How Admission Officers Evaluate Your Application: Extra Curricular Activities
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What is the role of extracurricular activities in university admission? The college/university admission authority assesses students's profiles thoroughly including extracurricular activities. There are a variety of ways to evaluate a student's interests apart from academics. There is no doubt that extracurricular activities add value to your application process.
What is Extra Curricular Activity?
Technically, non-academic qualifications could be anything. These activities demonstrate your level of commitment. How involved were you with the activity? For example, if you volunteered only once for a few hours, that will not count as community service. However, if you have regularly volunteered, even if it was for different or multiple causes, that will be counted as an activity because you were committed to it. You invested your time and energy regularly for a long period on it. So, the definition of a non-academic activity is something you do regularly and are dedicated to.
When you consider the list of extra-curricular activities, you will see that these activities include involvement in the arts, athletics, community service, music, theatre, employment, and many more things you might have done. There are some non-academic activities which might be related to academics like being part of a science fair or winning an academic Olympiad. For these types of activities, you will have to consider, how you separate out-of-classroom academic activities from the in-class academics. Outside of the classroom, you need to demonstrate intellectual curiosity or a love of learning. So how are you demonstrating these skills through both these activities?
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How University Admission Authority Takes Extracurricular Activities
The admission authorities have limited time to check every application. They are dedicated to adding valuable students to their university. Extracurricular activities report of a students gives an idea to the admission authority about the student's unique interests apart from study. This gives an advantage to such students at the time of admission.
Now you might think that India is not like foreign countries, where you have lots of options, including a range of extra-curricular activities or clubs to join. However, this statement is not true. You do not need to be a part of the formal, organized, and official clubs or organizations. Almost every student does something outside of the classroom. What you need to realize is that your activities need not have a name, you will have to break yourself out of that thinking. Unlike scores and grades, interests and activities can not be listed on a piece of paper. Therefore, activities are something that you will have to think about and then write them down.
Think broadly and include everything that you do in a list. For each thing you write on your list, find what role you had in that activity. Like, if you have played any sports, were you ever the captain of your team or you played any other different role? If you were involved with your college newspaper, were you the editor or the reporter?
This article is part of our How to Apply to Universities Abroad series.
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FAQs Related to How Admission Officers Evaluate Your Application with Extra Curricular Activities
Q. How admission officers evaluate extra-curricular activities of an applicant?
A. While evaluating extra-curricular activities, admission officers look for candidate’s abilities beyond academics. These activities reflect leadership ability, contribution to community service, communication skills, commitment, deep involvement, and many other skills. Through these extra-curricular activities, admission officer evaluates the ability of the candidate to contribute to the university’s community.
Q. Which key aspects of my personality can be demonstrated through extra-curricular activities?
A. If you keep into account how admission officers evaluate your application, you will realize that extra-curricular activities can help you win brownie points. Through these activities you can showcase the following aspects of your personality:
- You can show your multitasking ability as balancing academic with co-scholastic activities is noteworthy.
- Your leadership skills are emphasized through these activities.
- Sustained engagement into a particular activity shows your focused approach.
- Your sensitive approach to community service can be demonstrated.
- Team skill and collaborative spirit can be brought to the notice of admission officer.
There is a wide range of skills and capabilities which get attention through your extensive participation into extra-curricular activities. So, you must use them to outshine your application and increase your chances of selection.
Q: Â How can I get admission in the University of Manchester?
The application process at the University of Manchester may vary depending on the course and level of study. However, here is the application process for UG and PG courses:
The Undergraduate Application Process:
Step 1: You can apply through the UCAS common application portal.
Step 2: Go to the website and select the course you are interested in.
Step 3: Ensure you meet the Entry requirements (Academic qualifications, English proficiency, etc.
Step 4: Once you decide on the course, submit documents such as SOP, Transcripts and personal statements.
Check out: tips to improve your SOP.
Step 5: You can track the application's progress through your given credentials by UCAS.
Step 6: Once the applicant submits the application to UCAS, it forwards to the University, and the admission teams carefully analyse the application document.
Step 7: The university will send you an offer letter once selected. Hence keep checking your UCAS portal for your application status.
The Postgraduate application process:
Step 1: Select the postgraduate course you are interested in from the University of Manchester.\
Step 2: Ensure you meet the entry requirements for the chosen program, as they vary depending on the course.
Step 3: Complete the online application by providing your personal information.
Step 4: Upload the required documents, such as Academic transcripts and proof of English language proficiency ( TOEFL/ IELTS). experience in your fields and references (depending on the course). You also may require Two LORs depending on the course.
To make your admission better, check out the following: How Admission Officers Evaluate your application.
Step 5: If your application is successful, you will receive an offer from the University of Manchester.
Q: Â Does the University of Essex require IELTS?
