4 Common Mistakes to Avoid When Writing Your Activities List
Even with a strong list of activities, small mistakes can weaken the impact. Admissions officers look for authenticity, clarity, and variety in your descriptions. Let’s walk through a few common mistakes students make and how to fix them, using Mary, a hypothetical high school senior with a passion for STEM as an example. Mary has done it all—from robotics club vice president to math club to volunteering at an animal shelter—but her descriptions need a bit of polishing.
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Mistake 1: Inflating Roles or Responsibilities
Admissions officers can spot exaggerations, and inflating roles can make your application feel less genuine. It’s better to focus on what you actually did and what impact you had, even if you weren’t the “president” of everything.
Example 1 (Robotics Club Vice President):
Before:
Founder of the Robotics Club, organized weekly meetings and taught programming to all club members
After:
Led programming workshops, collaborated with club president to plan weekly meetings and projects
Why? Mary didn’t actually found the Robotics Club, so inflating her role is misleading. Instead, focusing on her actual role as Vice President shows authenticity while still highlighting her contributions to the club.
Example 2 (Science Fair Coordinator):
Before:
Managed all operations as Lead Technician for school’s Science Fair
After:
Coordinated technical setup for Science Fair, troubleshooting equipment and supporting participants with their presentations
Why? Mary’s role wasn’t “lead” or “manager,” but by emphasizing her coordination and troubleshooting skills, she highlights her technical expertise in an accurate way.
Mistake 2: Writing Generic, Vague Descriptions
Vague descriptions fail to show admissions officers what you truly accomplished. Specific details and action verbs help bring your role to life and highlight your impact.
Example 1 (Animal shelter volunteer):
Before:
Volunteered at the animal shelter, helping animals and assisting staff
After:
Provided daily care to shelter animals, assisted staff with feeding schedules, and educated visitors about pet adoption
Why? The “after” description makes Mary’s role more specific, helping admissions officers understand what her volunteer work entailed as it now shows her dedication and communication skills.
Example 2 (Science Club Member):
Before:
Worked with peers in science club to learn about chemistry
After:
Conducted weekly chemistry experiments with science club, analyzed results, and presented findings to classmates
Why? This revised version shows initiative and interest in STEM, and it provides admissions officers with a clearer sense of her involvement and curiosity.
Feeling confused on how to “show” vs. “tell”? If you look closely at the examples above, what’s really doing the work here are Mary’s verbs and specificity. Mary didn’t just “work” with peers. She “conducted,” “analyzed,” and “presented.” If you need inspiration, check out our list of top action verbs.
Mistake 3: Being Repetitive Across Activities
Repeating the same type of description across activities can make your application seem monotonous, even if you were involved in various roles. Aim to vary descriptions to showcase a range of skills and contributions.
Example 1 (Robotics Club and Math Club):
Before:
Coordinated team meetings as Robotics Club Vice President
Organized meetings as Math Club Treasurer
After:
Led project planning and brainstorming sessions as Robotics Club Vice President, supporting team to design competition-winning robots
Oversaw budgeting for Math Club events as Treasurer, raising funds for annual math competition
Why? Each activity should feel distinct, so admissions officers get a sense of different skills. In the “before” example, isn’t “coordinating team meetings” and “organizing meetings” the same thing? Instead, the “after” examples highlight different aspects of Mary’s roles—leadership in project planning for robotics, and financial skills in managing the math club budget.
Example 2 (STEM club and Math club):
Before:
Mentored students in STEM club
Tutored peers in math clubAfter:
Guided STEM club members in building prototypes for regional engineering competition
Tutored underclassmen in calculus, creating customized study plans and improving their test scores by an average of 10%
Why? These revised descriptions avoid repetitive language and show specific impacts in different contexts (building things and studying). It highlights Mary’s ability to teach and support others in STEM through concrete achievements.
Looking to craft unique and impactful descriptions for each one of your activities? Check out our detailed guide on how to write strong descriptions for your activity list for more help and examples.
Mistake 4: Leaving Out Relevant Achievements or Responsibilities
Sometimes students forget to include important details that make their involvement stand out. Don’t leave out relevant achievements or specific duties that show the depth of your commitment.
Example 1 (Math team):
Before:
Participated in school’s math team competitions
After:
Competed as lead problem-solver in math team, helping team place 2nd in regional competition and coaching new members on problem-solving strategies
Why? By including the “lead problem-solver” role and the team’s achievement, Mary adds depth to her experience on the math team, showing her contributions beyond just participation.
Example 2 (Science camp):
Before:
Volunteered at summer science camp for kids
After:
Organized hands-on science activities at summer camp, teaching 50+ kids about chemistry and physics concepts through interactive experiments
Why? Adding specific numbers and describing her teaching role shows the real impact Mary had at the science camp, which makes the experience more compelling.
If you want to make your achievements shine, then ask yourself: how can I show impact? How can I give context? In the first example, we see Mary help her team place 2nd in a competition. In the second example, we know Mary taught more than 50 kids. By quantifying her impact, we start to better understand what she did and what she achieved.
But if you noticed, Mary’s math team description can actually be slightly improved. 2nd place out of how many teams? Placing 2nd out of 50 versus out of 5 suddenly tells a different story. Understanding how to show leadership and impact in the activities list is a skill in and of itself.
Mary’s Before vs. After Activity List
Writing your activities list isn’t just about what you’ve done—it’s about how you communicate your contributions. Avoid these common mistakes, and you’ll have an activities list that shows your strengths in the best light. With a little attention to clarity, authenticity, and specificity, your list will help admissions officers see the unique story, skills, and qualities you bring to the table.
Mary’s First Activities List
Founder of Robotics Club: Organized weekly meetings and taught programming to all club members.
Treasurer of Math Club: Organized meetings as Math Club Treasurer.
Science Fair Lead Technician: Managed all operations as Lead Technician for school’s Science Fair.
STEM Club Mentor: Mentored students in STEM club.
Math Team: Participated in school’s math team competitions.
Volunteer at Summer Science Camp: Volunteered at summer science camp for kids.
Mary’s Final, Revised Activities List
Vice President of Robotics Club: Led project planning and brainstorming sessions, supporting team to design competition-winning robots.
Treasurer of Math Club: Oversaw budgeting for club events, raised funds for annual math competition.
Science Fair Coordinator: Coordinated technical setup for Science Fair, troubleshooting equipment and supporting participants with their presentations.
STEM Club Mentor: Guided club members in building prototypes for regional engineering competition.
Math Team Lead Problem-Solver: Helped team place 2nd out of 50 in regional competition, coached new members on problem-solving.
Volunteer at Summer Science Camp: Organized hands-on activities, teaching 50+ kids about chemistry and physics through interactive experiments.
By revising her activities list, Mary is now presenting a clear and engaging profile that highlights her strengths in STEM and her impact in various roles.
Did you notice that she left our her experience at the animal shelter? If you’re wondering why, learn more about why it’s important to sometimes leave things out when prioritizing your activities list for college applications.