Extracurricular Strategy
03 Extracurricular Strategy
Sophie, at this stage of senior year the goal is not to add a long list of new activities. Your application will be strongest if you present a clear artistic identity and ensure that the two major commitments you have already demonstrated—your orchestral leadership and your teaching work—tell a coherent story about who you are as a musician. For conservatories and music schools in particular, admissions readers will move quickly from activities to recordings, repertoire, and artistic direction. Your extracurricular descriptions therefore need to reinforce a single narrative: a violinist who leads ensembles, mentors younger musicians, and develops a performer–composer perspective.
1. Center the Application Around Musical Leadership
Serving as concertmaster of the Honolulu Youth Symphony for four years is the most significant activity in your profile. Sustained leadership over that length of time signals reliability, musical maturity, and peer respect. For music-focused programs like Oberlin Conservatory or the New England Conservatory, this role also indicates experience in ensemble leadership—something orchestral programs value highly.
However, many students list ensemble participation in ways that make it look routine. Your description should highlight the specific responsibilities of a concertmaster rather than simply the title.
When revising the activity entry, emphasize elements such as:
- Leading the first violin section and coordinating with the conductor.
- Serving as a musical liaison between conductor and orchestra members.
- Setting stylistic and technical standards for the string section.
- Any moments where you guided rehearsals, sectionals, or musical interpretation.
The key is to show that this role involved musical decision-making and leadership, not just performance. Conservatories evaluate whether applicants are future ensemble leaders, chamber musicians, and collaborators. Four years in the concertmaster chair already points strongly in that direction; the application just needs to make it explicit.
2. Highlight Community Impact Through Teaching
Your work teaching twelve elementary students from low‑income backgrounds is the second pillar of your extracurricular profile. This activity shows something that admissions committees value in musicians: the ability to use music as a form of service and mentorship.
Teaching also demonstrates skills that go beyond performance:
- Breaking down technique and musical concepts for beginners.
- Patience and long-term mentoring.
- Building confidence in younger students.
- Expanding access to music education.
Many applicants to music programs have strong performance backgrounds, but fewer show evidence that they can teach and build musical communities. This activity therefore adds important depth to your application.
When writing the activity description, consider focusing on measurable impact and responsibility. For example:
- Managing instruction for a group of twelve students.
- Designing lesson plans or structured practice routines.
- Helping students prepare for performances or recitals (if applicable).
If you have not yet documented outcomes—such as student recitals, ensemble participation, or progress milestones—consider gathering that information now so your description can reflect the real scale of the work.
3. Clarify the Performer–Composer Identity
The committee flagged an important issue in how your activities may currently read. As written, they risk looking like a standard high-level violin résumé: orchestras, performances, teaching. Those are strong experiences, but the programs you are targeting—especially conservatories—often look for a distinctive artistic angle.
Your intended direction includes music performance and composition, but the extracurricular list will only communicate that identity if composition appears clearly within it. At the moment, you have not provided specific information about:
- Original compositions
- Premieres or performances of your works
- Composition competitions or workshops
- Collaborations with other musicians performing your music
If any of these exist, they should appear prominently in your activities list. If they are not currently included in the materials you submitted for this plan, you should add them immediately. Even a small portfolio of original works can help admissions readers understand that you are not only interpreting music but also creating it.
Without this clarity, your application could be interpreted simply as “skilled violinist with leadership experience.” With it, the narrative becomes “violinist who leads ensembles and composes music,” which is far more distinctive for programs like Oberlin or USC’s music programs.
4. Activity Description Strategy (Common App Format)
You will likely have limited space—typically around 150 characters per activity—so wording matters. Focus on impact, leadership, and artistic identity.
For your two major activities, the descriptions should aim to accomplish the following:
- Concertmaster role: emphasize ensemble leadership and musical interpretation responsibilities.
- Teaching initiative: emphasize mentorship and access to music education.
- Composition work (if applicable): emphasize original creative output and performances.
A helpful framing approach is:
- Role → responsibility → impact.
This structure prevents activities from reading like a simple résumé and instead shows how your work influences others.
5. Time Allocation for the Final Application Phase
Because you are already in senior year, your time should focus on presentation and documentation rather than launching new commitments.
Prioritize the following:
- Refining activity descriptions so they clearly communicate leadership and artistic identity.
- Organizing documentation of your teaching work and any composition output.
- Ensuring your musical narrative remains consistent across activities, résumé, and essays (see §06 Essay Strategy).
If you are still actively teaching your students or performing with the orchestra during application season, that ongoing involvement reinforces the authenticity of your commitments. Continue those activities as your schedule allows, but avoid adding unrelated extracurriculars that dilute your musical focus.
6. Activity Portfolio Balance for Your Target Schools
| Activity Dimension | What You Already Demonstrate | How to Emphasize It |
|---|---|---|
| Orchestral Leadership | Four years as concertmaster in youth symphony | Highlight musical leadership and collaboration |
| Community Engagement | Teaching twelve low‑income elementary students | Frame as mentorship and expanding access to music |
| Creative Identity | Interest in composition (details not yet provided) | Add or clarify composition experiences if they exist |
This balance—leadership, service, and creativity—is particularly relevant for music schools that value musicians who contribute to both performance and community life.
7. Monthly Execution Timeline
| Month | Key Actions |
|---|---|
| September |
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| October |
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| November |
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| December–January |
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Handled correctly, your extracurricular profile already contains the elements that music schools look for: leadership within a serious ensemble and meaningful musical mentorship in your community. The final step is making sure those experiences clearly support the artistic identity you want admissions committees to see.