Age restriction: 16+
Details: Gather up 5 or more of your classmates and/or friends, grab a teacher or parent to supervise and be on your way to help build affordable housing!
Apprentice Ecologist Initiative
Organization: Nicodemus Wilderness Project
Date: Continuous
Location: Nationwide
Interest area: Environment
Age restriction: None
Details: Conduct your own environmental stewardship project and take lots of pictures. Write an essay about your project and upload it with your best picture to receive a Certificate of Achievement. Three scholarships totaling $850 will be awarded annually to the authors of the top Apprentice Ecologist essays.
Call to Protect
Organization: The Wireless Foundation
Date: Continuous
Location: Nationwide
Interest area: Women
Age restriction: None
Details: Collect unwanted/broken cell phones to help raise money for domestic violence shelters. Check the website for information on how to start a program at your school/community.
The Huntington
Organization: The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens
Date: Continuous
Location: San Marino, CA
Interest area: Education & Literacy, Environment, Children & Youth
Age restriction: 14+
Details: Choose from seven programs, from working with the public to working with children to working with plants. New volunteers can join the volunteer program in either April or October; applications are accepted year round.
February
Student Volunteer
Organization: Greater Los Angeles Zoo
Date: February to May
Location: Los Angeles
Interest area: Animal
Age restriction: High school students entering 9th or 10th grade in the fall
Details: "Students participate in a 13-week course, meetings on consecutive Sundays from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm to learn about conservation and ecology issues, biomes, and abbreviated taxonomy of the plants and animals at the Zoo. Upon successful completion of the class, students are eligible to apply to become a part of the Student Volunteer Program and participate in and assist with educational opportunities including many of our Special Events such as Earth Day, Zoo World Patch Program, Animals & You, World of Birds Show, Muriel’s Ranch, as well as much more!"
April
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Month
Organization: The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Date: April
Location: Nationwide
Interest area: Animals
Age restriction: None
Details: Check the website for ideas on promoting humane/cruelty-free treatment of animals at your school/community.
Denim Day in LA
Organization: Peace Over Violence
Date: Third or fourth Wednesday of April
Location: Los Angeles
Interest area: Women
Age restriction: None
Details: A rape prevention education campaign with organized rally taking place in Los Angeles. Register on the website to receive a free Denim Day Action Kit to promote awareness at your school/community.
May
Revlon Run/Walk for Women
Organization: Entertainment Industry Foundation
Date: One weekend in May
Location: New York and Los Angeles
Interest area: Health & Medicine, Women
Age restriction: None
Details: Join the 5K run/walk to raise funds and awareness for women's cancers research, counseling and outreach programs. You can also volunteer at the event, check the website for details.
Learn and Build Experience
Organization: Habitat for Humanity
Date: June to July
Location: Varies
Interest area: Community, Homeless & Housing
Age restriction: 16 to 18
Details: Get out of your community and experience Habitat for Humanity's work for two weeks during the summer. In addition to service, you will also participate in educational activities and cultural programs. Program application deadline is at the end of February.
National Crews
Organization: Student Conservation Association
Date: June to July
Location: Nationwide
Interest area: Environment
Age restriction: 15 to 19
Details: Participate in the National Crews and help restore our national parks across 50 states. Program application deadline is February 1.
September
Student Volunteer
Organization: Greater Los Angeles Zoo
Date: February to May
Location: Los Angeles
Interest area: Animal
Age restriction: High school students entering 9th or 10th grade in the fall
Details: "Students participate in a 13-week course, meetings on consecutive Sundays from 9:00 am – 3:00 pm to learn about conservation and ecology issues, biomes, and abbreviated taxonomy of the plants and animals at the Zoo. Upon successful completion of the class, students are eligible to apply to become a part of the Student Volunteer Program and participate in and assist with educational opportunities including many of our Special Events such as Earth Day, Zoo World Patch Program, Animals & You, World of Birds Show, Muriel’s Ranch, as well as much more!"
October
Act! Speak! Build! Week
Organization: Habitat for Humanity
Date: First Monday of October
Location: Nationwide
Interest area: Community, Homeless & Housing
Age restriction: None
Details: Join this student-initiated week of advocacy and work in partnership with local affiliates to plan and host events focused on ending poverty housing.
Lee National Denim Day
Organization: Lee Jeans
Date: First Friday of October
Location: Nationwide
Interest area: Women
Age restriction: None
Details: The largest single-day fundraiser for breast cancer. Register on the website to get your own Online Team Page to help promote awareness at your school/community and help raise funds.
Educational Preparation Programs
You may have heard about "educational preparation programs" and the UC application even has a section for them. So what are educational preparation programs?
