Extracurricular Activities for MBA Admission

All the top ranking business schools receive lakhs of applications every academic year. Besides judging entrance examination scores, personal interview performances, educational achievements there is another aspect that can be overlooked, extracurriculars. Aspirants have the notion that the MBA course requires them to have a dizzying array of academic credentials, and a good entrance score. A work experience would be an added bonus. So an aspirant may think, do extracurriculars matter for MBA? 

The answer is yes. The admissions department of business institutes looks for signs that a particular candidate has what it takes to be a future leader. Some business schools look out for how eager applicants are towards the betterment of society. The extracurricular activities also reveal the different skills that MBA candidates require to be successful in the future. This gives an idea about the personality of the applicants. Here are some interesting facts:

• Some of the IIMs in India ask the candidates to mention their top achievements apart from academics. Any credentials below the state level are considered invalid. Check out MBA Eligibility
• The candidates are also asked to provide certificates of the extracurricular activities during the PI round.
• MBA graduates are required to show commitment towards work so the long commitment to a particular extracurricular activity proves the commitment level of the applicants. 

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Most MBA students are enrolled in and actively involved in clubs and activities. A well-rounded experience of MBA life is gained through these clubs. Some form their own clubs which acts as a good way to practice learned managerial and leadership skills. Extracurricular activities are a great way to show an individual’s skills and diligence to any cause of choice.

Do extracurriculars matter for MBA Admissions?

Business school admission experts from the best MBA colleges have reiterated the importance of having extracurriculars in applications. Top B-Schools take a lot of time and effort to identify and read through applications with extracurriculars. Why should one include extracurricular activities in applications if only academic achievements matter? Let’s find out more.

• Regular jobs are places where one learns leadership skills. Extracurricular activities also teach leadership and managerial skills but outside the scope of a job description. These activities show initiative and dedication to complete a job to its end. Check out, MBA Jobs.
• Extracurriculars will help applicants stand out from other applicants with similar credentials. It will give a competitive edge over others.
• Having extracurricular activities will show a more humane side to applicants. Giving back to society and contributing to uplighting the lives of fellow human beings are admirable qualities for a future leader or manager.
• If a candidate wishes to highlight a specific skill or ability they have, they can put it as an extracurricular activity. 
• Any soft skill that they have or will benefit the MBA program, can be put down as an extracurricular. These soft skills will come in handy for MBA Placement Preparation.

Check: MBA Skills

What extracurriculars are institutes looking for?

When one speaks about extracurricular activities, the first thing that one can think about is community service. However, that is not true, there are multiple other activities one can do to show passion for a cause. The following lists the activities that institutes look out for.

• Include activities that have been done to completion. For example, it is not advisable to include learning new languages if one is not comfortable conversing in that language. Having a certificate to back it up or reaching a level where one can converse comfortably at a native level is ideal.
• When which extracurricular activities to take up, pick one topic that you are passionate about and enjoy. It shows the commitment of the individual toward an activity. It won’t be hard to answer it when questioned. Faking interest in activity will show through quickly.
• Including activities that show the best of a candidate’s skills is suitable. The ideal extracurricular will present the applicant as a person with leadership abilities. As a person that can handle stress and won't hesitate to take up the initiative. The candidates should exhibit their creativity and how they use their wits to diffuse a problem.
• Picking skills that will fit into the big picture of future goals is recommended. For example, if one wishes to start their own publication house in the future, one could start with doing internships in publication houses. Writing blogs, practicing editing, learning different writing styles etc would count as upskilling activities. Institutes look out for how candidates are shaping their crafts.

Check: 13 ways to crack GD/PI

Extracurricular activities examples for MBA Application 

Let us now understand what are the best extracurricular activities examples for MBA applications. There are a host of options that one can opt for but only some will make candidates stand out from other applicants. The best extracurricular activities that one can include in MBA admissions are as below.

Volunteering

• Volunteering is one of the easiest and best ways to show extracurriculars in MBA applications.
• One can choose to volunteer at the local animal shelter, hospital, community events, events dedicated to the economically disadvantaged etc. It doesn’t take up much time in one’s busy schedule. 
• Opt for weekend volunteering or a couple of hours a week. 
• Volunteering shows the humane side of applicants and shows how a sense of maturity in society at large.

Mentorship

• Mentoring young people is one of the top five extracurriculars to add to business school applications.
• Mentoring takes up a major amount of time and one is contributing to building up the mentee’s self-confidence. 
• This will help them later in life in handling life struggles and issues. 
• The mentor remains as a source of inspiration for the mentee for the rest of their life and shapes their decision-making process. The time and commitment taken in mentorship are recognized by business schools.

Sports Coaching

• Many candidates put sports coaching as their extracurricular. 
• Coaching the local cricket team of children or teaching a sport to a team of disabled people are great examples of extracurriculars to put in the MBA applications. 
• Sports coaching takes a lot of planning, and dedication to manage a team of people. These make for great skills to exhibit in applications.

Tutorship

• Candidates who have taken up teaching subject classes to peers or juniors can also be included in MBA admissions. 
• Tutorship is an excellent way to show that candidates can take up responsibility and manage a large group of people. 
• Examples of tutorship include swimming lessons, teaching classmates or juniors etc. To start, one can start tutoring an essential skill that MBA institutes look for.

Fundraising

• Fundraising activities taken up during undergraduate courses are a sure way of gaining the admission committee’s eyes. 
• Organizing an event where candidates took the help of friends and classmates to raise money for a worthy cause is an example. 
• Some causes for which fundraising can be done are animal shelters, local orphanages and old age homes etc. 
• These activities showcase the candidate’s leadership skills. Essential managerial skills shown by the candidate can be used while learning the program.