500+ Examples of Extracurricular Activities for High School Students
Bonus Material: Extracurricular Activities Worksheet
Extracurricular activities are an essential component of competitive college applications.
When college admissions officers read your application, they’re generally on the lookout for three things:
- Character & Personal Qualities
- Academic Achievement
- Extracurricular Distinction
Many of our students ask us how they can achieve extracurricular distinction.
What extracurricular activities should they pursue? And how do they earn distinction within a specific activity?
To answer these questions, we like to start by first defining what actually counts as an extracurricular activity (hint: more than you might realize!).
Then we point students to this list of 500+ examples of activities worth pursuing within the categories that appear on the Common Application.
We also give readers access to our Extracurricular Activities Worksheet. This is a valuable FREE resource for students needing extra guidance in choosing activities likely to suit their interests and lead to a solid college application. Grab this below.
Here’s what we cover:
- What Is An Extracurricular Activity?
- 500+ Examples of Awesome Extracurricular Activities
- Bonus: PrepMaven’s FREE Extracurricular Activities Worksheet
What Are Extracurricular Activities?
Extracurricular activities can seem pretty straightforward. Aren’t they just activities you pursue outside of the classroom?
Generally speaking, yes.
But extracurricular activities aren’t limited to what your school offers. Nor do they have to be associated with a specific program or organization. They can be much broader than that.
Here is how the Common App, the platform many students use to apply to college, defines an extracurricular activity:
To reiterate, an extracurricular activity can be:
- A personal pursuit, interest, or hobby
- Athletics
- School-based (or related)
- Community-based (or related)
- Online-based
- Employment
- Family-related and
- Anything else that has been meaningful to you!
Extracurricular activities can be associated with clubs, organizations, programs, teams, or other groups. They can be entirely independent. They can also be activities that you start or initiate outside of your usual classroom obligations as a high school student.
So what’s the secret?
Consistency.
We define an extracurricular activity as one you pursue outside of the classroom in a consistent fashion.
We like to add that particularly rich extracurricular activities from a college admissions standpoint often have at least one of the following qualities. These activities
- Build or maintain specific skills
- Prepare you for a future career
- Demonstrate your interest or passion
- Provide relevant context
- Say something about you and what you care about and/or
- Have impact of some kind (on you personally, others, or your community)
How We’ve Organized Our 500+ Examples of Extracurricular Activities
The Common App requires applicants to categorize each of their activities when reporting them. They also ask other questions about your role within an activity, organization name(s), and recognition or achievement.
Here are the categories the Common App uses to organize extracurricular activities:
- Academic
- Art
- Athletics: Club
- Athletics: JV/Varsity
- Career Oriented
- Community Service (Volunteer)
- Computer/Technology
- Cultural
- Dance
- Debate/Speech
- Environmental
- Family Responsibilities
- Foreign Language
- Internship
- Journalism/Publication
- Junior ROTC
- LGBT
- Music: Instrumental
- Music: Vocal
- Religious
- Research
- Robotics
- School Spirit
- Social Justice
- Student Government / Politics
- Theatre/Drama
- Work (paid)
- Other Club / Activity
We’ve organized our list of extracurricular activities below according to these Common App categories.
We want to emphasize that this list is not exhaustive! But it is an excellent resource for students looking for the kinds of activities likely to make their applications more competitive.
That’s why we also strongly encourage readers to download our Extracurricular Activities Worksheet, a self-guided worksheet that helps students choose and plan the right activities for their time in high school.
500+ Examples of (Awesome) Extracurricular Activities for High School Students
Academic Activities
Academic activities include any programs, groups, or activities that have a strictly academic focus. These include college courses and programs, honor societies, school clubs, competitions or contests, and other academic programs or interests.
