It really helps if you can put details of any extra-curricular activities you’ve done in the personal statement on your UCAS application. But with so many choices out there, it can be hard to pick the right ones.
That’s why we’ve pulled together a list of extra-curricular activities that will really help boost your UCAS application.
This is a real admissions pleaser, and for some courses essential to your application.
By getting work experience in a company that’s related to the course you’d like to study on, it shows you’re keen to get involved and have had the chance to apply your skills outside the classroom.
Make sure you get the most out of any placements too. Don’t let yourself become the clichéd tea-waiter and photocopier, ask for challenging tasks and show you’ve got the ability to give something back for the opportunity.
Placements not only help your UCAS application, they can really help when it comes to applying for jobs after uni. It’s not just what you’ll learn, but also the contacts you’ll make.
Who says you get nothing for free? Helping out with a local charity or community group shows you’re keen to help those in need and give something back.
A lot of organisations will take on volunteers and train them up to be able to do a certain job. So it’s also a great chance to expand on your current skills and learn some new ones along the way.
Nothing says you’re keen to go somewhere than taking every chance you can to visit. Newcastle University holds three Visit Days during the year, so be sure to take advantage of the opportunity.
It’s easy to join a club or event that’s already running. But to get the super bonus points for your application, why not start your own?
This not only shows you have a passion for a subject, but you also have the organisational and leadership skills required to be a model student.
We’re not saying you need to create a mini-Glastonbury for your sixth form, but organising a debate night on ethics would look great on an application for politics, and if you want to study on a journalism course, starting a school e-newspaper would definitely boost your personal statement.
Not everyone is athletic and in-to sports. But if you’re applying to study on a sports course, you probably should be in at least one sports team at school. If you’ve managed to fight your way to the captaincy, even better.
Not only does it show you’re at the top of your game, it also shows great leadership skills and strategic thinking.
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