How to Write an Impressive UC Activities List
/A comprehensive guide to filling out each UC Activities category, plus sample entries
----
Part 1: Overview of the UC application Activities & Awards section
If your child is applying to any University of California (UC) campus, they’ll need to complete the UC Activities & Awards section. The UC application essays invite students to authentically express themselves and showcase their writing abilities in four “personal insight” prompts. The Activities & Awards section, the other key component of the application, asks students to provide a comprehensive, detailed list of the experiences they’ve had outside the classroom.
Since the UC Activities & Awards section is periodically updated, this guide covers the most current version. As of March 2021, students may include up to 20 activities and write up to 350 characters of description for each entry.
Why is the UC Activities & Awards section important?
Selective colleges and universities, including the UC schools, want to admit students who have specialized in extracurricular pursuits and distinguished themselves among their peers. The UC Activities & Awards section helps admission officers measure the depth and breadth of activities a student has taken on and assess how a student would contribute to the culture, diversity, and community of a UC campus. It’s as important as the essays.
The UC application encourages students to include activities which show “commitment, responsibility, leadership, and most of all, genuine interest.” In this guide, we’ll unpack and explain the UC Activities & Awards section, and give concrete, specific advice, plus examples and strategies, to help your child maximize their chances of getting accepted to a UC school.
UC Activities & Awards section vs. Common App Activities section: Key differences
Simply put, the UC Activities & Awards section is longer. That’s why your child should complete the UC Activities & Awards section first, since they can then pick and choose which activities to include in the Common App Activities section.
| Common App | UC Application | |
|---|---|---|
----
Part 2: UC Application extracurricular activities examples
The UC Activities & Awards section allows for 20 entries across 6 categories. There are no limits on how many activities students may enter per category. Although we encourage students to enter activities for all 6 categories, it is normal for some categories (such as Awards or Honors and Extracurricular Activities) to have more entries than others.
Each category will contain fields in which your child can input the following information:
The name of the activity/program/award
When they participated in the activity (i.e., during which grade)
The number of hours spent on the activity per week and the number of weeks spent per year (not asked of Awards or Honors)
A 350-character description of the activity
Note that since grade level and time spent are given their own fields, your child doesn’t need to waste precious description characters in order to convey this information. Instead, they can focus on describing what they learned and accomplished.
Some categories may also ask for additional information, which we’ll detail below. Let’s break down each category and consider some excellent examples of student entries.
Awards or Honors
Definition: Any distinction your child won that shows their achievements.
Our advice: The higher the level of competition, the more impressive the award. We recommend starting with national- and state- level awards, and then working down. School-specific awards are usually the least impressive. Your child will be able to select an award’s level of recognition (e.g. school, state, national, etc.) and whether it’s academic or non-academic in nature.
In this category, your child will be given an additional 250-character field to describe their award’s eligibility requirements. This is where they’ll offer context such as how recipients are chosen and how many other students earned and competed for the award. They might also note how often students at their school earn the award. Then, in the 350-character description box, they should detail what they did to earn the award, including how much time and effort they invested.
Student example: Let’s examine a real student, who we’ll call Kurt, to see how he ranked his awards and added helpful contextualizing details, such as the competitiveness/prestige of the award and how other students at his school performed.
Award #1: U.S. Presidential Scholar
Eligibility requirements: 1 of 161 students recognized by presidentially appointed committee as one of the “nation's most distinguished graduating high school seniors.” Only 2 students selected from my state, with 150+ eligible. First student chosen from my school in 40 years. (250 characters)
Description: I was invited on the basis of my high SAT scores. I spent 20+ hours preparing application materials, including multiple essays and self-assessments. Once chosen, I traveled to Washington, D.C. for a weekend award presentation and national summit for all recipients. (264 characters)
Award #2: National AP Scholar
Eligibility requirements: Granted to students in the US whose average AP Exams score is 4 or higher, and who score 4 or higher on 8+ individual exams. Approximately 39,000 students nationally earned award in same year. I’m the first National AP Scholar ever from my school. (247 characters)
Description: Earned scores of 5 on seven unique AP Exams and 4 on two unique AP Exams. Took online AP French class sophomore year (not offered by my high school) to accelerate progress toward award. (185 characters)
Award #3: Two-Time State Debate Champion
Eligibility requirements: Won back-to-back state championship titles in Varsity LD Debate in sophomore and junior years, the first student ever from my high school and the fifth ever in my state to do so. (178 characters)
Description: Bested over 30 competitors from more than 20 high schools, committing on average 12 hours each week for four-month seasons to practice and compete. I only had access to hour-long practices, whereas most of my competitors had in-school debate classes and multi-day practices. (274 characters)
Educational Preparation Programs
Definition: Any programs or activities that have enriched your child’s academic experiences or helped them prepare for college. Examples include programs such as Upward Bound and Gear Up. The UC application includes a drop-down menu of common programs.
