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How do you write the Common App activities list? It is one of the most common questions our students ask, and the section matters more than it looks. To see why, start with how it is built.
What each slot asks for
The list has 10 slots, and you do not have to fill them all. We value quality over quantity, and the average student uses about 6. Each slot has three fields, and each field has a hard character limit.
These limits force you to choose your words carefully. The activity type dropdown works the same way: pick the closest category, and if nothing fits, such as an online business you started or an independent community project, choose "Other" and let the description explain.
How to order your activities
Rank your activities by strength and relevance. One popular approach is the "spike + support" model, built around a spike: your single standout, deeply developed area.
The spike itself, your strongest and most developed activity.
Activities that reinforce the spike. Not copies of it, but things that support the same story.
Breadth. Paid work, family responsibilities, and hobbies that round out your character, even if they are unrelated to the spike.
Optional. Use them only if the activity shows impact, sustained commitment, or something unique about you.
A padded bottom, with activities added just to fill space, is something admissions officers notice and discount. The model will not fit every student, but ranking by strength and relevance always should be your practice.
Show growth in the position field
Progression matters, and the position field is the cheapest place to show it, because the real space crunch is in the description. Entries like "Member → Treasurer," "Volunteer → Project Leader," or "Participant → Organizer" show that you took on more over time.
If your title never changed, show it anyway: "Member (led fundraising in 12th grade)" or "Staff Writer (mentored new members senior year)." Growing within a role counts just as much as a promotion.
The description formula: verb + scale + result
With 150 characters, each part of the description has a job. The verb leads with what you did, not who you were ("Led," "Founded," "Coordinated"). The scale gives a number to size the activity: team size, hours, funds raised, people reached. The result shows the change you created, not just that the activity existed.
I was president of the environmental club, and we did stuff like recycling drives and awareness events at school.
Founded environmental club; grew membership 8→45; organized 6 campus recycling drives; diverted 2,000+ lbs of waste.
It cuts "I was" and "we did stuff like," leads with a verb, and stacks three numbers that show scale without full sentences.
I have a part-time job at a local restaurant where I help with customer service and other tasks as needed.
Waited tables 15 hrs/wk at family restaurant; trained 4 new hires; managed weekend closing shifts solo.
Training and closing shifts replace the vague "other tasks," and the hours per week add context and show consistency.
Space-saving habits
Drop articles (a, an, the), use semicolons, skip complete sentences, and cut filler phrases. Use abbreviations readers recognize instantly, such as GPA, NHS, VP, MUN, AP, IB, DECA, FBLA, and ASB. Avoid abbreviations specific to your school or community, and if you must use a less common one, define it the first time it appears.
Reporting your time: a change for 2026 to 2027
Each activity also asks how much time you spend on it, and this year the wording changed. The 2026–2027 Common App now asks for "Hours spent per week during busiest time." That means your peak, not a yearly average like in past cycles.
If you practice soccer 15 hours a week in season, enter 15, even if your yearly average is much lower. Use the weeks per year field to show how long that busy stretch lasts.
Your numbers still need to be honest. Admissions officers compare your hours against the rest of your schedule, so report a real peak week, not a one-time exception. If you are working from an older guide that says to average your hours, update your numbers to match the new question.
Common mistakes to avoid
Padding the bottom with low-effort activities. Writing generic descriptions instead of using the formula. Ignoring the position field, which is where growth and leadership show. And forgetting that non-school activities count: colleges want a well-rounded profile, not just who you are at school.
A strong list is not about filling every slot. It is about being mindful of what you include.
Give your activities list the same effort as the rest of your application. If you want a coach beside you for every step, our College Application Package pairs you with a coach who has been through this process and understands what is at stake.