5 STEM Activities that Impress on College Applications

3:36 PM, Oct 11, 2018
12:52 PM, Jun 14, 2019

Figuring out what extracurricular activities to do or join in school isn’t easy. High school is hard enough without having to make choices that could decide the rest of your life!

Everyone knows that extracurricular activities “look good” on a college application; however, you don’t want to spread yourself thin by doing too many at once. In fact, colleges value being able to see commitment and excitement for a few activities that you are passionate about. They want to see passion and commitment to activities that you find meaningful. By joining clubs that reflect your interests in the STEM field, you can show colleges that you are serious about pursuing STEM for a career.

Check out this list of five STEM activities that can impress colleges:

1. Robotics Club

A great way to get into STEM activities while also learning how to build incredible things is the robotics club. Often, no prior experience is necessary to join, and you get to learn how to build bots for every purpose imaginable. Often these clubs go on to participate in tournaments, which could look doubly impressive to colleges.

2. Science Olympiad

If you’re looking for a fun, lighthearted way to get into the STEM game while trying new things, Science Olympiad is for you. Science Olympiad has a variety of events that range from building a catapult to creating your own experiments. Each event is done in teams, which makes it twice the fun. An extracurricular like this will not only help you learn teamwork, but it’s an opportunity to try out everything STEM fields have to offer in a low-pressure environment.  Plus, if you win, you get some sweet medals.

3. Girls Who Code

Girls Who Code is an exciting way to learn how to code in a creative way. The organization aims to close the gender gap in technology fields, and includes almost 90,000 girls across all 50 states. This STEM activity is a great way to try your hand at coding and learn something new, and will make for an impressive college application activity, too.

4. Environmental Volunteering

Not all the activities you do have to be academic related. Environmental science is a huge aspect of the STEM field, and nothing says you are interested in the field like working to save it. Volunteering to clean up and save the Earth through environmental volunteering is as easy as visiting your local nature preserve, or joining meetups in your community.

5. Tutoring

One great way to demonstrate to colleges that you are interested in STEM is tutoring. Whether you are paid or unpaid, tutoring demonstrates that you understand the material and are even able to teach it to others, which is an incredibly important skill for someone in STEM to have. Additionally, it shows that you have a strong grasp on the material at hand. This is a great way to help others, while also impressing colleges with your skills.

Interested in going into STEM research, or learning more about its benefits? Check out CITGO Innovation Academy’s high school program in Corpus Christi, Texas. The academy helps prepare students for college programs and future careers in STEM fields. Students that complete the program may receive 12-30 hours of college credit. For more information about the program, visit the CITGO Innovation Academy at https://moody.ccisd.us/academies-moody/citgo-innovation-stem-academy or call (361) 878-7340.

Education and Social Investment

Through knowledge, communities are equipped to achieve long-lasting sustainability. That’s why we support educational social initiatives that create meaningful impact while addressing some of today’s biggest societal barriers. Our investments aim to empower people who contribute to the progress and economic growth in their own local communities.

STEM Talent Pipeline

*About Sponsored Content

KRIS-TV offers useful, valuable information from select sponsors on these pages. This content is not produced or endorsed by KRIS 6. To learn more about being a Sponsored Content provider on this site, contact our digital sales specialists.

About Brand Spotlight

Brand Spotlight offers useful, valuable information from select sponsors on these pages. This content is not produced or endorsed by this station.