[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"doc-seo-349801-105":3,"detail-sidebar-cat-1-en-105":81,"doc-detail-349801-en":127},{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":6},0,"ok",{"site_id":7,"language":8,"slug":9,"title":10,"keywords":11,"description":12,"schema_data":13,"social_meta":74,"head_meta":76,"extra_data":78,"updated_unix":80},105,"en","15-successful-activities-lists-5-tips","15 Successful Activities Lists - 5 tips","","15 Successful Activities Lists explains how the Activities section of the US Common Application is used to evaluate an applicant’s character, leadership, and community contribution beyond test scores and essays. Guidance focuses on what a winning Activities List looks like, how to communicate up to 10 activities within the Common App’s character limits, and how to select and order categories. Includes advice from Crimson strategist Gabe Gladstein and example entries from successful admits.",{"@graph":14,"@context":73},[15,34,56],{"@type":16,"itemListElement":17},"BreadcrumbList",[18,23,27,31],{"item":19,"name":20,"@type":21,"position":22},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",1,{"item":24,"name":25,"@type":21,"position":26},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/","Template",2,{"item":28,"name":29,"@type":21,"position":30},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/presentations/","Presentations",3,{"item":32,"name":10,"@type":21,"position":33},"https://docshare.wps.com/template/15-successful-activities-lists-5-tips/349801/",4,{"url":32,"name":10,"@type":35,"image":36,"author":41,"headline":10,"publisher":44,"fileFormat":47,"inLanguage":8,"description":12,"dateModified":48,"datePublished":49,"encodingFormat":47,"isAccessibleForFree":50,"interactionStatistic":51},"DigitalDocument",{"url":37,"@type":38,"width":39,"height":40},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/15-successful-activities-lists-5-tips/349801.png","ImageObject",442,249,{"name":42,"@type":43},"Rizky","Person",{"url":19,"name":45,"@type":46},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-10-29","2026-09-22",true,{"@type":52,"interactionType":53,"userInteractionCount":55},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":54},"ViewAction",13,{"@type":57,"mainEntity":58},"FAQPage",[59,65,69],{"name":60,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":62},"Why is the Common App Activities section important for admissions decisions?","Question",{"text":63,"@type":64},"Admissions officers rely on the Activities section to assess whether an applicant will receive an acceptance letter. It offers a way to show who you are, what matters to you, and how you demonstrate your passions beyond the classroom.","Answer",{"name":66,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":67},"How many characters are allowed to describe each activity, and how should the descriptions be written?",{"text":68,"@type":64},"Each activity description is limited to 150 characters. Use direct, specific language to summarize responsibilities and outcomes, and when possible include numbers or clear reference points to show measurable impact.",{"name":70,"@type":61,"acceptedAnswer":71},"What strategy should students use to choose and order their 10 activities?",{"text":72,"@type":64},"Aim to fill all 10 available activity slots. Order them from the activities you are most passionate about to those that are less important, and place activities tied to your intended major and significant national or international awards near the top.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":32,"og:type":75,"og:title":10,"og:site_name":45,"og:description":12},"article",{"robots":77,"canonical":32},"index,follow",{"doc_id":79,"site_id":7},349801,1791720138,{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":83},"success",[84,88,93,98,103,108,113,118,123],{"id":85,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":29,"show_sort_weight":86,"slug":87},11,90,"presentations",{"id":89,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":90,"show_sort_weight":91,"slug":92},12,"Resumes",80,"resumes",{"id":94,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":95,"show_sort_weight":96,"slug":97},14,"Invoices",70,"invoices",{"id":99,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":100,"show_sort_weight":101,"slug":102},15,"Posters",60,"posters",{"id":104,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":105,"show_sort_weight":106,"slug":107},16,"Social Media",50,"social-media",{"id":109,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":110,"show_sort_weight":111,"slug":112},17,"Forms",40,"forms",{"id":114,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":115,"show_sort_weight":116,"slug":117},18,"Letters",30,"letters",{"id":119,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":120,"show_sort_weight":121,"slug":122},21,"Paper Templates",5,"papers-templates",{"id":124,"doc_module":22,"doc_module_name":25,"category_name":125,"show_sort_weight":4,"slug":126},158,"General","general-158",{"code":4,"msg":82,"data":128},{"doc_id":79,"user_id":129,"nickname":42,"user_avatar":130,"doc_module":22,"category_id":85,"category_name":29,"doc_title":10,"doc_description":12,"doc_content":131,"file_id":132,"file_url":133,"file_type":134,"file_size":135,"view_count":55,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":22,"is_downloadable":22,"audit_status":22,"page_count":136,"language":137,"language_code":8,"site_id":7,"html_lang":8,"table_of_contents":138,"faqs":139,"seo_title":140,"seo_description":12,"update_tm":141,"read_time":142},962085564807,"https://ap-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","15 