The Best Extracurricular Activities for UK University Applications
Working on your extracurriculars in your penultimate year of school is crucial to putting your best foot forward when you write your personal statement.
Maximise Your UK University Application with the Right Extracurriculars
Applying to top UK universities? Strengthening your extracurricular profile can set you apart and showcase the skills admissions officers value most.
What’s covered
Why extracurriculars matter to universities
Academic ‘super’-curriculars for top universities
Competitions and awards
Work experience or volunteering
Leadership and responsibility
Creative pursuits
Sports and physical activities
Why extracurriculars matter to universities
UK universities, while generally more academically-focused when considering applications, do appreciate good extracurriculars as proof of transferable skills like commitment and passion.
Different types of extracurriculars show different sides to your character as an applicant, so consider which type of course you’re applying to when deciding which extracurriculars to pick up.
For example, if you’re applying for BA Fine Art, you might prioritise your creative extracurriculars and projects outside of school. If you’re applying for a competitive course like Medicine or Law, or perhaps a competitive university like Oxford or Cambridge, you’ll want to explore more academic extracurriculars (or ‘super’-curriculars).
The right extracurricular doesn’t need to be something that just takes time out of your day; they can also add genuine value and a more comprehensive understanding of your academic classes.
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Be realistic about your time
One note before we get into it: the last couple of years of school are already very stressful. In order to make your extracurriculars work for you without burning you out, it’s better to focus on just one or two rather than trying to cover all the bases.
Be realistic, and don’t burn out before the real hard work even begins!
Here’s a few ideas on what to take up over the next year or two, in preparation for writing that awesome personal statement.
Academic super-curriculars for top universities
What are super-curriculars? Unlike extracurriculars, like sports or hobbies, super-curriculars are directly related to your academic interests. For the UK’s top universities and most competitive courses, showing super-curriculars on your personal statement is crucial.
Super-curriculars could include, for example:
Completing online courses or MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) relevant to your subject. You can find courses from platforms like Coursera, edX, or Future Learn. This is particularly popular with students as it is accessible and free.
Reading books, academic papers, or articles related to your subject.
Attending lectures, talks, or conferences, either in-person or online.
Participating in subject-related competitions like Olympiads, essay contests, or mathematical challenges (more on this below).
Visiting relevant museums, galleries, or historical sites.
Taking part in research projects, either independently or through a school or university program.
Don’t hesitate to get in touch if you’d like help with finding appropriate super-curriculars!
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Competitions and awards
One foolproof way to boost your statement is to enter yourself into some competitions. Whether you win, lose or get shortlisted is almost irrelevant – you get to show off to admissions officers that you took the time to improve on your subject knowledge outside of school.
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) students could look into:
Humanities students could look into:
Competitions like Model UN, ESU Public Speaking, or school-run debating challenges
John Locke Essay Competition
Trinity College Cambridge Essay Prize
There’s many, many more – these are just some of our favourites, but there’s certain to be one essay prize with your name on it.
Work experience or volunteering
Consider doing some charity work or community service ahead of writing your personal statement – and bonus points if the charity is related in some way to your chosen subject! Working with charities, soup kitchens, or tutoring underprivileged students can show dedication and empathy.
Very competitive courses sometimes require applicants to have completed some form of short work experience, even if it’s just shadowing for a couple days. For example, Medicine applicants should see if they can shadow a doctor at their local hospital or get involved with community vaccinations; Law applicants can do mini-pupillages or law firm placements. Get in touch if you’d like some advice on this – it tends to be an area students struggle with.
Even your part-time job in retail or hospitality, if you have one, can be mentioned in a statement as it shows dedication, commitment, and often communication skills.
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Leadership and responsibility
These are two qualities that UK universities love to see in their applicants.
There’s lots of extracurriculars that are leadership-based and perfect for boosting your chances. Consider:
Being on the Student Council, to be able to talk about leadership, organisation, and responsibility.
Teaching younger students (especially in a relevant subject) to show strong communication and academic commitment.
Running a society or an after-school club to show initiative, especially if the club relates to your subject (e.g., a Philosophy Society for PPE applicants).
Creative pursuits
This is particularly relevant for students hoping to apply to subjects in the humanities and the arts, but it can be great for STEM students hoping to show a well-roundedness, too.
Music and the performing arts are a great way to explore your creativity and let off some steam. You might play an instrument, write plays, perform on stage or join a choir – anything’s great!
If you’re more interested in reading and writing, you might want to get involved in the school newspaper. Nearly every school has one – and if they don’t start your own (that’s even more points)!
Sports and physical activities
Competitive play highlights commitment and handling pressure, while a captaincy or coaching role proves communication and organisation skills. Even solo sports like running or swimming demonstrate discipline and perseverance.
It’s true that the UK cares much less about sporting extracurriculars than the US, but it can still be a nice thing to mention in a statement. Now’s the time to work out what appeals to you, whether that’s running, swimming or tennis.
Strong extracurriculars can set your university application apart, but it’s not enough to just list them – you need to show depth, impact, and reflection.
Instead of saying, “I attended a law summer school at UCL,” make it more insightful: “Attending UCL’s law summer school deepened my understanding of case law, particularly how precedents evolve. Inspired by discussions on human rights law, I researched landmark ECHR cases, which strengthened my analytical skills.” Quality matters more than quantity.
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