Art
Art activities include any personal interests, hobbies, clubs, groups, programs, or competitions/contests with an artistic or creative emphasis.
| Type | Examples |
| Personal Interest | Photography Visual Arts Podcasting YouTube Channel Anime/Manga Animation Drawing/Sketching Oil Painting Acrylic Painting Watercoloring Textiles Weaving Blogging Embroidery Quilting / Sewing Crocheting Knitting 3D Art (Sculpture, Ceramics, Pottery) Stenciling Puppetry Performance Art Encaustics Food Blog Jewelry making Fashion magazine or blog Graphic Design School Poster/Banner Design Mixed Media Art Metalworking Carpentry Screen printing or printmaking Woodworking Culinary arts Candle-making Cartooning Scrapbooking Graphic Novel Writing Creative Writing Poetry Spoken Word Videography School or local web design School or local radio station Personal website or blog School or local T.V. channel |
| Club | Art Club Film Club Yearbook Committee Anime/Manga Club Photography Club Creative Writing Club Visual Arts Club Podcasting Club Watercolor Club Classic Film Club Poetry Club Book Club Fashion Club Graphic Novel Club Young Writers Group (online) Young Artists Group (online) Shakespeare Club Science Fiction Club Media Club Arts & Crafts Club |
| Program | National Art Honor Society Local Arts Workshop Local Writing Workshop Arts Conference Art-based Summer Program Writing Summer Workshop Young Writers Conference Young Writers Workshop Young Artists Exhibition College-level Art Course College-level Creative Writing Course |
| Competition or Contest | Competitions for Young Writers Competitions for Young Artists Local Art Contests Local Writing Contests Film Festival Entrant NaNoWriMo Poetry Out Loud Teen Poetry Slam Bennington Young Writers Awards Congressional Art Competition |
Athletics
Athletics include personal interest, club, intramural, team, and JV/Varsity sports and athletic pursuits.
| Type | Examples |
| Club or Program | Yoga Club Equestrian Club Hiking Club Skateboard Club Ultimate Frisbee Club Club Swimming Fencing Club Martial Arts Club Cycling Club Ping Pong Club Tai Chi Club Quidditch Club Intramural Sports Cycling Club Rock Climbing Club Running Club Marathon Triathlon Iron Man Half Marathon |
| JV Varsity | Pickleball Cycling Team Bodybuilding Fencing Martial Arts Badminton Baseball Basketball Cheerleading Cross Country Dance Team Field Hockey Flag Football Football Golf Gymnastics Hockey Indoor Track & Field Lacrosse Soccer Softball Slow Pitch Softball Surfing Swimming & Diving Tennis Track & Field Volleyball Water Polo Weightlifting Wrestling Ultimate Frisbee Competitive Snowboarding Competitive Skiing Ice Hockey Equestrian Team Bowling |
Career-Oriented Activities
Career-oriented activities emphasize professional skills and/or job preparation , often within a specific field. They can be clubs, programs, groups, or other activities.
| Type | Examples |
| Club | Future Pharmacists Club Future Doctors Club Future Scientists Club National Beta Club Future Architects Club Economics Club Future Educators of America Club Entrepreneurship Club Future Investors Club Investment Club Young Artists Club Stock Market Club Wall Street Club |
| Program | Youth Apprenticeship Program Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) HOSA Future Health Professionals Medical Explorers Nursing Students Association Society of Women Engineers Leadership Summit Mock Trial Model United Nations SkillsUSA Pre-Med Summer Program Forensics Team Future Business Leaders of America Business Professionals of America Other career skills development program |
| Other | School Store or Marketplace Teacher’s assistant / Classroom Aid Assistant Coach Job Shadowing Peer Leadership Group Mentorship Group |
Community Service (Volunteer)
Community service or volunteering activities are any that involve offering your time to others without compensation. They can be clubs, programs, or self-directed activities, and these can be school-based, community-based, or organization-based.
| Type | Examples |
| Club | Key Club 4H Boy Scouts Girl Scouts Leo Club Red Cross Club UNICEF High School Clubs Service Club |
| Program or Organization | The Mountaineers Big Brothers Big Sisters Doctors Without Borders Breast Cancer Awareness Cancer Foundation International Volunteer Program Volunteer Fire Department Adopt-a-Highway Best Buddies Special Olympics Community Literacy Program Litter Reduction Program Make A Wish Foundation Juntos Collective Do Something RAINN Habitat for Humanity Kids Helping Kids |
| Other or Self-Directed | Community Garden Volunteering at a local prison Horse therapy Working with disabled individuals ESL Tutoring Peer Tutoring / Mentoring Children’s hospital work Local Hospital Work Volunteering at a Wildlife Refuge Local Conservation Work Local charity fundraiser or event Sexual Health Education Local Animal Shelter Missionary work Church outreach Community Soup Kitchen Local Homeless Shelter Local Nursing Home Local Domestic Violence Shelter or Prevention Organization Assisting the Elderly |
Computer/Technology Activities
Computer/technology activities can be clubs, programs, groups, competitions, or personal interests that have an emphasis on computers and/or technology.