Successful Activities Lists  \nfrom students who got into the Ivy League, Stanford and more  \nA C R I M S O N E D U CAT I O N  \nP U B L I CAT I O N  \nThere is no doubt that the Activities section is one of the most important parts of the US Common Application. Ina world of rising application numbers, and more significantly, an increase in the number of students reporting stellar test scores, admissions officers are relying more heavily on the Activities section to determine whether or not an applicant will receive that coveted letter of acceptance. The great thing about the Activities section is that—beyond your personal statement—it provides a unique opportunity to showcase who you are, what matters to you, and how you demonstrate your passions beyond the classroom.  \nWhat does a winning Activities List actually look like?  \nAt Crimson our extracurricular mentors—who are graduates from the very universities our students are aiming for—take great care in helping their students build an impressive extracurricular profile. This is imperative for students looking to show admissions officers that beyond their test scores or essays, they are passionate, active members of their communities who will ultimately be great contributors on campus.  \nSecuring these extracurricular projects and leadership positions is only the first step. From there, it’s important to meaningfully communicate them on that all-important character limited Common App Activities page.  \nSo... before we dive into some successful Activities Lists from Crimson students who gained admission to some of the most competitive universities in the US, we asked Crimson senior strategist Gabe Gladstein, for his top 5 tips on negotiating the Activities section.  \nRead on to learn more, and then enjoy comparing the wonderfully diverse Activities List examples from just a few of our thousands of successful students. To learn more about Crimson and how we can help you build the ultimate Activities List, click on the link at the end of the booklet.  \nGood Luck!  \nThe Crimson Team  \nGA B E G LA D ST E I N  \nCrimson strategy expert and head of product Gabe Gladstein graduated from Harvard Magna Cum Laude with a degree in Government and an academic focus on the study of ethics in war and Chinese politics. In 2018 Gabe graduated with a Master’s degree in Music from the New England Conservatory of Music. Gabe has worked with hundreds of Crimson students to help them gain admission to the Ivy League, Stanford, MIT, Duke, U Chicago, UC Berkeley and many, many more.  \nFill in all 10 available tabs on the Activities List page  \nAt Crimson our goal for students is to always have at least 10 activities on the list—because that’s as many as the Common App will allow! If you have more than that, awesome! You may be able to use the Additional Information section of the Common App to describe those extras later on.  \nExamine the List categories carefully  \nThe Common App offers a series of Activities categories including Academics, Art, Athletics, Career, Community Service, Computer/Technology, Cultural, Dance, Debate/Speech, Dance, Environmental, Family Responsibilities, Foreign Exchange, Journalism, ROTC, LGBT, Music, Religious, Research, Robotics, School Spirit,  \nScience/Math, Student Government, Theatre/Drama, Work Experience and ‘Other’eg: club activities. Suffice to say, there are a multitude of options to choose from!  \nEvery student will have categories they naturally gravitate to, but don’t overlook others such as ‘Family Responsibilities’which may be relevant to your everyday life and commitments, and speak to who you are as a person.  \nMake every character count!  \nThe Common App Activities Section only grants you 150 characters to describe each individual activity!  \nWhen it comes to writing those descriptions, the goal is to summarize your responsibilities and the outcomes from your activities using direct and specific language. If possible, use numbers or other clear points o","cbCaitkpCQ83HetG","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaitkpCQ83HetG","pdf",2055476,19,"English","# 15 Successful Activities Lists\n## Why the Activities section matters\n## How Crimson mentors build an activities profile\n## Top 5 tips for the Activities section\n## Example activities lists from successful admits","[{\"question\":\"Why is the Common App Activities section important for admissions decisions?\",\"answer\":\"Admissions officers rely on the Activities section to assess whether an applicant will receive an acceptance letter. It offers a way to show who you are, what matters to you, and how you demonstrate your passions beyond the classroom.\"},{\"question\":\"How many characters are allowed to describe each activity, and how should the descriptions be written?\",\"answer\":\"Each activity description is limited to 150 characters. Use direct, specific language to summarize responsibilities and outcomes, and when possible include numbers or clear reference points to show measurable impact.\"},{\"question\":\"What strategy should students use to choose and order their 10 activities?\",\"answer\":\"Aim to fill all 10 available activity slots. Order them from the activities you are most passionate about to those that are less important, and place activities tied to your intended major and significant national or international awards near the top.\"}]","15 Successful Activities Lists - 5 tips | PDF",1790085652,7]