Try a new extracurricular! It’s ok!

A parent recently told me that their daughter’s teacher encourages students to stick with an extracurricular activity all through high school because that is what colleges want to see. 

This teacher is onto something. It is indeed what some application readers want to see, but it is not what they are all looking for. 

In her 2021 book Valedictorians at the Gate, former Dartmouth admissions officer Becky Munsterer Sabky says that she did not look for consistency in extracurriculars when she read applications. 

She points out that she had thought it mattered when she herself was in high school, but she had been wrong.

It is possible that a student who sticks with the tuba all through high school even though they don’t like it will get into an elite school because of their commitment to their instrument and excellence in music.

But it is also possible that sticking with the tuba will not help with admission and will prevent the student from trying something else and discovering their passion. 

I would instead recommend that parents and caregivers support their high school students in getting involved in activities they enjoy.

A student who knows who they are and has the confidence to take risks is well situated for college and adulthood, with or without an elite school on their resume.