Our advice: Many successful applicants never participated in one of these programs, so there’s no need to worry if your child leaves this category blank. This section allows your child to briefly describe the program and their experience, and to highlight the college-ready skills they developed. Any contribution your child made that went above and beyond their program’s requirements deserves mention.
Student example: Here’s an example from a student called Esmeralda. Notice how Esmeralda doesn’t just describe what she did as part of Upward Bound, but also highlights how she sought responsibilities and leadership experiences.
Program #1: Upward Bound
Description: Attended at Cal State Fullerton, including 18 Saturday leadership development seminars & 90+ hours of academic advising, study skills workshops, and scholarly habits clinics. Expanded college prep programming for fellow high schoolers by collaborating with CSF students to create & deliver 2 workshops about college residential life and financial aid. (350 characters)
Extracurricular Activities
Definition: Anything your child does outside the classroom that enriches their educational experience—think hobbies, clubs, sports, etc.
Our advice: For many students, this will be the biggest section, as it’s a very broad category. It’s not uncommon for this category to take up over 25 percent (5 out of 20) of the available entries.
Your child should lead with the activities they’re most passionate about (and those should naturally be activities they’ve invested the most time in). In describing activities, your child should highlight any leadership roles, what they learned and accomplished, and any major growth milestones, especially if they’ve done the activity for all four years of high school.
Student example: Here’s how Shayla handled her extracurriculars. Notice how Shayla not only quantifies her level of commitment, but also describes leadership experiences she held and how she helped her team/group to succeed.
Extracurricular #1: Swim Team, Captain
Description: I was elected by 50 teammates as Captain in junior and senior year. I competed in all strokes and types of events, but eventually specialized in sprints and sprint relays. I founded a new peer-to-peer mentoring program, pairing up freshman swimmers with junior and senior mentors to support transitions to high school. (318 characters)
Extracurricular #2: Jazz Band, Lead Tenor Saxophone
Description: I was the lead tenor saxophonist for my school’s jazz band. Of weekly rehearsal time, 6+ hours were spent on independent practice. I performed at regional jazz festivals and helped the band win the highest ratings in junior and senior year. I performed 14 solos, the most of any member in a group of 18. (301 characters)
Other Coursework
Definition: Any academic courses that don’t fall under the UC A-G subject requirement. Courses in philosophy, religion, business, and other subjects often fall into this category.
Our advice: Your child should include any non A-G courses that are directly relevant to and aligned with their interests, goals, or motivations for applying to the UC system.
If your child was involved in Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), for example, they should include any courses they took related to business, as it reflects a deeper commitment to their interests.
In the description section, your child should note where they took the course and describe in detail what they studied (e.g. the major units and themes of the course; books read; skills learned) and what they produced and accomplished. Your child can quantify accomplishments by noting grades, but qualitative accomplishments are important and helpful, too. If their teacher praised their capstone or other major project, your child should consider adding a quotation or a callback to that moment.
Student example: This is an example from a student, Anish. Notice how Anish uses active verbs in his descriptions, describes his courses in specific detail, and quantifies his accomplishments.
Course #1: Moral Philosophy
Description: Semester-long seminar at my school. Read, analyzed, discussed foundational works in field, including Kant, Bentham, Mill & Locke. Only freshman in class. Earned A (top 25%); completed 10-pg. capstone project on deontology & utilitarianism with focus on applications to education policy. Teacher noted, “One of the most original papers I’ve ever read.” (350 characters)
Volunteering/Community Service
Definition: Any unpaid work that your child donated their time and effort to. Tutoring, volunteering at food banks/soup kitchens, and fundraising for charity are common examples. Unpaid internships also go in this category.