| Type | Examples |
| Club | Coding Club Young Hackers Club Computer Science Club Young Computer Scientists Club |
| Program | Computer Science College Course Computer Science Summer Program IT Non-Profit Coding Camp |
| Competition | Coding Challenge Hackathon American Computer Science League Imagine Cup |
| Other | Website Development App Development Video Game Development Theatre Tech (Lighting and/or Sound) Computer literacy School IT Support Computer building |
Dance
Dance activities are clubs, teams, hobbies, competitions, programs, or events that involve some form of dance or movement.
| Type | Examples |
| Club, Team, or Hobby | Hip Hop Jazz Dance Irish Dance Contemporary / Modern Dance Latin Dance Interpretive Dance Swing Dance African, West Indian, African-American Dance Ceremonial Dance Tap Dance Classical Dance Cultural Dance Ballroom Dance Ballet Other form of dance |
| Competition | Dance competition (local) Dance competition (national) Dance competition (international) |
| Other | Choreography Dance Therapy Juntos Collective College-level Dance Course Community Dance Program, Team, or Event |
Debate/Speech
Debate/Speech activities include clubs, teams, competitions or contests, personal interests, or other programs that have an emphasis on debate, speech, or speaking.
| Type | Examples |
| Club or Team | Speech and Debate Team National Forensics League Debate Club Rhetoric Club Young Orators of America |
| Personal Interest | Speechwriting Essay writing |
| Competition or Contest | American Legion Oratorical Contest Local Debate Competition National Debate Competition |
Environmental
Environmental activities emphasize anything related to the environment, often in the context of protecting, supporting, or understanding it. They can be clubs, programs, contests, personal interests, or other activities.
| Type | Examples |
| Club | EcoClub Environmental Club Fair Trade Club Recycling Club Sustainability Club Zero Waste Club |
| Program | The Mountaineers Sustainable Food Program UCLA GreenSparks Sustainable Summer Environmental Science and Sustainability Program Stanford Earth Young Investigators Brown Environmental Leadership Lab Forestry Summer Camp or Program Environmental Science Summer Camp Young Reporters for the Environment |
| Contest | NCF-Envirothon Carton 2 Garden Contest National Recreation Trails Photo Contest |
| Other | Local Conservation Work Zero Waste Challenge Trail Maintenance or Building Permaculture Gardening / Horticulture Community Garden Green Schools Initiative Climate Change Activism |
Family Responsibilities
Family responsibilities entail any obligations or duties specific to you within your family. We recognize that every family situation is unique and has its own set of responsibilities, so this list is by no means exhaustive.
- Childcare/babysitting of siblings or relatives
- Care of a family member with a disability
- Care of a family member with terminal illness
- Care of a family member with a medical condition
- Care of an elderly relative
- Assisting a single parent
- Employment to support family
- Religious obligations
Culture & Foreign Language Activities
Cultural and foreign language activities focus on a specific culture, language, and/or cultural practice, and can involve clubs, student-led groups, study abroad programs, and others.
| Type | Examples |
| Club | Spanish Club French Club German Club Japanese Club Portuguese Club American Sign Language Club Chinese Club Latin Club Pacific Islanders Club Russian Club South Asian Student Society Latino/a Students’ Association Muslim Students’ Association Greek Club Foreign Language Club Endangered Languages Club International Food Club Black Students’ Union BIPOC Students’ Union Asian Students’ Union |
| Program | Foreign Exchange or Study Abroad Program Language-Based Summer Program |
| Other | Foreign Language Contest, such as the National French Contest Latin Honor Society Student Diplomacy Corps Cultural Dance Tutoring students in a foreign language Teaching English as a Second Language |
Internship
Internships give high school students a period of (typically unpaid) work experience, often within an organization. The sky truly is the limit when it comes to possible internships for high school students. We’ve included a sampling of what’s out there below.
