Spikes and themes: how extracurriculars can help you get into college

How many extracurriculars do you need to get into college? Is it better to prioritize quantity or quality? To find out, join Elias as he answers all these questions, as well as what an application “spike” is and why you need one.
Want to know your chances of getting into elite schools? Find out here: cv.watch/2SkXCJm
Check out these Blog posts:
How to Find Your College Application Spike - cv.watch/3xEEG7w
How Much Do Extracurricular Activities Matter in College Admissions? - cv.watch/3xRDYnB
Complete Guide to High School Extracurricular Activities (with Examples!) - cv.watch/3xOiw2A
These livestreams:
Finding your spike with Elias - cv.watch/35SSoro
How to make the most of your summer - cv.watch/35PnccH
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We’ve also posted an abridged transcript below.
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Picture this: you're having dinner with your family, and your parents start talking about college. They start complaining that you don't do much outside of school besides play video games. And then to add insult to injury, they start comparing you to your cousin Billy. Cousin Billy does speech and debate, Billy's on the varsity swim and the varsity tennis teams, Billy plays first violent school orchestra, and they've already racked up nearly 100 hours of community service. You're probably wondering: is it actually important to be like your cousin Billy?
First off, let's dispel the myth around your cousin Billy. While it’s definitely possible to get into top schools if you're a well-rounded applicant like Billy, this is actually not the optimal kind of resume. Both you and Billy would benefit more from having a ‘spike’ and a ‘theme,’ than from having a whole mess of unrelated activities in which you've achieved only moderate success.
Let's start with a spike. As we explained in our Elite Admissions Guide, admissions officers typically try to accept the students who they believe are most likely to succeed in their future careers. At CollegeVine, we call this ‘the success principle.’ Having a significant collection of past achievements in one area - that's a spike. A spike can convince your application readers that you'll have great success down the road, and also make your application more memorable.
Okay, now let's talk about how you can develop a spike. The good news is just about anything can work. You can have a spike in music, sports, visual arts, even in competitive video gaming.
However, if you don't make it to the top of your state's rankings in something, that doesn't mean that your work will go unappreciated. Remember, admissions officers don't only judge your activities based on how impressive they are. They also factor in how much time you've committed to your activities and the passion that you've demonstrated. A few additional pursuits and hobbies separate from your spike - these can also make your resume (and also you) seem a lot more three-dimensional.
So is that it? Well, not quite. What if you can find a way to connect your spike with your other passions and activities, even if they seem totally unrelated. The way to do this is by crafting an application theme and using it to build a narrative about who you are and why you do these activities.
This theme could help you tie together some pre-med extracurriculars like, say, a medical research internship with a spike in video games. For example, you can post Minecraft tutorials on UA-cam and donate the ad proceeds to your local clinic.
This is a great example of how you can build a theme that both leverages your spike and relates it to your other extracurricular activities. This theme will provide a more complete picture of who you are as an applicant, and also show how you've already honed some of the necessary skills for your intended career path.
So, once you have a theme, how do you talk about it on your college apps? Well, you don't need to come right out and clearly say your theme in your personal statement. But by implying that this theme is one of your motivations for pursuing each of your extracurricular activities, you’ll develop a stronger and more cohesive narrative throughout your entire application.
And there you have it: by developing a spike, working out a theme that connects that spike to your other activities, and writing about all of it in a passionate and genuine way, you will drastically improve your college admissions chances. In fact, you'll likely have a much better shot at elite schools than your cousin Billy, even if Billy has more activities in total than you do.
Extracurriculars might be tricky and you probably still have some questions about how you can build a spike, how you can develop a theme, and so on. Check out CollegeVine’s website and resources (all for free!) linked above to help you with all of your admissions needs.

[@jolenewilliamson1031]

And here I am working after my classes in high school. And taking classes at a Junior College. With little or no EC.

[@tatearson]

I am absolutely not a Billie😂 I love walking through google maps and collect yellow earrings

[@iasminav3227]

What kind of extracullicars can i practice to make the cv way stronger?

[@toothsomeclips1421]

Is currency collection an extracurricular activity?

[@CollegeVine]

Absolutely!

[@Speedster___]

All hobbies are

[@sadsader100yearsago9]

Would me flying a plane count as a tier 1 or tier 2 activity?
And, would receiving an award that 0.5% of members get count as a tier 1.