Academic Performance & Extracurricular Activities

Participation in extracurricular activities increases academic performance.

Recent studies show that students involved in extracurricular activities increase academic performance. Participation in extracurricular activities also improves school attendance. Higher school attendance enables a student to complete more class work and perform better on examinations. Melissa Fineman surveyed over 900 students on participation in extracurricular activities and academic performance, presenting her 2010 project summary at the California State Science Fair. Her research concluded that participation in extracurricular activities helps students learn teamwork and develop leadership skills. These skills enhance the student's academic performance.

Academic Performance and Grade Point Average

Academic performance demonstrates a student's academic ability to succeed in an academic or educational environment. A high school student can earn above a 4.0 GPA based on advance placement courses. Top universities and scholarship programs have historically accepted a student with a GPA above 4.0 automatically. However, an increase in highly qualified students have led to analyzing additional considerations. Selection committees consider the applicant pool, the types of academic programs, the school's reputation and external factors relevant to the applicant. Extracurricular activities give students more leadership experience and character development.

Academic Qualifications

A student's high academic performance can be measured by a minimum 3.5 GPA from a traditional high school, community college, state college, public or private university. The GPA must include all core classes or general education courses. A student can improve his GPA or academic performance with additional elective courses. An admission committee considers students with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA to be qualified for admissions. Most scholarship committees also desire a minimum 3.0 GPA. According to the Office of Institutional Research at California State University, Sacramento, "a GPA of 3.0 or above is the admission standard for entry as a 'qualified' student."

College Admission Boards

College admission boards and scholarship award committees select ideal candidates based on academic performance and extracurricular activities. Academic institutions measure academic performance by grade point average (GPA) in high school or college classes. Gifted, honors and advance placement classes weigh positively in favor of academic excellence. Extracurricular activities include school activities, community service activities, philanthropic activities, national competitions and international exchange programs.

Extracurricular activities show outside commitments and establish an individual applicant's character outside of the academic environment. Researchers at California State University, Sacramento, report that qualified college admits, with a minimum 3.0 high school GPA, continue to perform well academically when involved in extracurricular activities throughout college.

Academic Excellence and Extracurricular Participation

Academic excellence shows a student works hard inside and outside of the classroom, grasps concepts and completes work on time. Good grades also reflect a student's level of commitment and dedication to his studies. The selection committee often seeks additional knowledge about an applicant, because they want well-rounded individuals. They look for students to contribute different ideas and diverse interests to the program.

Extracurricular activities reveal extra information about an applicant and make him more memorable throughout the application process. The selection committee remembers personal stories of applicants training for the Olympics, playing violin in China or establishing a recycling program at school. Years of dedication to one talent shows discipline. However, a student can also rapidly increase extracurricular participation through single-day community volunteer projects.

References

• University of Southern California; California State Science Fair; 2010 Project Summary; Melissa Fineman; 2010
• California State University, Sacramento; The Impact of Extracurricular Activity on Student Academic Performance; Jonathan Shiveley and Jing Wang; 2009