Extracurricular activities, including sports, clubs, visual arts, and community service, have many benefits. And partaking in extracurricular activities can help students develop social and emotional skills, create friendships outside of the classroom, and improve self-esteem.
And as every college applicant knows, admissions offices look at extracurricular activities as one of the many factors that go into admissions decisions. A high school that allows students to access extracurriculars that operate at a higher level will be favored in the admissions process.
But do extracurricular requirements in admissions really level the playing field, or do they contribute to admissions inequity?
Extracurricular Activities Cause Student Burnout
Academic burnout is a common problem, especially among high school seniors. Juggling school work, college applications, scholarships, extracurricular activities, graduation preparations, and everything else is daunting.
Research shows that students who are overscheduled with extracurricular activities are more likely to be less focused on academic achievement and less dedicated to each activity they participate in. And the level of commitment is more important than the specific activity.
Overscheduling consequences include students abusing alcohol and drugs, being tired, irritable, and showing little interest in participation. Overall, students that push themselves too far in activities have the potential to be emotionally unstable.
One 2017 study published in the National Library of Medicine found that the level of burnout among 306 medical students involved in extracurricular activities was 67.1%. The study revealed that the majority (62.3%) had high levels of cynicism, 58.6% had high levels of emotional exhaustion, and 60.2% had low levels of professional efficacy.
While most of these students (73.5%) participated in extracurricular activities, 45% were just the organizers.
Additionally, a separate 2020 study uncovered that extracurricular activities influenced the prevalence of burnout in medical students. In a sample of 360 students, 40% ranked highly in personal burnout, 28.1% in study-related burnout, and 22.2% showed high levels of burnout in both components.
Inequalities Cause Students to Miss Out on Extracurriculars
The college experience is characterized by academic and extracurricular engagement. Many students spend significantly more time in social and recreational activities than in class and studying.
But scholars have also found racial and ethnic variation in students' extracurricular involvement, including discrimination, harassment, and racist stereotypes that shape the experience of racial and ethnic minority students, especially on predominantly white campuses.
The College Admissions Futures Co-Laborative project, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, explored inequality related to non-standardized components of college applications. In the study, researchers analyzed the extracurricular involvement of nearly six million applications from more than 860,000 students submitted through the Common App.
On average, white, Asian American, more affluent, and private school students listed more activities, more top-level leadership roles, and were more likely to use terms reflecting excellence, honors, and awards when describing their involvement.
On the other hand, Black, Latino, and Indigenous students listed fewer activities overall but reported holding top-level leadership roles at a similar rate as white and Asian American students.
In other words, underrepresented and racially minoritized students were just as likely to hold leadership roles in their organizations but listed fewer activities due to a lack of opportunity, finances, and other privileges.
Similarly, a study conducted at a large public university found that nearly 30% of students were low-income with eligibility for Pell Grants, and 40% were part of the first generation in their families to attend a four-year college.
The student body was approximately 40% white, 20% Asian, 10% Black, 15% Latino, and 15% multiracial or “international.” Researchers noted that the way less advantaged students become involved in extracurriculars greatly contrasted with their more advantaged peers. While students across class backgrounds (White, Asian) sought extracurricular outlets, less advantaged students (Black, Latino, multiracial) lacked crucial information and relied on random encounters.
What Should Universities Do?
Applicants may see extracurricular involvement as a way to demonstrate their passions and individuality while providing essential insight into their personal life. Still, admissions officers should understand how to fully consider relevant contexts that shape extracurricular involvement, like finances and opportunity.
Therefore, higher education could lessen the number of activities students can list, reducing stress and enabling students to prioritize academics rather than trying to do it all at once. Minimizing the number also recognizes that not all students have the opportunity to participate in a high number of activities.
