Lack of Extracurriculars

Non-Stop-1

I was pretty involved in extracurriculars while in undergrad (SGA, Alpha Mu Gamma, Honors Program, various volunteer opportunities) but have been out of undergrad for about 5 years. I've been in the military since finishing undergrad and have had little free time. The little bit of time I have had was spent pursuing my MA and studying for the LSAT. Should I include my extracurriculars from undergrad on my resume? Will the lack of extracurriculars in recent years hurt me? If so, is there anything I can do to limit that impact? Thanks for the help!

Matt Sorr

I'm not an admissions advisor, but I think that your time in the military will more than make up for any lack of extracurriculars. I by no means intend to reduce your military service to a simple "soft factor," but in the realm of law school apps, military service is far more impressive and valued than just about any extracurricular an undergraduate could participate in. Additionally, the people reading your app will understand how time-consuming military service is.

If you have empty space on your resume, then I believe including your best extracurriculars from college would be a wise move. I wouldn't go to great lengths to rearrange your resume just to squeeze some extracurriculars from undergrad in, however.

Again, I am not an expert on admissions, but I hope this helps a bit. And thank you for your service!

Selene Steelman

Hi @Non-Stop. Former admissions officer here. Including information about extracurricular activities from college/university is a great way to show the admissions committee how you were an engaged and involved student outside the classroom. Law schools like to see a candidate who is self-motivated and engaged in an academic setting since success often requires law students to seek opportunities and actively expand their professional networks. You could include a subsection under Education called "Activities" and list your ECAs. As long as you can show you were working or otherwise engaged in some meaningful manner since graduation, I would not worry about having time to show lots of other activities during that time. Good luck!

Non-Stop-1

@"Selene Steelman" thanks for the feedback! Sorry for the delayed response. I just worked on updating my resume though and definitely feel it shows I have been actively engaged over the past 9 years (undergrad and since graduating from undergrad)!