Our advice: Many students have long records of community service involvement, so we advise prioritizing activities based on three criteria:
The level/duration of commitment made
The depth of impact
The level of leadership/responsibility taken on
Impressive community service activities involve multiple years of commitment, and measurable, tangible impacts on the community, beyond simply the number of hours volunteered.
In this category, your child will be given an extra 250-character field to describe the organization that they worked with. Then, in the description field, they should note what they experienced, learned, and accomplished, as well as any leadership role or major project, initiative, or fundraiser they organized.
Student example: This is a successful student, who we’ll call Harry. Notice how Harry emphasizes his leadership and ties it to a quantifiable impact.
Organization #1: Food for Thought Food Bank
Organization description: Food for Thought Food Bank works to end hunger in the greater Fresno area, providing needy families with free food and knowledge on low-cost, healthy eating. (157 characters)
Description: Stocked & inventoried food bank shelves, assisted in distributing items to customers, solicited donations every holiday season. As Student Coordinator, recruited 10 students from high school to assist at food bank, providing an additional 200 volunteer hours. Spearheaded project to include gluten-free items, which over 30 customers regularly used. (349 characters)
Work Experience
Definition: Any paid job or internship that your child held for a sustained amount of time (i.e., getting paid once to babysit the neighbor’s kids isn’t a sustained experience). Remember that unpaid internships fall under the Volunteering/Community Service category.
Our advice: Not every student will have had a paid job or internship in high school. Summer jobs or part-time jobs after school or on weekends are usually worth including, especially if they help strengthen a student’s personal brand (e.g. if your child is interested in a teaching/education career, a summer job working as a camp counselor or daycare employee would reinforce their passion).
In this category, work experience is broken down into two components: a 250-character company description and a 350-character description of your child’s job responsibilities.
The company description should be matter of fact: the industry, the mission of the company, products/services built, size of the company/geographical presence, etc. The job responsibilities section should be highly personalized and tailored to showcase your child’s specific, measurable accomplishments and contributions.
Student example: Here’s how one student, who we will refer to as Claire, effectively described her summer job working as a theater technician. Claire’s description not only conveys the essentials facts and responsibilities of her role, but also spells out how she contributed to the theater’s success.
Workplace #1: The Shubert Theatre
Company description: Public performance venue in New Haven, CT serving over 130,000 residents. Founded in 1914, the Shubert has hosted over 600 pre-Broadway caliber shows. The Shubert has featured many premier actors, including Paul Newman, Jane Fonda, & James Earl Jones. (250 characters)
Job title: Technical Intern, Lighting & Sound
Job responsibilities: 10-week internship under supervision of Technical Director, working on lighting & sound for full-length, multi-day performances of “Motown the Musical” & “War on the Catwalk.” Despite being youngest member of 16-person crew, I designed & executed lighting & audio for 3 scenes for live performances to audiences of 1400. Local paper rated shows 5/5. (350 characters)
----
Part 3: Steps to create impressive UC Activities & Awards entries
Phase 1: Pre-write
Create a Microsoft Word Document, Google Doc, or other easy-to-use file to draft everything. Your child shouldn’t write their responses from scratch in the actual UC application portal—they don’t want to risk losing their work if the webpage crashes or closes. Additionally, they need to see their activities written out neatly in one place so they can easily visualize how to rank and organize everything.
Phase 2: Draft
Write down as many activities and details as possible for each section. Your child needn’t worry about writing down insignificant or inconsequential activities/details at this step, as they’ll analyze everything later and decide what should go on their final list.
Full sentences aren’t necessary—it’s fine to use fragments, phrases, and abbreviations to a reasonable degree (“with” is preferable to “w/,” for instance, but your child shouldn’t waste space spelling out “National Honor Society” in the activity description when they can say “NHS”).
Additionally, your child should still follow grammatical conventions, aside from use of fragments. For instance, don’t let them forget about comma rules or splices, and don’t neglect spelling.
