Today we watched an interview with MIT Dean of Admissions Stu Schmill, who emphasized the importance of extracurricular activities. College admissions officers want to know how students will contribute to the campus community, and what they do in high school is a good indicator of what they will do at university.
Most of the students we work with are actively involved in extracurricular activities, although not always in a balanced way. Many high-achieving high school students are really busy, to the point where they don't have any free time or down time in their schedule. It turns out that free time and boredom are fertile ground for creativity. In today's digital age, it's a real skill to learn how to “underschedule” and unplug from the demands of daily life.
When we work with students, this is one of the key areas we help them with.