“Our kids are too busy. They barely have time to sleep between classes and sports and clubs, let alone spend hours studying. So what should be they spending their time on? Would you rather see a 4.0 GPA or a lot of extracurricular commitment?”
It was a hot July day the summer before senior year, and parents and students were packed into an information session before a college tour. As a busy, sleep-deprived student, I was pretty sure I already knew the answer, but I still leaned in to hear how the admissions officer would answer this stressed parent.
“Both.”
Well, the dean certainly didn’t sugarcoat it. Slightly nervous laughs escaped from a few students and parents. The dean laughed too, relieving the tension in the room as she raised her mic to add to her one-word answer. She went on to explain that they didn’t expect a student to juggle a dozen extracurriculars with rigorous coursework. They also didn’t want to see a student sacrifice their grades for their commitments outside of school, or spend all their time studying and have only good grades to brag about on their application with no other interests or responsibilities.
So how should you try to balance both?
The answer depends on the classes you take and the extracurriculars you pursue. The first step is deciding what you want to fit into your schedule. To figure out where to focus your time, it’s crucial to start early. Suddenly picking up six extracurriculars while taking your first AP courses in your junior year won’t make your profile look impressive, just rushed. Taking time to plan your commitments at the beginning of high school gives you time to explore and find the extracurriculars and coursework that you both enjoy and can dedicate time to doing well.
As you plan ahead, consider the time commitments that various extracurriculars and academic coursework require. Try to make sure the peak time commitments for each of your activities are spread out across the calendar year.
And of course it helps if you don’t have to figure out how to balance everything on your own. Your Future Forward strategic advisor will help you plan your schedule to include rigorous academics and extracurriculars, and our MAP feature will help you keep track of your commitments.
Get a head start on balancing your grades and extracurriculars with Future Forward.
