Which Extracurriculars Actually Matter for Admission to College Business Programs?

Business has been the most popular college major since 1980 for good reason—it’s a broad and diverse field with similarly diverse career prospects. Popular sectors include finance, consulting, and accounting, but everything from healthcare to human resources to public administration is on the table, too. Accordingly, you’ll encounter a variety of subdisciplines as a business major, including finance, sales, marketing, management, and accounting, and will typically take foundational courses in communications and business management before concentrating in a particular specialty, like international business or entrepreneurship.

If you’re an aspiring business student, it’s important to understand that you’ll likely face tougher admissions standards at many colleges, especially when applying as a direct admit business major. Let’s dive into how you can set yourself apart.

DURING HIGH SCHOOL, HOW CAN I SET MYSELF UP FOR SUCCESS DURING THE ADMISSIONS PROCESS?

While maintaining a strong academic record is most important, your extracurricular involvement can help signal your seriousness about a business major. However, this
doesn’t mean that you need to sign up for anything and everything business-related! Instead, you should aim for deep involvement—or involvement that showcases long-term commitment, growth, and impact—in 2-4 activities total, including 1-2 pursuits directly related to your interests in business.

Ideally, these business-related pursuits will:

1. Develop your leadership abilities (this is most important!).
2. Help you build business acumen and skills.
3. Teach you how to network and collaborate with others.

WONDERING WHERE TO BEGIN? WE RECOMMEND CHOOSING SEVERAL ACTIVITIES ACROSS THE FOLLOWING TIERS:

1st Tier (activities that should be prioritized if possible): Competitive activities that result in a tangible award, public accolade, or other special distinction in your area(s) of interest. Attempt to engage in at least one 1st tier activity if possible.

2nd Tier: Activities that allow you to earn college credit, demonstrate mastery of relevant skills, accrue relevant job experience, and/or assume a leadership role or significant responsibilities over tasks that are directly related to your areas of interest.

3rd Tier: Activities that ultimately do not result in an award or leadership position, but that still allow you to accrue knowledge, skills, and/or experiences that have some
connection to the field(s) you are considering. Though not as impactful as first or second tier activities, these pursuits can still yield admission-related benefits.

1ST TIER ACTIVITIES:

• Enter into a regional, national, or international entrepreneurship competition, such as: Blue Ocean Competition or the Conrad Challenge.
• Enter into a regional, national, or international business, innovation, or investment competitions (individual or team-based), such as: Cooper Hewitt National High School Design Competition or DECA Competitive Events.

2ND TIER ACTIVITIES:

• Join your school’s student council/government, investment club, or DECA, FBLA, or BPA chapter. Encourage members to enter into one or more business-related
  competitions (see above), and aim to pursue a leadership role over time. (No club or chapter? Start one!)
• Start your own business or nonprofit venture. However, in order to yield benefits from this pursuit, you must be able to point to quantifiable achievements at the time of application (e.g., revenue generated, orders placed, employees hired, items donated, etc.).
• Take a college-level course in business or a related subject, such as accounting, economics, finance, marketing, entrepreneurship, etc. If you opt to take a course,
  keep in mind that the prestige of the college matters far less than the course’s alignment with your academic interests. Therefore, don’t hesitate to prioritize course offerings that are affordable and convenient. Some institutions offering college-level courses to high school students include: Cornell University and UCLA Summer Courses Online.
• Find an internship or volunteer position where you can develop business skills while building relationships. While large companies sometimes offer formal internship programs (examples include Pacific Northwest National Laboratory’s High School Business Internship and Kaiser Permanente’s High School Program), small business owners, realtors, and nonprofit organizations are often your best bet—they are typically in greater need of an extra set of hands.

3RD TIER ACTIVITIES:

• Get a job…ANY job! Even working at a “typical” high school job will help you accrue skills and experiences that will be important to an admissions officer.
• Pursue a role within student government or another club/activity, especially one that requires you to raise funds, manage money, and/or organize initiatives.
• Participate in a reputable summer program, such as: Boston University High School Honors or Babson College Summer Study for High School Students.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Standing out as a prospective business major requires more than interest alone—it requires evidence of leadership, initiative, and real-world impact. By committing deeply to a small number of business-related activities and seeking opportunities that build skills, responsibility, and results, students can clearly demonstrate their readiness for rigorous business programs. Depth, consistency, and measurable outcomes are what admissions officers value most.