- Internship at local hospital
- Job shadow internship
- Laboratory internship
- Law firm / legal internship
- Healthcare internship
- Media internship (newspaper, magazine, T.V., publication)
- Anthropology internship
- Environmental / Sustainability internship
- Political science internship (campaign work, for example)
- Community health internship
- Theatre/drama internship
- Research-based internship
- Artist internship
- Non-profit sector internship
- Teacher’s assistantship / internship
- Other internship
Journalism/Publication
Journalism and publication activities are any related to the world of publishing and journalistic writing. They can be a school-led club or group, like the school newspaper, program, internship, or other activity. They can also involve actual publications of your writing in any genre, including scientific research and creative works.
| Type | Examples |
| Club or Group | School Newspaper Journalism Club School Literary Journal School Magazine School E-Zine |
| Other | Journalism internship Publication (i.e., article, story, poem, etc.) Local/Community Newspaper Community or National Literary Journal Young Journalists Competitions |
Junior ROTC
A federal program, the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) introduces high school students to military customs, elements of leadership, and much more. We’ve also included other military-related extracurricular activities below.
- Junior State Police Academy
- Junior State Highway Patrol Program
- Junior ROTC
- Civil Air Patrol
- Marine Fitness
- Youth Cadet Law Enforcement Program
LGBTQ+ Activities
LGBTQ+ activities are any that are related to the LGBTQ+ community and/or its rights and interests. They can be clubs, programs, acts of service, or other groups, and can also involve advocacy efforts.
| Type | Examples |
| Club | LGBTQ+ Club Queer-Straight Alliance (QSA) Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) Gender-Sexuality Alliance (GSA) Diversity Club Pride Student Union Queer Book Club Queer Filmmakers Club Queer Fashion Club Queer Podcast Queer Student Athletes |
| Program or Other | Pride March Pride High School Event or Program Gender and Sexuality Awareness Volunteering at an LGBTQ+ Center Trans Rights Advocacy LGBTQ+ Youth Peer Support Group LGBTQ+ Rights Advocacy Trans Youth Rights Advocacy Other LGBTQ+ Advocacy, Program, Work, or Activity |
Music: Instrumental & Vocal
Music activities are any that involve the practice and/or performance of music, instrumental or vocal. These include hobbies, clubs, groups, programs, and competitions.
| Type | Examples |
| Club or Group | Music Creation and DJ Club Pep Band Jazz Band Church Band High School Band Duo, Trio, Quartet, etc. Other Instrumental Music Group Music Appreciation Club High School Orchestra Community Orchestra or Symphony Community Band High School Choir A capella group Church Choir Personal Band or Music Group Young Composers Club |
| Program | Songwriting Workshop Music Summer Camp or Program Tri-M Music Honor Society |
| Competition | Songwriting Competition District and/or state music festivals National music festivals Classical music competition Vocal competition |
| Personal Interest | Personal Instrument Vocal training / singing lessons Songwriting Composing DJing Cultural Music Album or record release Music Podcast Recording Studio |
Religious
Religious activities are any associated with a religion or faith tradition. They can be school clubs, church groups, or community programs. They can also simply involve any consistent engagement within your church, such as acting as a Sunday School teacher or church greeter.
| Type | Examples |
| School Club | Fellowship of Christian Athletes Jewish Student Union School Youth Group or Club Christian Student Organization (CSO) |
| Other | Church Youth Group Church Greeter Church Volunteer Missionary Work Church Choir or Band Church Outreach Church Mentorship Program Bible Study Sunday School Instruction Study of Religious Text(s) Assistance in Religious Services |
Research
Research activities refer to any that involve dedicated research of a certain subject over a period of time. These can be programs, summer experiences, internships, and independent projects. The sky is the limit when it comes to possible research opportunities for high school students. We’ve included a sampling of what’s out there below.
- Summer Research Program
- Independent research project
- Research for course credit
- Research-based internship
- Assisting faculty members with research
- Personal interest-based research
Robotics
Robotics activities include anything related to the creation, exploration, and/or study of robots and robotic technology. They can be school clubs, programs, competitions, or other activities.
| Type | Examples |
| Club | Robotics Club Robotics Team |
| Program | Summer Robotics Program or Camp Local Robotics Program Independent robotics project or research College-level Robotics Course |
| Competition | FIRST Robotics Competition KISS Institute for Practical Robotics Tournament BEST Robotics Competition School Robotics Challenge Other local or national Robotics Challenge |
School Spirit
School spirit activities are any that emphasize support for your school and its student body.