Well, according to the UCs, educational preparation programs are "designed to help students prepare for university study [and] may include academic enrichment programs sponsored by colleges/universities, research programs and study-abroad programs."
Below is a list of the educational preparation programs that are sponsored by the UCs. Look for them at your school and do your best to participate in them.
ATDP (Academic Talent Development Program) - through Berkeley
Cal-SOAP - available throughout California
CBOP (Career Based Outreach Program) - through UCLA
COSMOS (The California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science) - available from several UC campuses
EAOP (Early Academic Outreach Program) - through all UC campuses
EGC (Educational Guidance Center) - through Berkeley
Educational Talent Search - available at most UC and CSU campuses, search for "trio talent search" or "educational talent search" at a UC/CSU campus near you
GEAR UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs) - available throughout California
MESA (Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement), including MESA Schools Programs, SUCCESS Through Collaboration and California Community College Program - available throughout California
PDP (Professional Development Program) - through Berkeley
Puente Program - students are identified for the program at the end of their 8th grade year
UCCP (UC College Prep Initiative) - check with your high school
UCSC SAGE (Students Acquiring "A-G" Expectations) - check with your high school
UCSF Internships - search "high school internship" at the UCSF website for available opportunities
Upward Bound - available from all UC campuses; check with your high school
Young Entrepreneurs at Haas - through Berkeley
Other educational preparation programs that may be available to you:
AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) - check with your high school
College Bound - check with your high school
UC Berkeley Incentive Awards Program (IAP) and Pre-Collegiate Academy (PCA) - check with your high school; list of participating PCA high schools
Summer Search is a national leadership development program that helps low-income young people graduate high school, go to college, gain successful careers, and give back to society
Study abroad - there are a variety of study abroad and exchange programs available and many offer scholarships to cover part or all of the expenses. Here are some programs that offer full or partial scholarships: ISS Service Learning in Paris and Youth For Understanding
Internships
There are not a lot of online search sites for high school internships. Most large companies will post internship opportunities on their company website and there are plenty of books that boast comprehensive list of internships. If you are interested in a particular profession, you may also consider calling businesses in your neighborhood and inquiring about internship opportunities.
Some resources and ideas to help you get started with your internship search:
Search Google for "high school internship [city and state or zip code]" for local internship opportunities
College Board: How to Find an Internship (general information on how to find and apply to internships as well as links to internship search sites)
FastWeb: Internships for High School Students (general information on how to find and apply to internships)
You can search for "internship" on the website of your Congress Member or State Assembly Member (for California, visit the California State Assembly website and click on "Find My Representative").
Find the California Superior Court near you and search "internship" on the website (internships are sometimes posted under Volunteer Opportunities)
Below are internship programs I have come across over the years:
Youth Internship Program (YIP) places qualified urban students in Los Angeles as paid interns in law firms, businesses, government offices, and non-profit organizations. Open to sophomores and juniors, the program is offered three times a year to accommodate students in year-round school systems. Each paid internship program lasts seven weeks. Deadline varies depending on the program date.
Emma L. Bowen Foundation for Minority Interests in Media prepares minority youth for careers in the media industry. The program is unlike traditional intern programs in that students work for partner companies during summers and school breaks from the summer following their junior year in high school until they graduate from college. Deadline is at the end of January.
Berkeley Lab Internships for Precollegiate Scholars (BLIPS) is an eight-week paid internship which provides Bay Area high school juniors with the opportunity to work with world class scientists or engineers on projects related to the Laboratory’s research programs. Assignments cover a wide range of laboratory tasks and assistance in basic research. Deadline is in mid-February.
Introductory College Level Experience in Microbiology (iCLEM) is an eight-week biotech internship program for exceptionally motivated high school sophomores and juniors interested in learning about biotechnology. Students are paid a stipend plus a scholarship upon successful completion of the program. Deadline is March 1.
Summer Programs
Most of the summer programs listed below are academic in nature. For "fun" summer programs, please see summer community service and volunteering opportunities. Remember, you can always find summer program opportunities at a UC or CSU campus by visiting the campus website and searching the term "high school summer program."
The Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences department at Berkeley has a recommended List of Summer Science Programs for K-12 kids; these programs are run by a variety of agencies across the nation.
The Berkeley Summer Session offers Pre-Collegiate Program for middle school and high school students; there is no financial aid.
The UCLA Summer Sessions and Special Programs portal lists most of the high school summer programs available at UCLA. A limited number of full and partial scholarships are available to qualified California high school students for summer study at UCLA.
Need-Based Scholarships Available - UC Irvine Summer Premed Program is dedicated to fostering in high school students an interest in pursuing careers in medicine. The two-week courses combine lectures given by UC Irvine School of Medicine faculty members and hands-on workshops to provide students with a first-rate exposure to the medical field. The program is open to 80 Orange County high school students between 15 and 18 years of age, with a minimum GPA of 3.5. Students are accepted on a rolling basis; application becomes available in January.
