Writing the Common App activities list from Ghana
List up to ten activities, most important first, and count everything you have given real time to: school clubs, but also a family business, caring for siblings, church or mosque roles, and paid work. For each, use the 150-character description to say what you did and what changed because of it, with numbers where you can. One or two activities done deeply beat ten done lightly.
How do I write the Common App activities list?
List up to ten activities, most important first, and describe each one in a few precise words. Count everything you have given real, regular time to, including responsibilities at home. In each description, say what you did and what changed because of it.
The list is one of the few places a reader sees how you spend your days. For a Ghanaian student, that often includes things that never appear in a school club register. Put them in.
What counts as an activity?
Anything outside class that you have given real, regular time to. That includes:
- School activities: clubs, societies, sport, debate, the school newspaper, prefect roles.
- Religious roles: choir, youth leadership, teaching Sunday school or Madrasa classes.
- Work: paid jobs, and helping in a family shop, farm or business.
- Family responsibilities: caring for younger siblings or an older relative, running the household when a parent is away.
- Independent projects: something you started yourself, such as a tutoring group, a small business or a coding project.
- Community service: volunteering with an organisation or in your area.
Family responsibilities are not second-class activities. A student who cares for three siblings after school every day has shown more commitment than one who attends a club once a term.
How much space do I have?
Very little, so every character matters. For each activity, the Common App gives you:
| Field | Limit |
|---|---|
| Position or leadership | 50 characters |
| Organisation name | 100 characters |
| Description | 150 characters |
| Grade levels, timing, hours per week and weeks per year | Chosen from options |
Characters include spaces. So write in compact phrases rather than full sentences, and cut every word that does not add information.
How do I write a strong description?
Name the action, the people, the scale and the result. A strong description answers four questions in one line:
- What did you do? Start with a verb: founded, taught, ran, built, managed.
- For whom? Who benefited: classmates, siblings, customers, your congregation.
- How much? Numbers make it real: how many people, how often, how long.
- What changed? The result, if there was one.
For example, as an illustration: "Founded weekly maths tutoring for 25 SHS 1 students; class mock average rose from 48% to 61%." That is under 150 characters, and a reader can picture it.
How do I describe work at home?
Plainly and specifically, like any other activity. Give it a clear title and name what you did and how much:
- Position: "Caregiver for three younger siblings"
- Organisation: "Family"
- Description: "Prepare meals, supervise homework and handle school runs daily while parents work; 25 hours a week throughout SHS."
For a family business, name the business type and your role, such as "Assistant, family provisions shop", and describe what you handled: sales, stock, accounts, customers. Readers understand that some students carry responsibilities others never face.
How do I order the list?
Most important first. Importance means the activities that took the most of your time, where you had the most responsibility, or that mean the most to you. A reader may skim the bottom of the list, so lead with your strongest.
Use the hours and weeks fields honestly. They show the reader the real weight of each activity, and an inflated number can look implausible next to your other commitments.
Where do awards and prizes go?
In the honours section, not the activities list. The Common App has a separate place in the education section for academic honours, such as a subject prize, a speech day award or a national competition placing. List them there, with the level: school, regional, national or international.
If an award came from an activity, such as a debate prize, you can mention it briefly in that activity's description too. But do not spend an activity slot on an award alone. The slot is for what you did over time; the honours section is for what you won.
How do I keep it accurate?
Write only what you could explain in detail to a stranger. Interviewers often ask about activities, and your counsellor or teachers may mention them in their letters. A description that does not match what they say, or what you say in an interview, raises doubts about everything else.
So round numbers honestly, describe your own role rather than the group's, and do not upgrade a title. "Helped organise" is fine when that is what you did. A reader trusts a modest, specific line more than an impressive vague one.
What if I have only a few activities?
List the ones you have, and describe them well. Six strong activities are better than ten padded ones. Many Ghanaian students spend long hours on studies, travel and family duties, and readers know that.
If your list is short because of responsibilities at home, make sure those responsibilities are on it. If it is short because your school offered few clubs, the counsellor's letter or school profile can say so.
When should I write it?
In the summer before your final year, alongside your personal statement. The two should work together: the list shows the range of what you do, and the essay goes deep on one part of your life. Write them side by side, so the essay does not simply repeat an activity the list already covers.
What should I do first?
Write down every way you spent regular time outside class over the past three years, without judging any of it. Then pick the ten that matter most, and draft each description in a document, counting characters, before you type it into the Common App.
If you would like help shaping your activities list, you can book a call with us.
Questions people ask
What counts as an activity on the Common App?
Anything you have given real, regular time to outside class: clubs, sport, music, religious roles, volunteering, paid work, a family business and caring for family members. Responsibilities at home count as much as school clubs.
How long is each activity description?
The Common App gives 50 characters for your position, 100 for the organisation's name and 150 for the description. Characters include spaces, so every word counts.
Do I need to fill all ten activity slots?
No. Six strong activities are better than ten with four padded ones. List what is real and significant, and stop there.
Can I include helping at home?
Yes. Caring for younger siblings, helping in a parent's shop or farm, or managing a household are real activities. Universities want to know where your time goes, and these often show responsibility better than a club.