- Pep Band
- Campus Tour Guide or Representative
- Cheerleading
- Spirit Squad
- Student Council
- School Spirit Club
- Student Event Coordinator
- Other School Spirit Club, Program, or Event
Social Justice
Social justice activities have an emphasis on fairness and equality, especially for the marginalized. These include clubs, organizations, movement, advocacy efforts, programs, and more.
| Type | Examples |
| Club | Animal Rights Club Young Activists Club Student Union |
| Organization or Movement | Amnesty International Black Lives Matter Local Immigrant Rights Organization Students Against Destructive Decisions National Organization for Women (NOW) RAINN Indigenous Peoples Movement Climate Change Activism Move for Hunger Students Against Sexual Assault LGBTQ+ Rights Advocacy March for Our Lives Trans Youth Rights Advocacy Girls Learn International National Alliance to End Homelessness |
| Other | Political campaign assistance or advocacy Domestic violence prevention Gun violence prevention Racial equality work Hunger equality / food scarcity work Access to healthcare Anti-racism work Campus safety Other activism |
Student Government/Politics
Activities in this category are related to political and governing systems, politics, and/or student government. They include clubs, groups, competitions, programs, and much more.
| Type | Examples |
| Club or Group | Teenage Republicans High School Democrats of America Student Council Student Body Government Community Government School Board Representation Young Democrats of America |
| Competition | Euro Challenge Virtual Supreme Court Competition American Legion Oratorical Contest American Foreign Service National High School Essay Contest |
| Program | Running Start Mock Trial Model United Nations |
Theatre/Drama
Theatre and drama activities emphasize performance and all of its genres, aspects, and forms. They include clubs, programs, events, competitions, and personal interests.
| Type | Examples |
| Club | High School Drama Troupe or Club Comedy or Improv Troupe or Club Dungeons and Dragons Club Film Production Club International Thespian Society |
| Program | Community Theatre Program Community Theatre Workshop or Summer Camp Renaissance Faires Historical Reenactment Program College-level Drama Course |
| Other/ Personal Interest | Musical Theatre Musical Theatre Songwriting Community Theatre LARPing (Live Action Role Playing) Independent film-making Set building Stage management Directing Theatre tech (light and/or sound) Screenwriting Playwriting Standup comedy |
Work (Paid)
Paid work refers to any employment for which you are financially compensated over a period of time. There are many different kinds of employment opportunities out there for young people, so this list is not finite.
- Yard or landscaping work
- Housesitting
- Camp counselor or assistant
- Service industry work (restaurant, café, etc.)
- Administrative work (receptionist, office assistant)
- Assistantship
- Paid internship
- Paid research
- Child care
- Construction work
- Grocery store clerk
- Retail position
- Copyediting or writing
- Graphic Design
- Other paid work
Other Club or Activity
You might encounter extracurricular activities that don’t fall under the Common App’s categories.
Some examples include:
- Meditation Club
- Health and Wellness Club
- Mental Health Advocacy
- Chess Club or Chess Competition
- Horticulture or Gardening Club
- National Model Railroad Association
- Other Special Interest Club or Hobby
How to Choose Extracurricular Activities
With so many options to choose from, how do you make sure you’re picking the right activities for your interests? What’s more, how should students plan their activities so that they can have a competitive college application?
We’ve got some great advice for choosing the best extracurricular activities for you and your college aspirations. You can find all of this advice in our self-guided Extracurricular Activities Worksheet, which you can download for free!
Here’s what you’ll get:
- Simple and effective exercises
- Insight into what’s important to you
- Questions designed to help you choose meaningful activities
- A copy of the 500+ activities in this post
Greg & Kevin
Greg and Kevin are brothers and the co-founders of PrepMaven and Princeton Tutoring. They are Princeton engineering graduates with over 20 years of education experience. They apply their data and research-backed problem-solving skills to the test prep and college preparation process. Their unique approach places a heavy emphasis on personal development, character, and service as key components of college admissions success.