Webinar overview
This webinar is for families of high school freshmen and sophomores who want a clear picture of what a competitive extracurricular profile actually looks like and how to build one with two or three years still in front of them. You’ll learn:
- How admissions officers at selective colleges evaluate extracurricular activities, and what distinguishes a compelling profile from one that blends in
- What separates a competitive activity list from a scattered one, including how depth, sustained commitment, and leadership roles factor into how applications are read
- How the choices students make in 9th and 10th grade shape which opportunities are available to them in junior and senior year
- How to build a coherent narrative across activities so the application tells a clear, consistent story about who your student is
- Summer planning strategies for freshmen and sophomores, including how to evaluate programs, independent projects, and other experiences that hold up in the admissions process
- Live answers to your specific questions during an interactive Q&A with Dr. Glen Water
Meet your webinar host: Dr. Glen Water
Glen is Prepory’s Learning Director, with over 15 years of experience helping students build the extracurricular profiles and academic foundations that get results at highly selective colleges. His students have been accepted to top universities, including Columbia University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Chicago, and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Meet your webinar host:
Glen is Prepory’s Learning Director, with over 15 years of experience helping students build the extracurricular profiles and academic foundations that get results at highly selective colleges. His students have been accepted to top universities, including Columbia University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the University of Chicago, and the University of California, Los Angeles.
Frequently asked questions about extracurricular planning
Selective colleges evaluate extracurricular activities by looking for evidence of sustained commitment, initiative, leadership, and genuine interest rather than the number of clubs or awards on an application. Admissions officers want to see how a student has grown over time, whether they have taken on increasing responsibility, and how their activities support the broader story of who they are. A profile built around a few meaningful pursuits almost always carries more weight than one filled with unrelated activities completed solely to impress colleges.
Ninth and tenth grade are when students build the foundation that makes more competitive opportunities possible later in high school. Leadership positions, advanced research, internships, and selective summer programs often require years of demonstrated involvement before a student is competitive. Families who begin planning early have more flexibility to explore interests thoughtfully, develop meaningful accomplishments, and avoid the rushed approach that admissions officers can easily recognize during junior and senior year.
There is no ideal number of extracurricular activities that guarantees admission to a selective college. Most successful applicants participate in several activities, but what matters far more is the depth of their involvement and the impact they make within those experiences. Admissions officers consistently favor students who demonstrate sustained commitment, increasing responsibility, and authentic engagement over those who simply accumulate a long list of memberships with little substance behind them.
Yes. Many freshmen and sophomores are still discovering what genuinely interests them, and this webinar is designed with those students in mind. Rather than encouraging families to force a narrow specialization too early, the session explains how students can explore different interests strategically while still building a cohesive extracurricular profile. Parents will leave with a clearer understanding of how to balance exploration with long-term planning so their student has stronger opportunities available by junior and senior year.
