Colleges care about the potential students, both in school and out of school. When admissions officers review an application, they want to know that the student has other interests besides academic. Being involved shows the student can balance time commitments. Colleges want students to attend who will bring something of interest to the college campus.
But don’t fall into the trap of getting involved in a million things just to have a list for your application. Students should pick things that truly interest them and show involvement. Just putting down ‘club x’ doesn’t indicate the importance of the involvement. Starting a club to provide school supplies to students in need shows a committment to the community.
The selected extra curricular activities should convey that the student has made an impact in some way and that the student can maintain a long-term committment.
Colleges don’t have a checklist for extra curricular activities, they want to see where the students passion.
Bottom line – get involved, but in something that is a true interest.