International students whose native language is not English must meet the University of Essex English language requirements to get admission. The university accepts IELTS scores as proof of English language proficiency. Mentioned below are the IELTS scores required for UG and PG admission at the university:
English Language Test | Score |
|---|---|
IELTS | Overall score of 5.5 to 8.0 with minimum of 5.5 to 7.5 in each section |
The university also accepts the score of other English language tests such as TOEFL and PTE for admission to undergraduate and graduate programs:
English Language Test | Score |
TOEFL iBT | Overall score of 72 to 114 |
PTE | Overall score of 59 to 84 with minimum of 59 to 80 in each section |
Also read: Required IELTS Score for UK Universities
Q: Â Is university of West of Scotland good for international students?
The University of the West of Scotland has five modern and diverse campuses in United Kingdom. The University has welcomed more than 3,000 international students which are representing 1/3 of the globe. They also have 130 European partners who are actively in global study and exchange options through the Commonwealth universities programmes. The University also offers study abroad opportunities for UWS who are eligible for the same and also have more than 20 transnational education partners worldwide which helps them deliver UWS Bachelors and Masters Degrees around the world.
Q: Â What is University of Wales, Trinity Saint famous for?
University of Wales, Trinity Saint (UWTSD) was founded in 2010, is a public institution for higher education and research at multiple locations. It was set up under the 1828 royal charter of Lampeter, the institution was the result of the merger between Trinity University College and the University of Wales. The institution merged with the Swansea Metropolitan University in 2013.
- Top Ranked University: The UWTSD is not ranked by any major ranking body, however as per the university ranking given on the official website of the university, it is ranked among:
- #1st in Wales and UK Top 5 Film Production and Photography
- #1st in Wales and UK Top 5 Fashion and Textiles
- #1st in Wales and UK Top 20 Graphic Design
- #1st in Wales and UK Top 5 Education
- #1st in Wales and UK Top 20 Sports Science
- #1st in Wales and UK Top 20 Mechanical Engineering
- #1st in Wales for Fine Arts
- Variety of Courses: UWTSD offers more than 300 programs at various levels including undergraduate, postgraduate degrees as well as multiple online courses.
- Highly distinguished and learned faculties: the faculty at UWTSD is highly learned and distinguished which enables students to be the best in their field of study.
- High Placements: According to Graduate Outcome data 2019-2020 quoted by the UWTSD, more than 95% of its graduates were found to be employed within 15 Months of graduation. The average salary of a graduate is not explicitly released by UWTSD, however, as per some unofficial sources the average salary of the graduates of UWTSD is approximately INR 30-35L. with the highest salary being reported as high as INR 66.5L for jobs in Financial Services.
Q: Â What rank is Wolverhampton University in UK?
The University of Wolverhampton is one of the best universities in the United Kingdom. The university is consistently ranked among the best universities nationally and globally. For nearly 200 years, the University of Wolverhampton has been consistently providing a quality of education to students and producing highly skilled graduates. The national rankings of the University of Wolverhampton are given below:
| Ranking Body | Ranking |
|---|---|
| The Guardian University Guide 2024 | #101 |
| The Complete University Guide 2024 | #117 |
Q: Â Why indian students choose to study at Hult International Business School - UK?
Indian students choose to study at Hult International Business School in the UK for several reasons, including its highly ranked programs, global outlook, and career support. Hult offers a range of full-time master’s degrees, immersive bachelor's programs, and MBA options that prepare students to excel in the global job market. The school is the largest and top-ranked global business school, providing students with an incomparable universal outlook. Additionally, Hult's focus on experiential learning, extensive career support, and the opportunity to study at multiple campuses around the world are attractive to Indian students seeking a global business education. Furthermore, the school's emphasis on innovation and meeting the needs of students and employers may also contribute to its appeal to Indian students
Q: Â How to prepare for UK 10th board exam 2025?
Those who are preparing for the UK Class 10 exam 2025 are recommended to follow the tips below.
- Know the exam pattern
- Make a proper time table as per the syllabus
- Solve previous year question papers
- Make short notes of important formulas and theorems
- Revise regularly
- Figure out weaker areas and learn them well
With proper planning and hard work, students can easily clear the UK 10th board exam.
Q: Â How to download UK Board 12th date sheet 2024?
Following are the steps to download the UK 12th date sheet 2024.
- Open the Uttarakhand Board's official website at ubse.uk.gov.in
- Click on 'Examination Scheme' available on the homepage
- A new window will appear on the screen containing a link of the UK Board 12th date sheet 2024
- Click the link and download the Uttarakhand 12th date sheet 2024
Raj Vimal has experience of 7+ years in SEO Content Writing, which includes 5+ years in the Ed-Tech industry. He has written articles about studying abroad, especially in the USA, UK, and other English-speaking coun... Read Full Bio
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