Extracurriculars: The Extras That Count

Impressing an MBA admissions committee is sometimes as simple as telling a good story about your interests, your activities, and yourself

By Francesca Di Meglio

Like everyone in junior-high gym class, business school admissions committees want some of the cool kids to play on their team, too. One way to show the admissions committees at top business schools that you're a cool kid—someone who is more than his standardized test scores and résumé—is through your extracurricular activities. "No business school wants a class of nerds or workaholics," says Linda Abraham, president of the admissions consultancy Accepted.com. Although you can get into business school as a traditional candidate, who likely tutors or works for Habitat for Humanity or sits on a board for some company or nonprofit, there's no denying that the more unique your extracurricular activity, the more you can use it as a way to stand out from the other applicants.

One misconception is that your extracurricular activities have to be altruistic. Admissions committee members and admissions consultants will tell you business schools are looking for applicants to participate in activities for which they are truly passionate. This could be anything from playing the guitar in a garage band to running marathons. Your extracurricular activities bring another dimension to your application, says Jeremy Shinewald, president and founder of admissions consultancy MBA Mission, who adds that those with the best stories to share come by them naturally. People with outrageous activities, such as Shinewald's client who took care of exotic animals that had been confiscated while authorities found homes for them in zoos, usually fall into that category. "You can't fudge a story like that," says Shinewald. "That's why it's so good."

The list of unique, memorable extracurricular activities is endless. James Brooman, a first-year student at Dartmouth's Tuck School of Business, left his job in corporate finance to ride a bicycle from northern Alaska to the southernmost point of Argentina. It took him from June 16, 2003, to Mar. 3, 2005 to complete the journey. His only training: Three bicycle rides per week in London for a month before his departure. During the course of his cycling adventure, Brooman had his tent invaded by ants, was almost burned to death in a California forest fire, and was held captive by a tribe in the Brazilian rainforest.

Seeing the World

An adventurer, Brooman had the time of his life, he says. "The two most spectacular sites were the Northern Lights in Canada and Angel Falls, the highest waterfall in the world, in Venezuela," he adds. Motivated by Jon Krakauer's bestselling book, Into Thin Air, and the tale of Goran Kropp—a Swedish climber who bicycled 7,000 miles to Mount Everest, climbed the mountain solo, then rode back home—Brooman says business school was at the back of his mind when he traveled but was not the reason for the trip. He simply wanted to see the world from a completely different perspective, he says.

"When you travel like I did, you see other viewpoints and appreciate other perspectives, and this informs your judgment," says Brooman. "I hope to bring these qualities to my career." In his application, he used the trip to show the admissions committee he is determined even in the face of great challenges, can break things down to accomplish his goals, and is open to different cultures and ideas. Brooman considered the trip a "unique selling point of his application."

Few people could ride a bike from Alaska to Argentina, and admissions committee representatives don't expect you to take on such adventures. There are other activities—much closer to home and less threatening to your life—that can help you stand out. A hobby is often a great place to start. Matt Gallagher, a first-year student at University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, was always the class clown.