Phase 3: Analyze and rank
Once your child brainstorms all possible activities that they could include, it’s time to identify which are the most impressive and reflective of who they are. Your child should focus on evaluating each item against a few different criteria:
Does this activity represent who I am and what stands out about me?
For how long was I involved with this activity, and how much time did I invest in it?
Compared to other people who did this activity, how much did I accomplish? (Or how impressive/prestigious is this award, based on its level of competition?)
To what extent was I a leader in this activity, and how many measurable outcomes and accomplishments do I have to show for it?
Phase 4: Sharpen and polish
Once your child has a list of 20 or fewer items and has evaluated each item for impressiveness and authenticity, it’s time to dig into the descriptions.
Does each description include key details, like leadership positions and measurable/quantifiable accomplishments?
Does each description include contextualization to show how your child stands out compared to their peers?
Does each description include precise, action verbs that make it clear to the reader exactly what your child did?
Is each description below 350 characters and also free of extraneous, irrelevant information?
Phase 5: Ask for edits and feedback
Since the UC Activities & Awards section can make or break your child’s chances of getting in, your child should consult with a teacher or trusted advisor. External readers can help catch errors and flag unclear language.
Phase 6: Incorporate edits and feedback
Based on feedback, your child should incorporate edits and make any necessary revisions. Make sure to leave time for this and to avoid submitting the Activities & Awards section at the last minute.
Phase 7: Finalize and submit
Your child should use the UC application portal to copy and paste information into the appropriate places. All of the hard work is done, so now it’s just about assembling the finished product. Always double-check everything before clicking submit!
----
Part 4: FAQ
Do I need to fill all 20 UC activities?
Answer: We don’t recommend listing 20 activities just because you have the space to do so. It’s most important that your activities “have meaning, illustrate interest and/or demonstrate leadership.” If you’re thinking of adding an activity that doesn’t clearly fit within these categories, it’s best not to include it.
How many UC activities should I have?
Answer: There’s no hard and fast rule about the exact number of activities you need. While you can include up to 20, you should prioritize those activities that are meaningful to who you are. It’s better to list 12 activities with substantial relevance rather than add 8 more just to fill up space.
Do hobbies count as extracurricular?
Answer: Absolutely! Anything you are actively engaged in and that contributes to the complete picture of you can be considered an extracurricular activity. However, you need to think about how UC admissions officers will view a hobby. It should be something you do regularly and shows curiosity or initiative.
Does it matter what order you put UC activities in?
Answer: Admissions officers read hundreds of applications and likely won’t closely scrutinize all of your activities. We recommend putting your most impressive activities near the top, especially ones that showcase your leadership abilities or anything that had a significant influence on the people involved.
Will my extracurricular activities be verified?
Answer: UC will randomly choose applicants to verify elements of their application. If you are selected, you will be given instructions on what they will accept. They will want to verify any extracurricular activities you included on your application. Suitable documentation can be things such as a letter from a teacher or coach, transcripts, certificates, or awards.
How many years of activities should I list?
Answer: There’s no exact time frame you should pick activities from. Again, you should choose activities that showcase an interest or leadership ability. However, don’t go beyond your high school years to find an activity that you think will impress an adcom.
My activities are hard to explain in only 350 characters. Will I ever have a chance to elaborate?
Answer: Many students complain of the difficulties of showing how well-rounded they are within such a short character count. Remember that your ability to follow instructions is something that can make or break your application.
During the interview stage, you are likely to have a chance to elaborate on your activities as adcoms will ask you about them at this time. Be brief in your written descriptions. You will have time to go into more detail later.
About the Author
Dr. Shirag Shemmassian is the Founder of Shemmassian Academic Consulting and one of the world's foremost experts on college admissions. For nearly 20 years, he and his team have helped thousands of students get into top programs like Harvard, Stanford, and MIT using his exclusive approach.
THERE'S NO REASON TO STRUGGLE THROUGH THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS PROCESS ALONE, ESPECIALLY WITH SO MUCH ON THE LINE. SCHEDULE YOUR COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION TO ENSURE YOU LEAVE NOTHING TO CHANCE.