3 Successful Extracurricular Activity Essay Examples
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The purpose of the extracurricular activities essay is for admissions officers to better understand how your extracurricular activities have shaped and motivated you. This essay shouldnât restate the activities youâve already shared in your resume, but should elaborate on their impact and significance to you as a person.
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These extracurricular essays are strong examples written by real students. Read them to be inspired in your own essay writing!
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Chasing Piano Mastery
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My fingers raced across the keys, rapidly striking one after another. My body swayed with the music as my hands raced across the piano. Crashing onto the final chord, it was over as quickly as it had begun. My shoulders relaxed and I couldnât help but break into a satisfied grin. I had just played the Moonlight Sonataâs third movement, a longtime dream of mine. Four short months ago, though, I had considered it impossible. The pieceâs tempo was impossibly fast, its notes stretching between each end of the piano, forcing me to reach farther than I had ever dared. It was 17 pages of the most fragile and intricate melodies I had ever encountered. But that summer, I found myself ready to take on the challenge. With the end of the school year, I was released from my commitment to practicing for band and solo performances. I was now free to determine my own musical path: either succeed in learning the piece, or let it defeat me for the third summer in a row. Over those few months, I spent countless hours practicing the same notes until they burned a permanent place in my memory, creating a soundtrack for even my dreams. Some would say Iâve mastered the piece, but as a musician I know better. Now that I can play it, I am eager to take the next step and add in layers of musicality and expression to make the once-impossible piece even more beautiful.
Lessons from the School Newspaper
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My schoolâs newspaper and I have a typical love-hate relationship; some days I want nothing more than to pass two hours writing and formatting articles, while on others the mere thought of student journalism makes me shiver. Still, as weâre entering our fourth year together, you could consider us relatively stable. Weâve learned to accept each otherâs differences; at this point Iâve become comfortable spending an entire Friday night preparing for an upcoming issue, and I hardly even notice the snail-like speed of our computers. Iâve even benefitted from the polygamous nature of our relationshipâwith twelve other editors, thereâs a lot of cooperation involved. Perverse as it may be, from that teamwork Iâve both gained some of my closest friends and improved my organizational and time-management skills. And though leaving it in the hands of new editors next year will be difficult, I know our time together has only better prepared me for future relationships.
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Actively Participating in Democracy
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The cool, white halls of the Rayburn House office building contrasted with the bustling energy of interns entertaining tourists, staffers rushing to cover committee meetings, and my fellow conference attendees separating to meet with our respective congresspeople. Through civics and US history classes, I had learned about our government, but simply hearing the legislative process outlined didnât prepare me to navigate it. It was my first political conference, and, after learning about congressional mechanics during breakout sessions, I was lobbying my representative about an upcoming vote crucial to the US-Middle East relationship. As the daughter of Iranian immigrants, my whole life had led me to the moment when I could speak on behalf of the family members who had not emigrated with my parents. Â As I sat down with my congresswomanâs chief of staff, I truly felt like a participant in democracy; I was exercising my right to be heard as a young American. Through this educational conference, I developed a plan of action to raise my voice. When I returned home, I signed up to volunteer with the state chapter of the Democratic Party. I sponsored letter-writing campaigns, canvassed for local elections, and even pursued an internship with a state senate campaign. I know that I donât need to be old enough to vote to effect change. Most importantly, I also know that I want to study governmentâI want to make a difference for my communities in the United States and the Middle East throughout my career.
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More Supplemental Essay Tips
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