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If you aim to attend a prestigious university in the United States, you need to answer the question, "How have I lived, how am I living, and how will I live?" Your answer should demonstrate a broad and profound personal world through various activities. Prestigious American universities look for students who have built a wide and deep world based on their unique philosophy. Therefore, to gain admission to these top universities, you need to assemble your activities like pieces of a puzzle, creating a beautiful picture.



Extracurricular Activities for STEM Students

The Importance of Extracurricular Activities 

One critical aspect of a strong college application is a well-rounded set of extracurricular activities, including volunteer work and club participation. Starting from the freshman year of high school (9th grade), it is essential for students to strategically plan and engage in relevant extracurricular activities. These activities not only enhance college applications but also provide valuable skills and experiences. Here are some extracurricular activities that high school students aspiring to major in engineering or STEM fields should consider.

Ex 1. School Coding Clubs and Robotics Clubs

Participating in STEM clubs operated by the school is essential. By engaging in advanced coding clubs and developing in-depth programs, you can devise ways to collaborate with the local community, demonstrating both academic depth and community contribution.

 

Ex 2. Girls Who Code Club TA Volunteering

The Girls Who Code Club aims to reduce the gender gap in the coding field and change stereotypes about programmers. This organization helps students from grades 3-5 or grades 6-12 learn coding in a comfortable and friendly environment. If you are proficient in coding, you can volunteer as a TA (mentor) for this organization.
(※ Click here for more information.)

 

Ex 3. Using Volunteer Platforms like Volunteer Crowd

Volunteer Crowd is a volunteer platform that allows you to build a volunteer portfolio based on academic mentor experiences. Through this platform, you can find non-profit organizations that operate with a focus on STEM technology. Volunteering with such organizations will enable you to learn how these technologies are used in real-world settings, beyond academic studies.
 

Depending on your interests, you can teach coding to young students, volunteer at a local hospital if you're interested in healthcare, or support local aquariums or botanical gardens if you're into environmental engineering. Volunteer Crowd may have regional access limitations, so explore other volunteer platforms as well.

 

Ex 4. Genxl Educational Volunteering

Genxl is a non-profit foundation established by a high school student in Massachusetts. It creates and shares free online STEM courses for students in grades 1-8. Volunteering with this organization offers opportunities to design STEM curricula and teach students directly.
(※ Click here for more information.)

 

Ex 5. STEM Summer Camp Volunteering

Participating in summer camps for high school students is a valuable experience. Additionally, mentoring at camps for younger kids can be equally enriching. Some universities running summer camps also recruit volunteers. If the information is unclear, proactively inquire via email about volunteering opportunities.

 

Ex 6. Hosting Local Hackathons

There are increasing instances of teenagers recognizing and addressing local community issues by hosting hackathons. A hackathon, a combination of "hacking" and "marathon," involves people with diverse backgrounds and expertise brainstorming, coding, and designing to solve a problem or task. Successful examples include the MAHacks in Boston (website: click here) and the LexHack (website: click here) during the pandemic.

 

Ex 7. Science and Us Community Activities

Science and Us, a student-led nonprofit, runs events and creates online resources to help high schoolers learn science communication. They host events like Makeathons, where they explain complex subjects to the public through videos, podcasts, and infographics, collaborating with journalists, museum exhibit designers, librarians, and medical illustrators. By joining the Science and Us community, you can help the public better understand the innovations and advancements in STEM.
(※ Click here for more information.)