Tackling the Common App Activities List

The Common App activities list is one of the most underestimated sections of a college application — and for arts students, it's a genuine opportunity. While your portfolio, audition, or design samples speak to your creative ability, the activities list tells the fuller story: who you are outside the studio or rehearsal room, how you spend your time, and what kind of community member you'll be on campus.

The activities section allows up to ten entries, each with a position/leadership title (50 characters), an organization name (100 characters), and a description (150 characters). Those limits feel tight, but they're an invitation to be precise. Think of it less as a form to fill out and more as a highlight reel you're curating. Here's how to do it well.

1. Start With a Full Brainstorm — Then Organize by Theme

Before you start filling in fields, write down everything you've done in high school — formal and informal. Include the school orchestra AND the weekend band you formed with friends. Group your list into categories to see the shape of it:

• Music & Arts (ensembles, private lessons, recitals, exhibitions, theater productions)

• School clubs and nonacademic organizations

• Academic clubs and competitions (Science Olympiad, debate, math league)

• Athletics

• Internships and jobs

• Volunteer and community work

This step reveals balance. If every entry is arts-related, that's not a problem — it shows depth and commitment. But if you've also tutored younger students, captained a club sport, or worked a part-time job, those entries enrich your profile and show admissions officers the range of your character.

2. Narrow to Ten (or Fewer) Strong Entries

You don't need to reach ten. Six well-chosen activities with substantive descriptions will always outperform ten thin ones. The goal is sustained engagement, not volume. Ask yourself:

• Have I been involved consistently — across multiple years or seasons?

• Does this activity tell admissions officers something they can't learn elsewhere in my application?

• Did I demonstrate leadership, growth, or tangible accomplishment? (First chair, lead role, regional competition qualifier, club founder)

• Is this something I plan to continue in college?

For arts students in particular: if you've taken private lessons with the same teacher for four years, that belongs on the list. If you attended a summer intensive program — Interlochen, RISD Pre-College, Walnut Hill's summer session — include it. Formal training outside of school signals seriousness of purpose in a way that general participation doesn't.

3. Order Your Activities Strategically

The Common App lists activities in the order you enter them, so the first one or two entries carry the most weight — they're what an admissions reader sees first. Lead with activities that are most central to your intended major and that best demonstrate commitment, achievement, and leadership.

For a student applying to a BFA in musical theater, that might mean listing the school musical (with a named role and any awards) first, followed by a regional youth theater program, then a summer intensive. Supporting activities — varsity swim, student council, a part-time job — come after. This ordering tells a clear story: here's who I am, here's how I spend my time, here's what I bring to your campus.

4. Make Every Character Count in Your Descriptions

You have 150 characters for each activity description — about the length of a tweet. Use them well. Start with a strong action verb, be specific about what you did and what it resulted in, and avoid restating the activity name.

Weak: "Played violin in school orchestra for four years."

Stronger: "Principal second violin; selected for All-State Orchestra 2023 and 2024; performed Carnegie Hall with regional youth symphony."

The position/leadership field (50 characters) is often overlooked — use it to name a role that conveys real responsibility. "Section Leader," "Co-Founder," "Lead Designer," or "Soloist" all tell the admissions officer something meaningful at a glance. Don't default to "Member" if something more accurate and specific is available.

5. A Few Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even strong applicants make these errors. Watch out for:

• Listing activities you barely participated in. Admissions officers interview applicants — vague entries get probed.

• Using full sentences when fragments with strong verbs are more powerful and fit the character limit better.

• Forgetting the time commitment fields. The form asks for hours per week and weeks per year — be accurate, not inflated.

• Leaving out self-directed creative work. An independent film project, a self-run photography account with real reach, or a commissioned mural all count. Name them and describe the scope.

Final Thought

The activities list rewards students who approach it with the same intentionality they bring to their portfolios or auditions. Take the time to brainstorm, prioritize, and write with precision. Proofread carefully — a typo in a 150-character field is hard to miss. When it's done well, the activities section isn't just a checklist. It's the rest of your story.

Need help shaping your activities list or college application strategy? Best Fit Education works with students applying to arts programs across the country.