by B. B. James

Created on: March 20, 2007   Last Updated: May 04, 2007

For more than a decade, I have been an admissions representative for my undergraduate college. This means that I interview 5-10 high school seniors each fall and winter who have applied to my alma mater, and I rate them.

While my college is not one of the most elite in the nation, it's elite enough that every applicant gets interviewed by the admissions staff or an alumnus volunteer like me. And I can assure you that extracurricular activities are a tiny part of our decision-making process.

In fact, grades and test scores account for probably 80% of the decision on whether to accept a student. The numbers also include performance in honors courses and the reputation that your child's high school has built through the achievements of previous graduates who attended the same college. Everything else covers that final 20%, including: a wonderfully original and enlightened essay; a sparkling interview; a special talent; and extracurricular activities.

So, my primary advice is that your child participates in extracurricular activities for sheer enjoyment and personal growth. Don't do them to pad the high school resume. It's simply not worth the stress and bother, if the activity isn't worthwhile in the first place.

However, here are a few thoughts about how to maximize the appeal to college admissions folks of the activities that a student is doing (and enjoying)....

1. Get a leadership position. It's a lot more impressive to be the president of the Environmental Club than to be a mere member. As president, you can talk about something you achieved - both in an essay and in an interview. Colleges love to see kids who are leaders.

2. Do the activity for more than a year. Therefore, if your child has been doing something for a few years, encourage him or her to stick with it through the college admissions process. Seeing a kid who's added a bunch of activities as a high school junior is unimpressive. It's obvious padding. Seeing a kid who has been in plays since the 7th grade is much more impressive - even if the kid is now burned out on acting and won't pursue it in college.

3. If the extracurricular has an academic angle, indicate how this will be pursued in college. A student who is in the Math Club, but who says she is going to be a poet is giving off a contradictory set of signals. It demeans the caliber of the Math Club in the interviewer's eyes (unless the kid is also Editor of the literary magazine, too).

4. Do a little advance research to find out how the college

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