Narrow to meaningful activities

Overview

Colleges prefer seeing depth in a few activities over surface-level involvement in many. Sophomore year is a great time to focus your energy!

The Depth vs. Breadth Principle

Better: 3-5 activities where you show growth, leadership, and impact

Less impressive: 10+ activities with basic membership

How to Choose What to Keep

Ask yourself:

• What genuinely excites me?
• Where can I grow and make an impact?
• What would I do even if it didn't "count"?
• Where do I see leadership potential?

What to Consider Dropping

• Activities you joined just for your resume
• Clubs where you show up passively
• Things that don't connect to your interests or goals
• Activities you wouldn't miss if you stopped

Quality Over Quantity

The Common App only allows 10 activities anyway, so having 15+ activities just creates hard choices later.

Creating a "Spike"

As you narrow your focus, think about developing exceptional depth in one area. This could be:

• Research in a specific field
• Competition success in an activity
• Starting something that makes real impact
• Published work or recognized achievements

Encouraging Thought

It's okay to quit things! Letting go of activities that don't fit creates space for ones that do.