FREE! Princeton University Summer Journalism Program brings high school students from low-income backgrounds every summer to Princeton's campus for an intensive, 10-day seminar on journalism. The program's goal is to diversify college and professional newsrooms by encouraging outstanding students from low-income backgrounds to pursue careers in journalism. All expenses, including students' travel costs to and from Princeton, are paid for by the program. Deadline is at the beginning of February.
FREE! MIT MITES Program (Minority Introduction to Engineering and Science) is a challenging 6 week summer program that prepares promising rising seniors for careers in engineering and science. If you are selected, all educational, housing, meals and activity costs are covered. You must, however, pay for your own transportation to and from MIT. Deadline is in mid-February.
FREE! - Young Women's Political Leadership Program introduces high school girls to the importance of women in political leadership and learn from experts in the field of public speaking, messaging, networking, on-camera media training, and platform development. Deadline is in mid-February.
FREE! - Pomona College Academy for Youth Success (PAYS) is an intensive 4-week academic program that serves rising sophomores through rising seniors from groups traditionally under-represented in higher education: students who are first in their family to attend college; those from low income families; and those who are African American or Latina/o. The program enrolls up to 90 participants from the Los Angeles area and the Inland Valley. PAYS participants live in Pomona's residence halls from Sunday night thru Friday evening. Deadline is at the end of February.
Need-Based Scholarships Available - California State Summer School for the Arts provides a rigorous 4-week pre-professional training program in the visual and performing arts, creative writing, animation, and film for talented artists. California residents enrolled in grades 8 through 12 are eligible to apply. Deadline is at the end of February.
FREE! Texas Tech University Clark Scholars Program is an intensive seven week summer research program for highly qualified high school juniors and seniors. Gain hands-on practical research experience with outstanding and experienced faculty and receive a $750 stipend plus free room and board. Deadline is at the beginning of March.
Need-Based Financial Assistance Available - COSMOS is a four-week residential program for talented and motivated students completing 8th through 12th grade. Students work side-by-side with outstanding university researchers and faculty exploring advanced topics that extend beyond the typical high school curriculum. COSMOS courses are hands-on and lab intensive emphasizing current research underway at the University of California. Deadline is March 15.
Financial Aid Available - Stanford University Mathematics Camp brings mathematically talented and motivated high-school students from across the U.S. and around the world to Stanford university for four weeks of serious mathematical pursuits. Deadline is in mid-March.
FREE! Apprentice Researchers Program gives high school students an opportunity to do hands-on, minds-on scientific investigations in a dynamic research environment. The students who participate in the program work with graduate student researchers in UCSB science and engineering laboratories for four weeks during the summer, gaining first-hand experience in how science research is conducted. Students will receive a $1,000 educational stipend for their participation. Deadline is in mid-March.
FREE! African-American Youth Leadership Program, a division of the Research and Policy Institute of California, is seeking applicants for its African-American Youth Leadership Conference. The conference will be held at CSU Sacramento Conference participants will stay in campus housing and be supervised at all times. Program will enhance leadership skills, strengthen understanding of state and local government, teach financial responsibility, and career exploration and development. Deadline is at the beginning of April.
FREE! UCLA Engineering offers an eight-week summer program where it encourages all of its high school participants to consider an engineering future. It does this by providing a hands-on learning program for the participant. Program participants work with a UCLA Engineering professor and graduate group (Program Mentors). Individual research or a group project will be assigned for the eight-week program. All laboratory work is assigned by program mentors. There is no out-of-pocket cost to any student participating in this program. Deadline is in mid-April.
FREE! CDC Disease Detective Camp is an academic public health day camp held at CDC's headquarters in Atlanta, GA. The camp is open to upcoming high school juniors and seniors. Over the course of five days, campers will take on the role of disease detectives and learn first-hand how the CDC safeguards the nation's health. Activities may include lectures by CDC experts, a mock press conference in the CDC press room, an introduction to laboratory techniques used at CDC or a public heath law class taught with the Socratic Method. Non-Atlanta residents may apply for the camp, but are responsible for providing their own accommodations and transportation. Deadline is in mid-April.
FREE! CEED SMARTS Program is a six-week summer college preparation program at UCLA designed to engage traditionally underrepresented students in rigorous science, technology, engineering and math instruction and training. Program participants engage in a number of activities, including math courses, SAT preparation, research, and college and career planning workshops. Deadline is in mid-May.
Check out the Fifty summer activities for high school students from the folks at CollegeWise for some last-minute summer activity ideas.
This page was last updated on Thursday, December 29, 2011 07:17:22 AM PST
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